Before you get all congratulatory over this picture, let me preface it by saying, I went 0-5 to earn these 3 bronze medals. Yes I had 5 matches this weekend and lost every single one on them. Yet somehow I still come away with, what looks like, some impressive hardware.
Match 1: Master Male>Blue Belt>Light Heavyweight
Very little circling. My opponent pulled guard and tried to lock down an arm. I didn’t come close to opening his guard. He swept me to mount, set up a cross choke, and rolled to guard for the finish.
Result: bronze medal #1
Match 2: Master Male>Blue Belt>Absolute
I tried to set up an arm bar from standing. It didn’t come close to working. Opponent passed guard easily and finished with cross choke from mount.
Match 3: Master Male>NoGi Blue Belt>Light Heavyweight
I shot for a single right away. Didn’t get it. He pulled guard. I stayed there unable to move or loser his guard. He went for a kimura and I rolled to defend. He transitioned right to an arm bar.
Match 4: Master Male>NoGi Blue Belt>Light Heavyweight
Because there were only 3 of us, I had a second match. It was just the way the computer spit out the bracket I guess. Anyways, I shot for a single. I didn’t get it. Stuck in guard. Swept, knee on belly, mounted, escaped, swept again. 12-0 or something like that.
Result: bronze medal #2
Match 5: Master Male>NoGi Blue Belt>Absolute
Against my better judgement, I registered for the nogi absolute. Again a low number. Only 4 registered. My match was against the guy who arm barred me in my weight class. Guess what? He arm barred me again. But this time it was in about 45 seconds.
Result: bronze medal #3
To recap, I had 5 matches. I lost all. In fact, I didn’t score 1 single point or an advantage, and I ended up with 3 bronze medals… Lol.
Mountains to Mats 
You’re honest. There’s no better foundation for excelling to your PB, and you survived 5 matches, which is a fitness elevation showing work in progress. I was reading a book called “The Fighter’s Mind,” and the author used George Foreman as an illustration. Foreman, at age 46 FORTY SIX, walked into the ring wearing the boxing trunks he’d worn when he previously lost his title. It was a declaration of his determination. Here:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. “
Well you most certainly know areas to strengthen after that experience – medals win or lose are just metal that you toss in the closet afterwards. What did your instructor have to say?
I go on my own. 🙂 I’m too embarrassed to have anyone I know watch me. Lol