We warm up, then get to passing guard. Then coach calls out two names and we're told to move to the sides.
It's on, grading Mataleao style. No announcement, no set pieces to demo, just two men and a scrap.
After my second scrap, coach pulls a purple belt from his bag and calls my name. I'm thinking 'no' and turns out I actually said it out loud.
On that day, tired, hungry and bemused I became a purple belt. It still feels surreal as I type this now.
Now begins the journey to prove I deserve that belt.
