Opro gumshield

Just got to big up my new Opro gumshield. This little beauty fits like a glove and has already saved me from cutting my tongue on my own teeth (I tend to spar open mouthed so any knock and my tongue gets caught).

The Opro gumshields are the next step up from boil your own types. When you order one online, they send you a putty mix and you make your own dental mold. Then you send it back and they laser a gumshield that exactly matches your dental pattern. At £40 it's cheaper than a custom fit job from the dentist, although obviously more expensive than the boil your own. I can honestly say, after one session wearing it, the Opro is very good indeed. No gagging, no looseness, no cutting of the gums. It is well worth the money.

BJJ training is going ok. I'm not making any particularly big strides with my new sparring style, but then I'm not necessarily making too many errors as before, so I think I'm going in the right direction. In between training sessions, I've been adding some road work (cool term for basically jogging badly round the park), kettlebell sets and generally trying to get fitter. One of my biggest problems at the last comp was gassing out too early. I want to give myself a better chance at the forthcoming Grapplers Showdown London Open in August. I've also ordered a Powerbar. This chin-up bar does not need to be screwed into the wall, and the bar itself is set high above the top door frame, so you don't have to bend the knees when dangling. When it arrives, I'll post a little review here.