Onwards and upwards

Touch wood, I should be back in training tomorrow.

I had some issues with my left shoulder that took me off six (!) weeks’ worth of training. If I didn’t go off training, I would have been a blue belt already (I keed, I keed...).

Seriously, being off the mats will have a huge impact on my BJJ skills and rolling cardio. But, either that or a possible worse injury (torn instead of strained RC muscles) and longer time off mats... No brainer, really.

Anyways, I haven’t really been slack with BJJ-inspired things to do. The BJJ group that I co-founded with Bong Abad, CEO of Gawakoto Fightwear, the Pinoy BJJ Group UK has been taking off quite nicely. We have chatted with other like-minded BJJ players and decided to have an open mat session this October. Joe, another friend who lives across the pond, has created the Pinoy BJJ Group of North America, and should be taking off eventually.

Furthermore, the group has developed a logo that looks siiick!

This design, courtesy of our resident graphic artist and comic book illustrator Bong, will eventually feature in our t-shirt and rashguard. The t-shirt printing hit a little snag but the rashguards are a go, done in partnership with Mad Dog Cage Ring Mats.  The rashguard features the group's logo, a carabao, a Filipino symbol that depicts hard work and a sense of industry. I am hard-working, really. No, really.

Also, on the right-hand sleeve, there is some Baybayin - an ancient pre-Spanish writing system in the Philippines. The word is "Dumog", the filipino word for Grappling.

Did I tell you that there are Gi patches, as well?

Nice, 'no?