Well, my body clock is nearly back to normal, which means that I have to get myself back into my normal training routine. As you progress in Ju-Jitsu, the time period between belts increases, along with the amount of work you need to put in for each respective belt. Theoretically, I should be grading at the end of May, but I've got a few obstacles before I get there.

The first one is practice. Luckily, my training sessions will be going up to 3 per week in the run-up, which should get me fitter - and in addition, allow me to do the extra work on the syllabus. I've still got a fair bit to do.

The second one is fitness. I need to visit my gym as much as possible in the meantime to ensure that during the free self-defence section, I don't lose it.

I have to say, though, I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. It'd be cool if I can get to Italy with a shiny new tag on my belt...