I have been trying to do it more, and it definitely does help me make better decisions when I 'm focused on feel and not what I see. 

Eating more whole foods, prioritizing protein, taking supplements, monitoring my sleep patterns, strength training at least 3x/week off the mats. The sleep and supplements have been helping me tremendously with recovery.

I watch ROLTV when I have specific questions or want to try to work on something from home. I also purchased some mats a couple of months ago so I could do solo drills for extra practice.  

Wooo!

3 things I'm doing in 2025:

-I am planning to work on my takedowns because someone made a joke about how much they suck, which was funny. And if it's funny, it means it's also true lol.

-I'm excited to attend a Sophia McDermott seminar next month!

-The biggest thing I am doing for my training this year is getting enough sleep--which has been a game-changer so far. The recovery process is much quicker and easier now.

My "aha" moment was realizing how much easier it was to move in bottom mount or bottom side control when I am not flat on my back. 

This year has been a year of tremendous change for me. My one constant has been bjj and working out. It's nice to have a constructive outlet when you're angry and upset so you can show up better for the people in your life. I am most impacted by the positivity of my training partners and the way that we take care of each other. It gives me hope that maybe just maybe this human experience can be a shared connection in which the trust we have in one another is something we hold sacred. Unlike the drive to the academy that makes me lose faith in humanity lol. I know that at least on the mats, we are in this together. 

A lesson I am learning is to not lose sight of opportunities in anticipation of things going wrong. When I get mounted on the mats, I sometimes have difficulty escaping because I am overly concerned with getting submitted and it distracts from my ability to find an escape. I think I have the same difficulty with life at times, but it is a helpful lesson for me to challenge myself to take calculated risks instead of holding back and anticipating threats when there are none. 

Something I struggled with at first was feeling the confidence to go for a submission. I am much more comfortable being on the defensive. Slowly, I am building my confidence in trying a submission even though it may not work. I am learning to enjoy that process of trial and error by sometimes treating sparring as a low stakes game to try new things!

I have no regrets starting now because I might've never left California if I started there. I would never know the beauty of a Chicago dog (I can live without deep dish, yuck).