Solo dojo training is different from regular classes. Last week I spent two whole hours in the dojo with my brother just working on kata. Just me, Nicholas and dad on the mats, and my phone on a tripod. No coach shouting corrections. No training partners to compare myself to. Just silence and the sound of our own breathing.

The thing about training alone is you have to be honest with yourself. There is nobody else to tell you when something looks rubbish. So I filmed everything. Every single kata. Then I sat down with Nicholas and watched it back.

Film It, Watch It, Do It Again

Some bits looked decent. Some bits made me cringe. My stance was too high in places. My hikite was lazy on a few techniques. Little things that I would never notice without the camera.

So I got up and did it again. And again. And again. Two hours of that. By the end my legs were absolutely burning and my gi was soaking wet. But I could see the difference in the later videos. Small improvements. Sharper movements. Better timing.

That is what this stage of the journey feels like. Tiny improvements that add up over time.

The Pressure Is Real

Honestly as August gets closer I am starting to feel the pressure. A lot of people believe in me. My family, my coaches, everyone who has donated to help me get to Brazil. I really do not want to let anyone down.

But I also know that all I can do is keep working. Keep training. Keep filming and fixing. That is all any of us can do really. Show up and put the work in.

Massive thanks to Motion Mender for keeping my muscles recovered so I can keep pushing like this. And to everyone who has supported the journey so far. It means everything.

If you want to help me get to the JKS World Championships in Brazil this August, please consider donating to my GoFundMe: Support Jakob’s Journey

Follow the journey on TikTok @jakob.de.brum and YouTube for more training clips. The grind continues.

For a full guide, see Jakob’s Hard Work, Determination, and Growth.