For the first time ever, I arrived at Jiu-Jitsu and was disappointed to see Surfer Dude. I admit it: I like being demo partner. It’s actually fun, and I’ve gained a lot of confidence.

SD waited on the center of the mat while Instructor looked down the line with a finger out pointing. “Let’s go wiiiiiiiith…” his finger stopped on me. Hope surged. Would he use both of us somehow?

Then he turned, as if seeing SD standing there for the first time. “Oh, hi. How are you?”

So no demo day for me. Later I thought it would have been funny if I had said to SD, “I’ll flip you for it,” because that’s something I learned to do years ago. And if I had flipped that big dude over my back in front of everyone, it would have been epic. Alas.

Here are some way back play back images of me being flipped by SD, back in his blonde days when the nickname fit.

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