# Coming back after an injury ....



## KenpoGirl (Oct 22, 2001)

:asian:   Greetings everyone.  I am pleased to be able to post on the excellent site.  I am looking for you help.

Nearly a year ago (Dec 2000) I injured my knee in class.  I was not able to work out for quite a while, there was also a heavy case of self pitty because I though my Kenpo days were over.  I ceased to workout at all, and as would happen nature, and lord knows how many containers of Ben and Gerry's, took it's course.  As a result, I am not the person I was 10 months ago.  :shrug: 

I participated, (with Lord Gou Ronin) in a what was suppose to be a 3hr American Kenpo Seminar this past weekend, but for me it only lasted 45 minutes or so.  I am so out of shape I got overheated and dizzy and had to bow out.    It was very much a wake up call, I have to do something and do it now!!  I'm not making any excuses, the fact that I am in this shape is my own doing.  I am going to do my very best to change things around.

Injury wise, my knee will never be the same but it is getting stronger and stronger I can do kenpo as long as I watch it and wear my knee brace.  I am also hoping once I lose the excess weight it will improve that much more.

So anywise after blathering on.  Here is my plea I need tips, hint, solutions, motivations, work out plans, nutritional programs ..... ANYTHING, to get me going.  It is my job and responsiblity to use what ever you can provide, but I would appreciate your 2 cents.

Thank you in advance.  :asian:


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## GouRonin (Oct 29, 2001)

I waited a bit to see what the response to this was going to be. Since no one else started anything I might as well. Besides you called me "Lord" and that always makes me laugh.

You know I have had my share of injuries. They don't bother me but motivation is a tough one. I myself always have trouble with it too.

Here is what I have started doing. I just went back to having fun. I visit new places like the Renegade's,:erg: or the systema school. I try new things out. I go to Judo for a different flavour. It's easy to find excuses to not work out. Try finding excuses to work out. (Guys, like to go drinking with you but I have to go work out first) I have a copy of an old test years ago where my teacher asked me how long I would do Kenpo. I said, "As long as it's fun." I'm not there anymore but I find as long as I am having fun I'm ok.

I took a calender my wife uses in the kitchen and I went and bought little happy face stickers. On days when I am not at Judo or some other school and I manage to motivate myself into "THE DOG POUND" for at least an hour I put a little happy face sticker on the calender. Then at the end of the month I count up all the little happy faces and give myself a dollar for each one and then use that money to do something martial art related. A extra lesson with Jaybacca. A trip to the Russian's or maybe the Renegade's:erg: or save it up for a camp like Big Guy's New York camp. I can't say why it works for me. It just sorta does.

As for not being the same person your were a year ago...good. Who would want to be the same person they were a year ago? People grow and change. The goal is to make that growth something you like. So start pruning your growth into a picture you like. You know as well as I do how many times I have had to start over and how many schools I have gone through. Why do I continue? I dunno...I just know I seem to keep finding fun things to do. But in the end I have discovered that it's up to me. Sure a school is great and god knows I would like to be a part of one and maybe someday I will again in Kenpo but you gotta make yourself do it. Maybe it's a sticker thing, maybe it's a ben and jerry's treat but whatever it is, dangle that carrot in front of yourself. Otherwise you'll end up sucking wind like at the seminar. What's worse, is that it might be a time when it counts for all the marbles.

Keep up with Bryson. That's something that seems to be working. You're lucky that way. I myself cannot stand most people. As funny as it sounds I am very sociable for a few hours once in a while but really I train with very few people on a regular basis. Why? Because I'm a loner and I'll never be any good for you baby. Oops, sorry, that was my "break-up" speech for ex-girlfriends so I wouldn't get caught cheating...anyway... Bryson will be opening a school soon. Go there. Train with him on a regular basis. Get a start. Make a plan and stick to it.

The journey of a thousdand miles starts with a foot step...or an airplane ticket...something like that.


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## KenpoGirl (Oct 29, 2001)

Gou thank you for replying.  I was about to post that since nobody did reply that must mean that as with any kind of motivation the truth is, it's up to me!  

I truly do appreciate your advice, the calendar thing was a good idea.  I may just use that.  

You are correct I have to decide whether this is still fun for me or not.  I still enjoy the workout and working with people with kenpo .... even you.     Though I am heart broken that you are breaking up with me, and out here in the public.  :wah:  (just kidding folks, Gou's married to a wonderful lady)  But in between those times I have to learn to work with just me.  

