Bad knee - which martial art?

[TKDHomeSchooler]

There is always the ancient art of Klik-Pow. It is done completely standing until you get in to advanced techniquies that require you to move a bit to take cover.

 

[bwindussa]

I understand your situation, being in the same boat myself (just returning from a total knee replacement). During the times my knee was degenerating I found that, while the particular style was important as some styles are more aggressive to the knees, finding an adaptive instructor is paramount.

There are a lot of excellent suggestions here already and I don't feel qualified to recommend a particular style, but I have been talking to instructors in my local area (Utah) to find which are willing to adapt their curriculum to meet my needs. You may be surprised how many instructors out there take this as a wonderful challenge and will literally create a routine around what your doctors recommend.

Good luck and don't fear the total knee surgery. If I had known how much it would help I would have done it ten years ago. My recovery time was 1/3 of what my last ACL replacement was. a LOT less pain too.

Brad

 

[Josh Oakley]

well, the OP didn't give specific details about his knee problems. But assuming he has deteriorating cartilage or torn/repaired ligaments and such, that stuff doesn't just "get better" thru exercise. Unlike muscle, cartilage doesn't heal and get stronger the more you use it. If you damage it and continue to use it, it gets worse. Once it's all but gone, and you've got bone-on-bone in the joint, then the only thing is a knee replacement. And it's never as good as it once was.

No sir. Seiza will not heal injured knees. Seiza can help improve flexibility in otherwise healthy knees. But damaged knees...no way.

It helped mine.... Not by itself, obviously. I had to work up to that. But I credit horse stance and seiza for my ability to walk without a cane.

But it will probably never be as good as it once was because of my complete lack of meniscus.

 

[Langenschwert]

Weapon arts tend to be less damaging to the knees on average.

Example: http://www.toronto-nitenkai.org/mentors.htm

Another good avenue might be Kendo. It uses a very upright stance... Might be worth getting into. Looks pretty fun too.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[TKDHomeSchooler]

This thread has become more important to me than previously. I am returning to TKD training after spraining my MCL, my other knee is also bad, and last night in class I started feeling my recently healed knee (I took 8 weeks off) feel sore. All night as I turned in bed my knee would hurt.

I think I may have to leave TKD and find another martial art or self defensive art that will be OK on my knees.

 

[kingkong89]

Tai chi or akido akijitsu i know of a two of my fellow bb i teach with one has had both knees replaced he studies akido and akijitsu and the other has knee and back problems and he studies tai chi with kung fu

 

[xfighter88]

Hello, Small Circle Jujistus? ..or something that works more with the Hands....Not sure of Aikido?

Aloha,

That's what I was leaning toward suggesting. Small Circle Jujistu, Aikido, and even Bujinkan all emphasize wrist locking and control holds. They aren't very nice on your wrists though. In reality any martial art will be fine with a knee injury if you pace yourself. I have had knee issues and practice TaeKwonDo and Muay Thai. It's just a matter of knowing when your body needs to let up a bit.

 

[CanadianCommando]

I'm 38 as of yesterday. 15 years ago, I had both knees crushed in a car accident, which resulted in broken cartillage, torn ACLs and meniscals in both legs. Basically, I was a wreck.

I've still never had knee surgery. I was told that to correct my knees, I would besically be in a wheelchair for 6 months, then crutches or cane for another year. For each leg, and they wouldn't do them separately. Grand total, I'd be incapacitated for close to 3 years, which to me was unacceptable - I have to provide for a family.

Eventually, I managed to do a lot of physio, and some obscure treatment from Russia that I don't even know what it was. I also use "dit da jow" liniment, which I learned to make when I was into shaolin.

Long story short, I can walk, but the knees are a lifelong struggle.

Now, I've been doing martial arts since I was 12. Until my accident, I concentrated on northern kung fu styles (tang lang chueh primarily) and muay thai. I also studied a couple forms of shaolin kung fu, and yang style tai chi.

I can't to anything "acrobatic" any more, but I have found that I can still perform some of my southern shaolin (five animals/hung gar), and I can do jiujutsu. I can also do some basic muay thai, but can't take knee impact so well, so I concentrate on elbows, and incorporate that in with my other grappling techniques. No high kicks, and I tried Yoshinkan Aikido for a while, but found all the "knee walking" was murder on my knees so I had to give that up after a few months.

One thing that surprised me though is that I can work on plyometric exercises, and my knees improved drastically after that. I'm almost normal most days (unless the weather is cold or rainy).

So, my recommendation:

(1) Tai Chi is great for physio.
(2) Jiujutsu is good, because groundfighting doesn't require impact on the knee joint (although it will work your flexibility)
(3) Get yourself a copy of a good plyo program, or better yet, P90X which is what I use. I'm immensly stronger all over now that I've been doing that, and it's helped my overall fitness, but especially my knees.

Since starting P90X and working my leg strength and plyo (2 days a week on those), I've even begun to be able to apply high kicks again, and feel that if I keep working my legs/knees, I feel confident I should be able to do some of my old forms and techniques again!

Bottom line, DON'T GIVE UP. Don't let your knees keep you down if you don't have to. The worst thing for them is complacency and inactivity. They'll deteriorate at an unbelievable rate now that you have an injury. Even if it's uncomfortable, difficult, or slightly painful to begin to rehabillitate them, you MUST if you want to function later on in life.

Chris.

 

[sgtmac_46]

I know quite a few practitioner's of the Filipino Martial Arts with bad knees.

I agree completely......



......one should stay away from Judo if one has bad knees, as it is responsible for my bad knees! The worst was when I threw a buddy of mine, who happens to weigh about 320 pounds, with O Soto Gari, while we were engaged in some friendly impromptu 'Randori'........resulting in him landing on my left leg and partially tearing my LCL! OUCH!

If I had it to do all over again.......i'd probably do the same thing all over again........with the exception of trying to throw his big dumb *** with O soto gari!!!!!!