Monday, December 17, 2018

Goodbye LFF...


There are many brilliant things about redundancy for a 49-year-old journalist who has worked at the same company for 22 years. The chance to reboot your career, the chance to do something extraordinary with the people you love, the chance to take stock, the chance to make new plans, the chance to indulge some whims...

The one bad thing about redundancy is that it removes you geographically from a place you were connected to. I'm fine with most of this, but one example of this down side is the fact I can longer train BJJ at the excellent London Fight Factory (LFF) in Old Street. I've trained BJJ here for five years and it's been one of the best things I've ever done.

Every single one of the 300+ classes I've done there has been challenging, exhausting and difficult in some way. But it's also seen me train with some of the best people I've ever trained with and learn under some of the best teachers I've ever learnt under. 

Even though I felt like crying through a combination of exhaustion and frustration at the end of some classes, it's been an utter joy. Unless you've been through the grappling grind, you probably can't fully appreciate it. 

I'm genuinely sad to say goodbye to everyone at LFF as there is such a family ethos there. But I'm pretty sure I'll be back working in London at some point and, when that happens, I'll be back on the mats at Old Street. 

Until then I'll be training closer to home. But this is kind of exciting as well...

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