Thanks Gou, you continue to be an inspiration to me.
When I grow up I wanna be just like Gou.   

:asian: Dot :asian::


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## GouRonin (Oct 29, 2001)

I just got back from Judo where I am now convinced I am the absolute worst Judoka alive. Good god I was just awful. I'm surprised they didn't take me out back and shoot me.

Faaaaaaaaaack!!! Now I can't give it up. I mean, I have no where to go but up!

But over all what I meant before was that I tend to like to work alone. So it's ok for me to train that way with some interaction with others. I like to be able to come and go as I please I guess. I'm sure it's a psychosis waiting in the wings to happen when I get older. I hope everyone likes me when I'm labelled, "Crazy old man."

Everyone gets frustrated. Like me tonight. Did I mention I really sucked? Oh yeah, I did. I knew what I had to do and I was trying to do it and this %$#@ing yim yam was telling me, "No. like this." and I wanted to rip his head off and pulls his lungs out through his throat because I was trying to work it but I needed time on my own to figure it out to a point where I could grasp it in my own head. So needless to say I was frustrated because I could perform at the level I wanted and I was getting advice from a guy who just learned the technique today and no matter what I say he won't shut the %$#@ up and let me try and work it but instead he feels the need to correct me every second. It was worse than my ex-girlfriend yipping like a poodle in my ear.:cuss:

Will I give up? Nah, I'm not made that way. Was I frustrated? Hell ya. I'll walk away from it for a bit then go back and see what I can manage after I've had some time to clear my head and think about it. You've had some time to clear your head, make a plan and go for it.


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## Cthulhu (Oct 29, 2001)

I think it's important to find some way to motivate yourself to get back into the 'swing of things', but your first priority has to be that knee.  A tweaked finger or even sore shoulder is one thing...your knee is another matter entirely.  I am by no means saying that you should give up training entirely!  You just have to always keep that knee in mind until it has time to heal fully.

If you find you can't make it to the dojo for a full-on workout one day, stay at home.  Do your forms alone, but slowly, almost as if you were doing tai chi.  Analyze each movment as you go through it slowly.  Feel the technique through.  Discover what each body part is doing for each movement.  

I think one big mistake you could make it to continually compare yourself now to the person/condition you were before the injury.  Don't worry about how poorly you perform compared to your injury-free days. Rather, make it a point to recognize something you did today that was better than yesterday.  Improvement, particularly after serious injury, is a daily process.  It won't happen overnight, which I am sure you're aware.  Your conditioning will take time to return as well.  As difficult as it may be, you have to stop worrying about what was, and look forward to what will be. 

Mental imagery is a powerful tool in any athletic endeavor.  Forget how you used to look entirely.  As you work out, imagine how the areas of your body that you are working on will improve.  Imagine the strength in your leg returning.  Imagine that your hands are the fastest in the world.  Imagine that your kicks can split people in half.  Imagine your lung capacity increasing every day.  Imagine smacking Gou around like a red-headed stepchild 

When I returned to training after a few years off, I was continually frustrated by my performance as compared to when I was 'in my prime'.  I wasn't as 'crisp' as I once was.  I had no endurance.  My stances were pathetic.  My forms were palsied.  I felt like an epileptic muppet every time I moved.  My problem was that I was always trying to perform just as I had done years before.  It took me awhile to realize that it probably wasn't going to happen.  Ain't none of us gettin' any younger   Instead, I just concentrated on doing the best I could at the moment.  In time, my performance improved.  Some things will never be as good as they were years ago.  Know what?  Other things have improved immensely.  

While you're doing something, just worry about doing it _in the now_...forget the past.  If you spend so much time looking behind you, you'll lose sight of the path ahead.

I dunno.  This is probably all just a bunch of meaningless psycho-babble.  If there are two coherent thoughts in this post, it'd be a minor miracle.

Cthulhu


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## Inigo Montoya (Oct 29, 2001)

Set small goals, work towards meeting them, and along the way, set gradually increasing goals.  Move slowly, but surly forward.  A slow steady pace is better than a rapid, yet halting, stutterstep.

