INJURIES & TRAINING

IT’S BEEN AWHILE SINCE MY LAST BLOG POST. THE PANDEMIC HAS SHIFTED MY FOCUS IN OTHER DIRECTIONS FOR THE TIME BEING. BUT THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN ON MY MIND LATELY. ESPECIALLY SINCE I’VE BEEN CURRENTLY ATTENDING REGULAR PHYSICAL THERAPY SESSIONS FOR MY LOWER BACK OVER THE LAST MONTH. SOOO…HERE’S A NEW BLOG TO READ.

IF YOU’VE DONE BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, JUDO, NOGI GRAPPLING OR MMA LONG ENOUGH, CHANCES ARE YOU HAVE SUSTAINED INJURIES. IT IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL GO THROUGH THIS TYPE OF TRAINING AND NOT BECOME INJURED AT SOME POINT. PERSONALLY, I’VE BEEN INJURED MORE TIMES THAN I CARE TO REMEMBER. SOME OF THE GOODIES I’VE SUCCUMBED TO ARE:

· CUTS

· SCRATCHES

· BRUISES

· PULLED MUSCLES

· TORN TENDONS

· TURF TOES

· BROKEN FINGERS & TOES

· BUSTED NOSE

· SPRAINED WRISTS

· TWEAKED KNEES

· SPRAINED ANKLES

· ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES

· POPPED RIBS

· SPRAINED BACK

· ETC, ETC, ETC.

THE ONE THING I’VE RESOLVED WITH MYSELF A LONG TIME AGO WAS I WILL INEVITABLY BE HURT BY MY OWN ACTION OR SOMEONE ELSES. I’VE ALSO LEARNED VIA TRIAL AND ERROR THAT RESTORATION AND PREVENTION MUST ALSO GO ALONG WITH THE TRAINING. AS WELL AS SOME GOOD OLE COMMON SENSE. WHEN YOU’RE INJURED, DON’T BE A “HERO” AND STILL TRAIN HARD CORE. TAKE IT DOWN A COUPLE NOTCHES MAN! YOU ARE NOT IMPRESSING ANYONE (EXCEPT MAYBE YOURSELF) BY TRAINING THROUGH AN INJURY. WHAT YOU ARE DOING HOWEVER, IS INCREASING YOUR CHANCES OF MORE TIME AWAY FROM TRAINING BECAUSE YOU’VE EXASPERATED THE ISSUE BY HURTING YOURSELF MORE.

SOMETHING I TELL THE MMA FOR THE STREET GROUP IS THAT WE DON’T NEED TO THROW BOMBS AT ONE ANOTHER, OR KICK OUR PARTNER’S HEAD OFF OF THEIR SHOULDERS, OR RIP A SUBMISSION UNTIL YOU HEAR THEM SCREAM. THAT TYPE OF TRAINING, THOUGH NECESSARY SOMETIMES FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IN THE SPORT OF MMA, IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUOUSLY TRAIN FOR YEARS AND YEARS, INSTEAD OF A MONTH OR TWO HERE AND THERE, THEN YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO TRAIN SAFELY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN. THIS GOES DOUBLE FOR YOU OVER 40 FOLKS!

LOOK, IF YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE MATURE PEEPS THAT GOES 100% DURING EVERY DRILL OR EVERY ROLL, AGAINST INDIVIDUALS HALF YOUR AGE, THEN YOU’RE A FOOL. SORRY ABOUT THOSE POOR FEELINGS OF YOURS, BUT SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS. REMEMBER HOW INDESTRUCTABLE YOU WERE AT 18 YEARS OLD, OR 25 OR EVEN 30. WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO HAVE THAT YOUTH BACK. BUT IT’S JUST NOT REALITY. NOWADAYS, GETTING WINDED, BEING TIRED, WAKING TO SORE JOINTS AND MUSCLES, AND “JUST NOT FEELING IT” ARE ALL ON THE MENU.

SO DON’T LET BRAVADO OVERSHADOW YOUR INSECURITIES. IF YOU’RE HURT, YOU‘RE HURT. IT’S OKAY. NO ONE WILL THINK LESS OF YOU IF YOU BACK OFF A LITTLE. REST, HEAL AND RECOVER. THEN BEGIN TRAINING AGAIN, SLOWLY AT FIRST, BUT ADDING IN A BIT MORE EFFORT AS YOU BECOME REACCUSTOMED TO TRAINING. THAT RECIPE HAS CARRIED ME THROUGH THIS JOURNEY TIME AND TIME AGAIN, SINCE 1984. IT CAN DO THE SAME FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH THE INJURY BUG.

LEARN. DRILL. ROLL. TRANSFORM!