Training with injuries
As JKS9199 stated there are differences between hurt and injured and care should be taken so as not to exacerbate the injury, especially when it is fresh and the extent of the injury is not yet known.
Once a practitioner is aware of the extent of the injury and has decided to continue training, I have had great success using two different training methodologies. Both have differing and helpful benefits, but should be approached with eyes open on what the individuals goals are for training and whom their training partners are.
While the injury is still fresh and inhibiting to the usual movement and techniques practiced, there is a great opportunity for exploration. Often traditional training occurs after a warm-up, with practitioners that are in reasonable shape and health. In self-defense situations people involved often have no choice but to continue the current fight until it is resolved. In military and law enforcement situations the current fight is only the current fight, and while it must be resolved it should be assumed that there may well be additional combative situations in the immediate future. With these things in mind, the opportunity to explore the training of working while injured can be seen as very beneficial. The training. When doing one step type of sparring, application drills, sparring (with the right partner) and the such. The partner training with the injured practitioner should slow way down and the injured partitioner should learn to do the applications while protecting the injury. This might mean weight off of a foot, protecting the nose, using off hand, covering a body area not usually protected. This training often leads to exploring work that is new, uncomfortable and unorthodox for the practitioner not to mention rewarding. A side note. To further enhance the training practice of protecting the injury, care should be taken to conceal or camouflage that the protecting is occurring.
Injuries often produce fear even long after the injury has healed. This produces a second training opportunity after the injury has started the physical healing process. Again working slowly while sparring or doing application type of drills focus on using the injured part or allowing the injured area of the body to be targeted. By focusing on using the injured area and allowing the injury to be targeted and worked slowly and in the beginning lightly then heavier as the training progresses. Make sure that if fear or injury is aggravated that the training slows back down and lightens back up and then the progression is restarted increasing speed and level of contact until there is no longer any fear when using the injured area or when it is contacted. By working slowly and wisely, faith in the strength and completeness of the healing rather than fear can be increased. This is a good thing.
Regards
Brian King
As JKS9199 stated there are differences between hurt and injured and care should be taken so as not to exacerbate the injury, especially when it is fresh and the extent of the injury is not yet known.
Once a practitioner is aware of the extent of the injury and has decided to continue training, I have had great success using two different training methodologies. Both have differing and helpful benefits, but should be approached with eyes open on what the individuals goals are for training and whom their training partners are.
While the injury is still fresh and inhibiting to the usual movement and techniques practiced, there is a great opportunity for exploration. Often traditional training occurs after a warm-up, with practitioners that are in reasonable shape and health. In self-defense situations people involved often have no choice but to continue the current fight until it is resolved. In military and law enforcement situations the current fight is only the current fight, and while it must be resolved it should be assumed that there may well be additional combative situations in the immediate future. With these things in mind, the opportunity to explore the training of working while injured can be seen as very beneficial. The training. When doing one step type of sparring, application drills, sparring (with the right partner) and the such. The partner training with the injured practitioner should slow way down and the injured partitioner should learn to do the applications while protecting the injury. This might mean weight off of a foot, protecting the nose, using off hand, covering a body area not usually protected. This training often leads to exploring work that is new, uncomfortable and unorthodox for the practitioner not to mention rewarding. A side note. To further enhance the training practice of protecting the injury, care should be taken to conceal or camouflage that the protecting is occurring.
Injuries often produce fear even long after the injury has healed. This produces a second training opportunity after the injury has started the physical healing process. Again working slowly while sparring or doing application type of drills focus on using the injured part or allowing the injured area of the body to be targeted. By focusing on using the injured area and allowing the injury to be targeted and worked slowly and in the beginning lightly then heavier as the training progresses. Make sure that if fear or injury is aggravated that the training slows back down and lightens back up and then the progression is restarted increasing speed and level of contact until there is no longer any fear when using the injured area or when it is contacted. By working slowly and wisely, faith in the strength and completeness of the healing rather than fear can be increased. This is a good thing.
Regards
Brian King
