Life

I find that the parts of my life outside of my job are so much more satisfying than the parts within it. Does that mean I’m doing it wrong? I mean, I got a copy process to run within measurement error of the theoretical bandwidth limits of the network devices … for more than 24 hours straight. 180MB/sec over a 200MB/sec connection. So?

Then I go to the gym and I’m all like “WOOO!” That feels somewhat backwards, somehow.

Anyway, so I went back to the Jiu Jitsu place and got worked over again, both Tuesday and today. After class, people who want to stay and practice do so. Both times, the senior guys came right over to me and said “let’s train a bit.” Tuesday was something like half an hour straight of being taken apart by the head instructor. Today, a few other high belts worked in.

I should emphasize that when I say “taken apart,” what I really mean is “taken to my own limits.” At no point do these guys hurt me just to hurt me. At no point do they dominate me just to make the point of their superiority. In fact, they’ll frequently demonstrate control on some technique and then back off and let me find the defense … but they make me find it at my own strength. I don’t get out for finding the trick – I get out for making it work … and then it’s into the alternate attack. It’s certainly not a gimme … there’s no “letting me out” here. However, I’m discovering that there is *always* a way to break out of some hold … always a sequence from position to position – provided that I keep trying as hard as I can.

And that, I think, is the self improvement aspect of this particular practice.

Now, to bed – to rise at 5am and catch the 7am flight home – to miss the afternoon snow-dump in Boston. Must as I like this place, I do not wish to spend the weekend here.