Is this psychology or physiology? Or a combination. I should have taken a tablet.
I find the singlets grapplers wear a most bizarre garment. They leave nothing to the imagination and at weigh-in, they are often taken of the shoulder anyway. I understand why the Greeks insisted on nudity at the gymnasium. It was an equaliser, but then one could not follow ones 'team' that easily. And most of the time you now get red and blue, though some bizarre colours and patterns have been added recently.
This ring shape has found its way into the latest canvas, Splendid Isolation. There is something alchemical and magical about the notion that if you step out of the circle, the fight is stopped. In the US headguards are common and it all takes place on padded mats., though i have seen sandpits as the site, especially in India. There is so little full-contact sport at the moment, although I have seen competitions in Russia and Germany since Covid. Seems a contradiction to me, even if testing is in place.
I hated all sport at school, but might have liked this. Ironically I ran a couple of half-marathons in my twenties. Imagine the PE teacher would have been startled by the very idea. And I used to swim three miles a week at the Abbey when I lived off Coldhams Lane. It was 72 lengths. Not sure I could still do it, certainly not in around 40 minutes.
I have done a picture this morning mixing up the media, but will now take a fair part of the day to dry. I like it's unpredictability, which I hate in all other aspects of life. But at least I can say I am now fully vaccinated...