Training with injuries
At some point in your training, you might get an injury that will slow you down or even stop you for a bit. It happens to all of us that engage in physical activities. What do you do when it happens? Do you keep training? Do you take a break? Simple answer is…. Listen to your doctor, and to your body!
If you sustain a serious injury, take the time to heal correctly. If not, you will most likely extend your healing time by a considerable amount. But does it mean that you have to quit training all together? Simple answer…. NO, you don’t have to quit. Depending on the injury you can most likely find a way to safely train a little until you’re back to normal. Just make sure that you’re doing your due diligence and attending to your injury the way that your doctor suggests. You can still learn without going full out and risking further injury. Maybe just come to class and go slow. Just walk through the motions. Or just go in and take notes! Make sure you let your instructor know that you have an injury and will need to take it easy for a bit. We’ve all been there and we’ll understand. And if you find that your instructor doesn’t respect that? Time to find a new instructor!
Another thing can happen after an injury is that your confidence can be shaken. It makes you realize that you might not have been as bullet proof as you thought you were. It can even make you wonder if you should keep training. You need to find a way to see past that. It doesn’t mean that you will get hurt again, or that you aren’t as good as you thought you were. It just means that accidents can happen. We train in as controlled of an environment as we possibly can and accidents can unfortunately still happen, especially if you engage in harder training like sparring. That only shows you that maybe you need more training in a certain area. You can use an injury as a tough lesson. A motivation to get better. It can also give you valuable knowledge that can help someone else if you see them making the same mistakes. After all, sometimes knowing what NOT to do can be as important as knowing what TO do.
You can in most cases continue your training after injuries. You are still able to learn, even if it’s just by watching and taking notes. Who knows, you might even notice some things that you haven’t before. But don’t let it stop you. Especially if you started your training with self defense in mind. Just because you stop training doesn’t mean the “ bad guy” will just leave you alone because they know you’re injured. You owe it to yourself to keep up your training and stay as ready as possible. Don’t let something like an injury stop you from achieving your goals.. Now, GET BACK TO TRAINING!!
