I’ve got a busy couple of weeks ahead of me, and mat time is likely to be scarce. I decided to take advantage of what I have and went on Friday night to the open mat.

It was pretty deserted, only 6 of us. Which made for a nice vibe and plenty of space. JR and I rolled for about 45 minutes, a good mixture of easy, fast, and playful. In a jiu jitsu first, I ended up playing an inverted open guard with him for a bit. Never thought I’d be there.

We switched partners, and I took Cole. Fresh white belt, 3 weeks in. We rolled for about 20 minutes. I’d let him work some stuff, then I’d show him something, then let him try it out, all while experimenting with my own things. He, JR, and I talked after the fact about how far we (JR and I) have come, and how far we’ve yet to go. Nothing against Cole, but it’s shocking how much of an advantage even a seasoned blue belt has over a random guy off the street. It’s almost like cheating.