How can i improve while injured

[Blitz]

just got acl and lcl reconstruction today , so im going to be out of training for a while . do you guys have any ideas on how i can stay mentally sharp so when i get healed up and start my training again i will not have to start over again

 

[oldwarrior]

Read ...research your art or the where it came from (i mean the time period etc) take the time to evaluate how the injuries are going to affect you and how you "might" adapt to that. If it is an "old" art then look at the techniques and see how and if they can be put into context in the 21rst cent ...ie it for example there is a technique that is for disarming a person with a sword then that can be the same as if a person comes at you with a stick ...ok fairly obvious for sure but the point is there. this is a good time to actually improve your mind not just toughen it but clear it ...as there will be limitations due to that so be adaptable and accept that as self denial can and will lead to more problems ...

 

[drop bear]

Keep turning up to training even with your bung leg.

Do what you can do. Hell hold pads.

 

[Midnight-shadow]

I take it you can still use your hands right? So while your legs are out of action, train your punches and blocks instead. It's not much but it's better than nothing.

 

[yak sao]

Visualization.
Also, experiment with some yoga type stuff you can safely do while you recover.

 

[_Simon_]

Ah yikes that's a bummer, hope your recovery goes well!

Yeah I would still try to do whatever you could without impacting recovery. Hands etc, but also watching vids, still going in to watch your classes can help too. Focusing more on the mental aspects too, it may bring up some resentment and frustration, but a good opportunity to look at those, accept them and let them go. It won't be forever, and as annoying as it is you'll regain what you had hopefully much quicker (at a steady slow pace, don't wanna overdo it!).

And keep chatting on this lovely forum, can definitely help with motivation

 

[oldwarrior]

Ah yikes that's a bummer, hope your recovery goes well!

Yeah I would still try to do whatever you could without impacting recovery. Hands etc, but also watching vids, still going in to watch your classes can help too. Focusing more on the mental aspects too, it may bring up some resentment and frustration, but a good opportunity to look at those, accept them and let them go. It won't be forever, and as annoying as it is you'll regain what you had hopefully much quicker (at a steady slow pace, don't wanna overdo it!).

And keep chatting on this lovely forum, can definitely help with motivation

very good point as if you can deal with any negative aspects then it will in turn help not just with training (and that it will) but with your every day life too... I had serious knee surgery a good while back and it can be a long road but you HAVE to stick with it do not let any small set backs get to you as that is how life works ...look on it as another challenge and as said by many focus and overcome and deal with the negatives it will make you stronger in the long run

 

[oldwarrior]

The was a very famous Aikido master that had a serious injury and his master said to him (this is not a direct quote) well you only got arm good arm now what are you going to do to keep studying? ...well he did and with a little research you will find out what he did lol...

 

[jobo]

You could do a right load of bench pressing and Biceps curls, And practising standing on one leg, that should fill the time up nicely

I have a mate who has lost most of a leg and is stuck in a wheel chair most of the time, he complained he was getting fat through lack of exercise, I suggested hand jive, he took offence

 

[Headhunter]

I take it you can still use your hands right? So while your legs are out of action, train your punches and blocks instead. It's not much but it's better than nothing.

You need your legs for punching properly

 

[jobo]

You need your legs for punching properly

You can punch whilst saT down?, You can punch whilst stood on one leg, he could practise this

 

[skribs]

You need your legs for punching properly

Depends on the punch you're doing. You can also isolate the arm motion until you can get your legs back.

 

[Mark Lynn]

Practice your self defense type material while sitting at a chair, or at a table. For instance you can practice locking the wrist, finger locks, arm bars etc. etc. You can do trapping hand type drills, flow type drills etc. etc. all from a chair.

I study and teach American Karate and Presas Arnis (Filipino Martial Arts) there are a lot of good drills Hubud comes to mind that you could do with a partner from a chair. A student of mine injured himself (his back) and he was confined to a chair, I used his time off to start teaching him the flow pattern and stick locking techniques. GM Remy late in life, I can remember being taught by him the same material as he was suffering from gout at a seminar/camp.

Another of my students (prior to her becoming my student) tore up her calf muscle and was confined to watching class and reading GM Remy's pink book while sitting in a chari for several months. She knew that book inside and out and had a pretty good grasp on the material within.

Main thing though is to not give up, use this time as a time to train differently, in the end you'll be better than you were before and you might have learned a different way to train that you can use to help someone else down the line.

 

[dvcochran]

just got acl and lcl reconstruction today , so im going to be out of training for a while . do you guys have any ideas on how i can stay mentally sharp so when i get healed up and start my training again i will not have to start over again

Where are you in experience? As others have mentioned do hand work. It is always very helpful for me to just walk through my forms. I even do it in a "box" sometimes if I don't have the room. Do it in my office as a mental break.

 

[Balrog]

just got acl and lcl reconstruction today , so im going to be out of training for a while . do you guys have any ideas on how i can stay mentally sharp so when i get healed up and start my training again i will not have to start over again

I strongly recommend reading books about martial arts philosophy, and approaching your rehab with the same determination that got you to Black Belt (or will get you there eventually if not there yet).

 

[dvcochran]

just got acl and lcl reconstruction today , so im going to be out of training for a while . do you guys have any ideas on how i can stay mentally sharp so when i get healed up and start my training again i will not have to start over again

For me the lcl was a tougher recovery. Read all you can about the anatomy of the knee and how to help recover. Contrary to popular belief, you Ortho doesn't know everything. Been there, done that.

 

[Balrog]

For me the lcl was a tougher recovery. Read all you can about the anatomy of the knee and how to help recover. Contrary to popular belief, you Ortho doesn't know everything. Been there, done that.

Make sure your knee doc is a sports doc, or that your rehab person specializes in sports injury rehab.

 

[Deafdude#5]

Definitely read up on the books relating to your style and your physical recovery. Knowledge is power.

Something I do when I can’t actively participate is to plan out self defense techniques & write them down.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I'm with @drop bear: keep showing up, anyway. Do whatever you can. When I had knee surgery, I showed up for every class I'd have been at, anyway, and mostly sat and observed, took notes, and asked questions. I learned a lot in that time. As my knee got better, I helped with bits of class, held pads, did throws even though I couldn't do falls. I just kept assessing what I could safely do, and did all that.

There's another benefit: you don't break the habit of going. A lot of students stop going to classes for "a few weeks" at some point, and never make it back. Life fills empty time, so don't leave that class time empty.