Well I slept most of the day Wednesday. I got up around 2:30-3:00pm-ish. Seph, one of the owners and instructors at the 50/50 academy asked me if I was going to train tonight - I said yes but that I needed to get some stuff from the Target store a few blocks away. From here he helped me figure out how I was going to get down to Arlington to the academy. I was to take the the 10A bus to the metro (subway system) and from there take a few different lines to end up downtown Arlington. Seph went off to the academy to teach and I made my way to the Target.
The Target store is about 5-6 blocks away in a strip mall type of place called the Potomac Yard Center - picture below:
This walk takes about 15 minutes - but seemed much further because of the heat. Once there I made my way back to the mens wear. I grabbed some boxer briefs for training and to have something to change into when i got back, a tee shirt to wear under my Gi. I grabbed some water and gatorade, paid and then made my way back to the house to take a quick shower.
Once showered and dressed I packed up my Gi, loaded my backpack with water, locked up the house and my made my way to the bus stop.
I got to the bus stop and began waiting. At this point I have to add that the heat and humidity here in Virginia last week was verging on deathly; even people from this area have commented that the heat was awful. My point being that by the time I got to the bus stop I was drenched with sweat. The 10A eventually arrived I pulled out my little piece of paper with the names of the places I needed to get to and asked the buss driver for some assistance. I informed him that I needed to get to the Metro at which point he told me which one. And this is where I'd insert a 'blankface" picture because I was not really sure. I showed him the little piece of paper which also happened to have the address of the 50/50 academy. He noticed the address and told me that it would be much easier if I caught the 10B bus which was about 10minutes behind him. That it would take me right where I needed to go. So I hoped off and began to wait and sweat again.
The 10B finally arrived, I was still unsure if this was the right bus so I asked the bus driver but he was unsure as well (apparently this was not his usual route). Anyhow a few nice passengers looked at the address and informed me that I was on the right bus. My stop being the very last stop of this particular route.
Eventually, 45 minutes or so, I got off at my stop and was pointed in the direction of where the 50/50 Academy should be located. So off I went edging that much closer to training with Ryan Hall. My guess is that the academy is about 4-5 blocks from the downtown bus stop or about a 10 minute walk. As I was making my way down the street I keep looking at the numbers of the buildings.
After about 15 minutes I stopped as I was in the area that the address should be. I looked around but could not see any sign or advertisement for the academy. I was about to walk to the store behind me when I happened to look up and across the street and there it was - the 50/50 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy of Ryan Hall.
The picture below is approximately what I saw:
Here I was and the nervousness began to hit me. I suffer from an anxiety disorder so even training back home causes me to worry, doubt, try to find a way out - so my nerves and mind were running a mile a minute. I was unsure I should go up there; in truth I was trying to find a way out. Which is a thorn in my side. I took a deep breath, sucked it up, and walked across the street. After a bit of trial and error I realized that the entrance was around back of the building and so I made my way to the back.
I got to the back and saw the little glass door with the 50/50.
Again another deep breath. I reached for the door, pulled it open, and began to walk up the stairs to the academy. I had nothing to lose now. I was here to train and here I was at the academy. I was damned if I was going to allow my inner demons and troubles get the best of me.
Please stay tuned for the next installment of the 50/50 BJJ trip.
awesome!!
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