I'm joining two days together as I'm already falling far behind.
Thursday I went climbing for the first time in 3 years. I wasn't a climber 3 years ago, I just went once before 3 years ago. I was invited by a friend at work, or did I invite myself with ambitions to improve my grip strength, I can't remember, but that was my goal. I conveniently forgot, as I always do, that I've annoyingly managed to develop a fear of heights over the last couple of years. It's definitely irrational, but definitely there. They started me off on an easy wall, which was not good as I basically got to the top pretty quickly, looked down, all the way down, wimpered a little bit and started sweating profusely, my hands are sweating now on the keyboard as I think about it again. The thing I don't like, is that there is one knot on the rope securing your harness and when that's gone it's a long way down, well it was indoors so probably only 40 meters. If that rope snapped... we've all seen Cliff Hanger with Silvester Stalone, ropes can come unravelled for absolutely no reason! So here I am in a converted warehouse, clinging to an artificial wall, with a potentially weakened rope the only thing keeping me safe. I lean back, gripping onto the rope at the knot, certain that the knot will come loose, or that the rope will snap.... what about the pulley at the top coming lose, that's gotta happen some time, oh dear. As I lean back the rope grows taught, the knot slips, I let out a little girly scream, it's ok though, I'm 40 meters up, no one can hear me. I actually grab onto the knotted part of the rope in a vain attempt to secure myself should it come undone. Inevitably the knot only tightens and stays steadfastly secure, me and my irrational fear can't believe it, but we are grateful and we descend to safety. Phew! Only to repeat the process many more times over the next couple of hours. In the end I started worrying less about the height and more about how weak my hands are compared to a climbers. It was a good session and I hope to continue climbing regularly to see if it benefits my grip strength. Only one thing else to note, sauna session afterwards, everyone was naked, boys and girls... I'm not sure if I agree with that. It's a European thing I think, or maybe just German.
Friday, Blue belt session, COME ON! Good session, no technique though, just sparring. What made the session really good though was sharing the U-bahn (underground) ride with a fellow obsessed BJJer afterwards. We discussed the session, techniques, other peoples games, seminars. If you hadn't already guessed I could talk BJJ for hours, and having someone to talk with was something I was really missing since I moved to Germany. That has now changed, but I'm still writing this blog. You can never talk too much BJJ.
It's a German thing: my mum (and my father, come to think of it, who is Turkish) often wander round the house naked, and they almost never bother closing the bathroom door.
ReplyDeleteAlso a Danish thing, judging by my gf's cousin: we once went swimming in Copenhagen by the docks, a public place. One moment I was talking to this cousin, the next I had to quickly avert my eyes as she had pulled her top off mid-sentence, in order to swim. Bit disconcerting!
Definitely NOT an English thing. People are way more prudish here, and that has certainly rubbed off on me (as I grew up in this country).
Would be interesting to know if it is just Northern Europe and some of Western Europe that is relaxed about nudity. I would have thought Eastern Europe would be more uptight about it, and perhaps Southern Europe, due to the higher level of religiosity? Perhaps not.