Evening all. As always it’s good to catch up, I very nearly decided to leave writing until tomorrow but seeing as procrastination and I am old friends (or is it enemies) I’ve decided as always that there’s no time like the present. Training as always has remained consistent and I’m back to training 5 times a week again which is only ever a good thing. Little by little I’m heading back to where I want to be when it comes to all things martial and hard work is starting to pay off. As I’ve always said the more you put in, then the more you get out.

Ha. That’s something someone once said in my old gym in Bournemouth and it’s always stuck because it’s true. The hardest part of training is sometimes just turning up but staying focused on what you want is sometimes an incentive in itself. There is never anything that can’t be improved but I realised on my lunchtime bag blast today that everything is perfect the way it is.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I should be kind of proud of myself for having trained for as long as I have and for having achieved as much as I have already done. There’s a fighter who is beginning to rise up again inside of me and he still wants to win. Never say never as the saying goes. I’m still young and there’s still some fuel in the tank. I don’t want a lot other than to maybe fight at a slightly higher level than I have before because I think I’d be pretty good at it with enough training and determination.

It’s nice to be back in the room and now that I’m back in the room I intend to stay here for a while. It has taken me a lot of focus and a lot of determination to tough it out throughout lockdown, personal tragedy, and life’s trials and tribulations but hey I’m still here and you know something? I’m winning. Ok so now that I’ve said that maybe I am a little proud of myself. They make us South Africans tough.

There is, of course, a lot I need to do better including not kicking with my currently bruised left foot but of late things have been good. In fact, things have been great, so much so that despite a week off next week seeing family in Spain I intend to step it up a gear when home and start training 6 times a week instead of 5. Just because I want to see what happens and I’m curious to know if I’ll get as sharp as I think I will. Goal setting has always been one of my favourite things.

But that’s just me. As soon as I have something to focus on I have two modes, one is on and the other is off. These days I’m getting used to flicking the ‘on’ switch again when I need to and it’s beginning to pay off. Slowly. Little by little. Consistency and perseverance are kings when it comes to improvements in the gym. No one said this would be easy but I don’t like easy. I just walk through tough like it isn’t a thing because being out of my comfort zone has always been the best place to learn and you know what? over 16 years on I still wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s to the rest of the week and training hard, and just like the last time… I’ll see you on that road.