Go vs. Growth

If Martial Arts is about growth, how do we do so when we are injured?

I look at pain in two ways, the first being pain we can go through, and the other, is pain that we grow through. And we must know the difference, if we are going to decide on which to do. 

“Go vs Grow”

An injury can have debilitating pain, meaning it will hinder movement and weaken a certain area of the body, with these we must be patient, and have the right attitude towards healing properly. Injuries can be anything from joint dislocations, broken bones, ligament or tendon tears, cuts and gashes and certain degrees of bruising or burns. Being hurt, sore or achy, is different than being injured. I look at those as pain we can go through, it’s usually a sprain, strain, and sometimes it is muscular or mental fatigue just being disguised as a weakness. 

Jose’s stories of go, Jose’s moments of growth

Since commencing my martial arts journey, there’s not been many days that my body hasn’t been sore or hurt. My hurts, I can go through, they have been pain like sprained ankles, wrists, fingers, minor cuts and bruises. Being in pain is not a barrier, it’s more of an opportunity for us to have more control in our training. Many times hurts happen when we are going too hard, too fast, we must be mindful of how we move so we don’t hurt ourselves or our training partners. Let’s use a sprained wrist as an example, I taped it up, put a brace over it and that was enough support for me to work with. There was pain with certain movements and pressure, so I had to constantly adjust and be aware of my movements to not put my hurt in more danger. A hurt, can have its limitations, but it is something we can train through.

I’ve also grown through many injuries, slipped ribs, shattered bones in my feet, a torn rotator cuff, and my most serious injury, a torn long head bicep tendon. Ugh man, I remember this injury like it was just yesterday. It happened during a roll in class. I was on my back, caught in a tight arm bar, and looking for an escape. My elbow wasn’t in danger and not realizing the anatomical positioning or the pressure build up on my shoulder and bicep, so I used the hitchhiker escape… while I successfully escaped, my tendon ruptured, my bicep disconnected from its attachment point. This was an injury worth getting advice for from a doctor, but they gave me no plan for recovery. I had to do my own research and heal accordingly. 

This is the only time I chose to take time off from physical training. I had to learn to adapt with this injury if I wanted to grow. I went to class and took notes, watched videos on youtube, and read books, until the pain settled, then I was back to training. Going back wasn’t easy, I was scared of the pain and of possibly being more injured. My instructors and training partners were made aware of the injury and they took good care of me when we trained. No matter what you are going through, Jiu-Jitsu and your team will always have your back.

Lesson learned: When we hold on too tight, we are likely to be hurt. The right move at the wrong time is still the wrong move.

Go vs Grow students

A quote that you may have heard me use is “Jiu-Jitsu teaches us to understand when to let go, when to hold on, and when to transition.” This is a statement that is constantly on my mind while I train. If you are going to hold on tight, be sure you can let go before being hurt. If you are going to let go, make sure you trade a bad position for a better one. And when you are ready to transition, move in an efficient and safe manner.

You are going to be in pain some days, come out and train anyways. Find a way to go through it. Use the pain to lead the way you move and how you think. You can heal through movement if you are conscious. You will be injured at some point during your journey. When and if this happens, stay calm and don’t be negative. 

We need to be challenged in order to grow, and that is exactly what an injury is. Injuries challenge us mentally and physically, so you must be able to fight back. See a doctor, find what your limits and capabilities are. Maybe you can help others during class, when we teach others what we know, we solidify what we know. Sit in and watch class, this will give you another perspective of what’s going on, you will be able to see different details, and this will provoke thought, thought provokes questions, and questions get you the answers you need.

Pain is a motivator. It can motivate us to be patient with our bodies, or it can motivate us to find other ways to grow. Whatever you decide, don’t give up on your body. I encourage you to heal through movement, let your pains be your guide to how you move.

As I continue to evolve as a martial artist, and working closely with the healers at Trinity Health Collective, I am also being educated on preventative methods to help myself and others. As we age, our body begins to break down, there is a degree of degeneration in our musculoskeletal system. We don’t stop moving because we grow old, we grow old because we stop moving; that is part of the reason we spend 50% of our time on building strength and endurance at Fluxo, to improve the quality of our life.

Collaborating alongside the guild of health professional has given me the opportunity to heal actively with my pains, and to grow efficiently through my injuries. If you get injured, seek help from a professional, and make sure that your active care is in line with your training. I invite you heal with my team, not only do I respect the work they do in their craft, but they also train martial arts, they understand the risks and responsibilities that come with training.

I’ll leave you with some thoughts from the guild:

Melissa Selvaggi (RMT)

 “Although our body’s physical demands have evolved, our primitive composition remains the same. By nature, we are creatures of movement. It’s no coincidence our bodies are designed and crafted in the way that they are. Limitations are not predetermined, they are acquired.”

Doctor Don Rey Juan (Chiropractor)

“There is always and inherent risk when we train. Ask yourself ‘If you train and it sets your recovery back, are you really gaining? Is what you are gaining worth what you lost?’ “

Doctor Ryan Garcia (Chiropractor)

“The human body is made to move. When we choose to train, we allow the body to move in various ways. We learn our body’s limitations and what is capable of at the time. The aim of training is to become a better you. Both mentally and physically. But when we are injured and learn to adapt our movement, we must allow our bodies to heal rather than hinder it’s healing.”