How to Deal with Injuries in Martial Arts and Sports
- 6 years ago
Injuries in the martial arts or sports can be depressing. Here are three tips that will help you stay on track during recovery.
►After the video, check out my podcast on the same topic, Injuries Are Good for You! www.senseiando.com/injuries-are-good-for-you-15/
TIP #1: There is always something you can train.
No matter how you're injured, you can always go to class, observe, make notes, meditate, or visualize. But I’ll bet you can do a lot more than that.
If you don’t have arms, train your legs. If you don’t have legs, train your arms. Remember— just because you can’t train everything, doesn’t mean you can’t train something.
This is a crucial mindset for martial artists. Why? Well, if someone chokes you and you keep thinking, "I can’t breathe! I can't breathe!" then you're going to die. But if you focus on what you CAN move and what you CAN do, then you have a chance to escaping. If you focus on what you can’t do, you won’t do anything.
TIP #2: Any training is better than no training.
If you can’t make it through a whole class, do half a class. Do a half-hour. Do five minutes. Do five seconds. Do something!
Some people see injuries as “down time”, but that’s a huge mistake! There is no such thing as down time or up time… there is only time. Time is going to pass whether you use it or not. I recommend you use it.
TIP #3: Don't think of your pain as an injury, think of it as an opportunity.
It may sound crazy, but I believe that injuries are actually good for you. I’m not saying I want you get injured, but recovery periods can actually be very positive.
Imagine a world-class coach says to you, “Hey—I have a plan to improve your footwork. For the next six weeks, no punching, kicking, forms, or bags... just footwork!" Exciting, right? You have a plan. You have a purpose. You know you will be building new skills.
So, what’s the difference between the coach and a doctor who says your injury is going to take 6 weeks to heal? NOTHING! The only difference is mindset. In one case, you are making a deliberate choice and in the other, you feel like a victim.
It may sound harsh, but injuries don’t make you special. They happen to everybody! The only difference is how people react to them. So, get back to work and be a champ, not a chump!
I hope these tips help! Don’t let the darkness defeat you. If you let an injury beat you up, then you just make it that much easier for a bad guy to beat you up!
Keep fighting! :)
THANKS FOR WATCHING! For more tips on martial arts training, self-defense, and living a happy life,
►After the video, check out my podcast on the same topic, Injuries Are Good for You! www.senseiando.com/injuries-are-good-for-you-15/
TIP #1: There is always something you can train.
No matter how you're injured, you can always go to class, observe, make notes, meditate, or visualize. But I’ll bet you can do a lot more than that.
If you don’t have arms, train your legs. If you don’t have legs, train your arms. Remember— just because you can’t train everything, doesn’t mean you can’t train something.
This is a crucial mindset for martial artists. Why? Well, if someone chokes you and you keep thinking, "I can’t breathe! I can't breathe!" then you're going to die. But if you focus on what you CAN move and what you CAN do, then you have a chance to escaping. If you focus on what you can’t do, you won’t do anything.
TIP #2: Any training is better than no training.
If you can’t make it through a whole class, do half a class. Do a half-hour. Do five minutes. Do five seconds. Do something!
Some people see injuries as “down time”, but that’s a huge mistake! There is no such thing as down time or up time… there is only time. Time is going to pass whether you use it or not. I recommend you use it.
TIP #3: Don't think of your pain as an injury, think of it as an opportunity.
It may sound crazy, but I believe that injuries are actually good for you. I’m not saying I want you get injured, but recovery periods can actually be very positive.
Imagine a world-class coach says to you, “Hey—I have a plan to improve your footwork. For the next six weeks, no punching, kicking, forms, or bags... just footwork!" Exciting, right? You have a plan. You have a purpose. You know you will be building new skills.
So, what’s the difference between the coach and a doctor who says your injury is going to take 6 weeks to heal? NOTHING! The only difference is mindset. In one case, you are making a deliberate choice and in the other, you feel like a victim.
It may sound harsh, but injuries don’t make you special. They happen to everybody! The only difference is how people react to them. So, get back to work and be a champ, not a chump!
I hope these tips help! Don’t let the darkness defeat you. If you let an injury beat you up, then you just make it that much easier for a bad guy to beat you up!
Keep fighting! :)
THANKS FOR WATCHING! For more tips on martial arts training, self-defense, and living a happy life,