Maybe "this week, I'm going to practice for 15 minutes every day"

Next week up it to 20

maybe 2 weeks more, up it to 30.

once every other week, train to exhaustion (ie ya just cant go no farther).  every time you make a major push ahead, reward yourself....with something healthy.  A new book, goto the movies, a trip to a seminar that you might have normally skipped, etc.

Me, I buy swords.    1st reward was when I managed to do a fancy draw -without- cutting myself.... until then it was to get the good bandaids. :shrug: 

Try snaging the book "Goals" by Zig Ziglar...smart guy for a rich redneck.


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## GouRonin (Oct 29, 2001)

I CAN READ THAT YA KNOW!
:cuss:


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## Cthulhu (Oct 29, 2001)

Something I said, Gou?  

Cthulhu


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## Inigo Montoya (Oct 29, 2001)

Huh?


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## KenpoGirl (Oct 29, 2001)

Unfortunately, I'm the one that's gets beat up by Gou so far.   

:idea:  Hmmmmmmm, Perhaps that should be my goal!!  
Train for the day, that this red head could open a can of "WhoopAss" on Lord Gou.  heh heh heh  :karate:

_To dream the impossible dream ......_ (inspirational music)

Do you think it's possible???  It would take a lot of work.  Well unless we do Judo, cuz I hear he SUCKS in Judo!!!    , yeah yeah, that's the ticket.

Thanks guys, I feel much better now.   :rofl:

Dot

P.S.  all the joking aside, I do appreciate the support.  I'll consider all you've said.


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## Cthulhu (Oct 29, 2001)

Nah...I think much of what I said was rhetorical nonsense.  Inigo's suggestion of small goals is really good, I think.

Cthulhu
BTW, love the Dot Warner avatar!


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## GouRonin (Oct 30, 2001)

Everyone wants to kick my @ss...


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## Cthulhu (Oct 30, 2001)

But we wub joo, Gou!  

Cthulhu


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## GouRonin (Oct 31, 2001)

I can almost "feel" the love over here...
:hammer:


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## disciple (Feb 27, 2002)

Oh this is a very very late response...anyway I'll just post it for your knowledge.
My suggestion is to take tai chi. I know two people that injured their knees, one was from doing tap dance and one was from TKD. After doing a couple of months of tai chi, both "recovered" from the injury. The one from TKD is no longer taking TKD (after 16 years) and still taking tai chi class with me, and the tap dancer I don't know beacuse I relocated.
They said also tai chi also put streeses on their knees, but it's different kind of stress as tai chi "never" do jumps, etc. So in the long run, they are able to put pressure on their knees without problem, I dont know about going to take the hard stuff though.

salute
:asian:


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## tunetigress (Mar 9, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Cthulhu _
> 
> If you find you can't make it to the dojo for a full-on workout one day, stay at home.  Do your forms alone, but slowly, almost as if you were doing tai chi.  Analyze each movment as you go through it slowly.  Feel the technique through.  Discover what each body part is doing for each movement.
> 
> ...



Honourable Cthulhu, Your words have had great meaning to me!  I have been extremely frustrated in my training this year since I was injured at work by breathing neurotoxic vapours.  A year ago I brought home a Silver and a Bronze from the Tiger Balm Internationals, and this year, I find it difficult to even get through one of my sets correctly twice in a row, without being dizzy and gasping for breath.  In one week I will be back at the Tiger Balms with the team again,  and until reading this thread, I felt that I was doing terrible in training compared to last year.   Thank you for showing me that the path is, indeed, still ahead of me! I will do all I can do, and at least I know that it will be the best I can do.   Respectfully,   _(_)_   Tune


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## Cthulhu (Mar 15, 2002)

Be sure to let us know how the Tiger Balms turned out for you!

Cthulhu


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## tunetigress (Mar 20, 2002)

Well I am back now from the Tiger Balm in Vancouver.  It was a difficult experience for me this year due to this 'disability' I now am dealing with.  The hardest thing about it was that the judges scoring pens were the 'toxic' variety, and it was next to impossible for me to breathe or concentrate there due to my reactions to the toxic vapours.  I did try my very best, and managed to take the Silver in Weapons again this year on the first day of the Tournament.  By the second day when my Forms division was up, I had simply taken too much chemical exposure to perform as I had been trained to do, but still managed to come 5th in a field of 10.  I had set a goal of competing in this one last tournament, and am totally happy with myself, as I know I did my personal best, and that is all anyone can possibly expect.


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