Most of us consider injuries as a hindrance to training. It prevents us from moving as we normally do, keeps us conservative with our movements, and stops us from going all out. Especially during sparring sessions, we want to be able to feel as if we can move as we want without having to worry about re-injuring ourselves. In some cases, serious injuries require 100% rest. Yet, injuries can also be a benefit, allowing us to work on things we normally don’t and forcing us to find new ways to improve our skills. For the most part, however, injuries can slow you down and keep you from doing your normal routine. Notice though that, what seems at first to be a disadvantage during training, especially during sparring, is actually a key advantage. It may be that your sparring partner may feel as if he or she is improving at your expense (since you would, most likely be more open to attacks during this time of healing). No worries, because the reality of it is that, you’re actually working on skills, movements, and positions you normally wouldn’t do if you never got an injury. Take for instance a leg injury. Let’s say you injured you’re left leg and you can’t kick with it. To further hamper your game, you can’t seem to move nearly as much or as fast as you normally do. So you’re stuck feeling flat footed and unable to attack or defend as usual. Now, you can dwell on these shortcomings or you can focus on the positives and on areas that require constant improvement. If you have to square off and go toe-to-toe due to limits in your movement, so be it. Practice skills that you can do, such as blocks, redirects, and infighting during this transitional healing period. Also, if you normally kick with your left, which happens to be out of commission, then kick more with your right and work on your opposite stance. There’s so much to work on, regardless of whether you’re injured or not. Take if from me, some of my most productive training sessions occurred during injured times.
Think of injuries as a way of telling yourself to focus on the big picture. If you’re already comfortable training or sparring a certain way, it’s time to feel uncomfortable again and to work on things that keep you growing, both physically and mentally. After all, feeling comfortable is somewhat of an illusion, a mental method to keep us feeling as if we’re in control. During unpredictable moments of, say, sparring or fighting, a great impromtu strategy can be the difference between winning and loosing. In Martial Arts, there’s always room for improvement and an attitude of growth is necessary for greatness. Remember that, if your partners feel as if they have one-up on you during these challenging moments, just go along with it. It’s not about them anyways. It’s about your personal improvement, regardless of how others feel or see you inside and outside the ring. Ego itself is an illusion and letting go of it is part of the mental and spiritual training that transcends the physical. In training, sparring, or fighting, ego is more of a hindrance than anything else, just as raw power disappears in time while proper technique lasts a lifetime. When you let go of these inner barriers, such as ego, negativity, and limitations, you can begin to realize an unparalleled learning experience. A wise Martial Artist has the ability to brush off anything that does not benefit his or her training and take advantage of everything that does. It’s up to you to take injuries in stride and use it to your own benefit!
