The Pain that Comes with Progress

Instead of doing pushups I'm finishing off a cup of roasted tomato and crab soup . My left shoulder hurts. My right knee does too. Not as much as my ego though. I just finished my first attempt at some new stability ball exercises



I was bad...laughably bad...face plant into the floor bad. It's times like these that I envy shorter, more compact body types. Maybe it's a lack of experience, but I swear it would be easier to navigate my way around the floor if I were just a smaller human being. No complaints though, this is what BJJ is.

 

I have a tendency to zoom in on my greatest weaknesses, which, yeah, it pays off in the long-run, but it sure makes the short-run painful. It also subjects me to periods where I feel even more incompetent than the day I first stepped onto the mats. After taking on endeavors ranging from electric guitar to gardening, I knew these periods were coming. I know how I learn, I know how I fail, I know how I cope, I know how I frustrate. I know that I throw myself at a weakpoint after having drawn comfort from competence in another area. But somehow, I'm still surprised.

 

My takeaways? My core muscles might be decently strong, but I don't have the control I thought I did. I also need to take it slow. I rolled around for five minutes, getting tossed to the floor left and right. After a break, I tried slowing things down, pushing through movements slowly so I could feel the minute changes in my balance. I saw improvement. The length of my legs make for a great base if I can learn how to use them properly.