are injuries inevitable in BJJ?

[jr jr]

Its a sport. Basketball, running, cycling, tennis, hell even golf has injuries.


Being active regularly = injuries.

 

[Forceof1]

I assume he means:

Closed guard -> Stacking -> Neck problems. Rubber guard -> cranking on your own knees -> knee/hip problems.

Yes. There is nothing inherently dangerous in the positions, but what can transpire in them (as stated above) can increase the risk.

 

[winterbike]

Its a sport. Basketball, running, cycling, tennis, hell even golf has injuries.


Being active regularly = injuries.

100% agree.

I'm a physed teacher. There are about 14 teachers in my department. In the last three years I've seen a full knee replacement, 3-4 knee injuries, shoulder injuries, wrist injuries, concussions, and a bunch of others. One teacher fell while snowshoeing and was out for two weeks. Another one got a soccer ball in the head and was out for a month. Everyone is banged up. Only another one does BJJ, and apart from a bad ankle injury a few years ago, he's one of the ones doing the best.

You really want to see people getting hurt? Look at joggers. They're the reason physiotherapists can pay their mortgage.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

I have been training for almost 12 yrs now.

More serious injuries I have had are C6-C7 herniation, tore my R MCL twice, L5-S1 herniation, and a persistent R ulnar entrapment. I also currently have a partial R ACL tear that does not warrant surgery.

In my white and blue belt days, I trained on average 4 days a week. Purple was about 3 days a week. Brown has been 2 days a week, and I can't train two days in a row, body just can't take it.

BJJ will take a toll on you. You can minimize it by taking time off when you need to, seeing your doctor on a regular basis (and listen to your doctor), getting good night's sleep, having a well balanced diet, and avoiding training partners who are idiots.

If I had to do it all over again, I would. BJJ totally worth it. People have told me that as I get older, my perspective on this might change, but for now I have no regrets. Hope it stays that way.

 

[fanboysareevil]

Relative to a lot of other sports, I think BJJ actually sees relatively few catastrophic injuries and chronic overuse issues. In terms of chronic and overuse injuries you see mostly fingers, shoulders, and spine. finger and shoulder are relatively avoidable. Stop death gripping the gi and know what positions are bad for shoulders. As for spine, you're gonna get stacked sometimes, crossfaced often, front headlocked a bunch, and choked ad nauseum. It adds up. Take precaution by strengthening and stretching your body, and knowing when to take time off and when to stop fighting off certain things. The biggest acute injuries I've seen have usually been knees. Usually with takedowns, sometimes with leglocks, and once in a million years something will happen with sweeps. These instances too can be minimized. Avoid training TDs with giants or spazzes, at least until you are very confident in your abilities. Don't do a lot inside trips on big guys. Never leave a leg behind when finishing a trip/footsweep. When someone applies rotational pressure on your knee, go with it. Tap EARLY to heel hooks and toe holds.

Most (not all) injuries are avoidable. In my experience, people get hurt more early on. My coach says people get hurt less at higher ranks because by then "they've been around the circus for a while and they've seen all the clowns". Most of my injuries these days come as punishments for having too much ego rather than inexplicable catastrophe: "I WILL finish this takedown" "This lower belt won't sweep me!" "That toehold isn't that tight".

 

[j123]

Most (not all) injuries are avoidable. In my experience, people get hurt more early on. My coach says people get hurt less at higher ranks because by then "they've been around the circus for a while and they've seen all the clowns". Most of my injuries these days come as punishments for having too much ego rather than inexplicable catastrophe: "I WILL finish this takedown" "This lower belt won't sweep me!" "That toehold isn't that tight".

This.
My case was that I had no "grappling awareness". Douchebag training partners trying out new material they see on youtube, and I have no idea how to roll with it, so I end up with injuries. One guy guy had me in a standing guillotine, was frustrated I didn't tap, so he locked the sub tighter and threw me while keeping the lock on. Its a miracle I didn't snap my neck or end up in a chair.
Another one was when I went for a single leg and it wasn't proper. He went for a rolling kimura, I face planted and he wrecked my shoulder. The combination of me not knowing how to roll with it and he was trying something new he saw on youtube (while having no idea and winging it) left me with a shoulder injury.

 

[fanboysareevil]

Yeah, I don't understand how some people can't seem to distinguish between moves it's okay to wing and those that could go horribly wrong. Even as people get better they keep doing it. I guess they think now that they're better they're so awesome they don't need to practice. At this point, I know how to pick out those particular clowns most of the time, but they're still a pain and you can always miss one.

 

[roventu]

I don't think live rolling is the best for beginners, at least for avoiding injuries. maybe that progression and culture is meant for weeding out ppl with the right mindset.

i liken it to sparring in kickboxing for beginners. Showing how to do a 1-2-kick on the pads is fine for beginners. but then showing how to do 1-2-kick, then telling them to learn that combo by doing it in a live freestyle spar setting. A lot of things can go wrong IMO

In my gym it takes 1-2 months before a beginner is even allowed to spar. for the majority of kickboxing gyms, the progression goes from heavy bag/pads -> sparring. The equivalent to heavy bags would be those jiujitsu training dolls. But I've never seen a bjj gym have tons of bubba training dolls out for everyone to practice on. It just seems more economical/practical for everyone to practice on each other. "Maybe" gyms should have some bubba dolls for total beginners to try out techniques. It seems to me like that would be the best progression, but what do i know, i dont run a gym.

P.S. Just looked up the cost for those training dolls. Lol damn no wonder gyms don't have them.

 

[fanboysareevil]

^
That, and they still suck anyway

 

[j123]

I don't now if its me, but I do find that when I do things starting from knees for the entire class (1.5h), my knees feels stiff and tight down there.
eg. drilling half guard escapes/sweeps (being on knees most of the time), then when and the class is too large, end up starting from the knees

I don't have any previous or current knee injuries, I've just noticed that it does start to come on those days though.

WTH typing in d u n n o dunn gives a pic

QUOTE="roventu, post: 119815547, member: 468811"]I don't think live rolling is the best for beginners, at least for avoiding injuries. maybe that progression and culture is meant for weeding out ppl with the right mindset.

i liken it to sparring in kickboxing for beginners. Showing how to do a 1-2-kick on the pads is fine for beginners. but then showing how to do 1-2-kick, then telling them to learn that combo by doing it in a live freestyle spar setting. A lot of things can go wrong IMO

In my gym it takes 1-2 months before a beginner is even allowed to spar. for the majority of kickboxing gyms, the progression goes from heavy bag/pads -> sparring. The equivalent to heavy bags would be those jiujitsu training dolls. But I've never seen a bjj gym have tons of bubba training dolls out for everyone to practice on. It just seems more economical/practical for everyone to practice on each other. "Maybe" gyms should have some bubba dolls for total beginners to try out techniques. It seems to me like that would be the best progression, but what do i know, i dont run a gym.

P.S. Just looked up the cost for those training dolls. Lol damn no wonder gyms don't have them.[/QUOTE]

3 months at our gym (striking wise)

I remember on my free trial day I got KOB and baseball bat choked. I actually tapped more from being in shitting positions under a fat dude than an actual sub

Bubba dolls as in grappling dummies? Those are expensive. lol @ economical
Flow rolling would be a good substitute to live rolling with your proposal.

 

[yetanother]

why does closed guard - rubber guard lead to injury

Regular closed guard doesn't lead to injury.
In the rubber guard there is a lot of temptation to bend your own leg in a wrong way to accomplish something.

 

[hanfeng]

tap often and tap early

 

[Bayonet]

Every contact sport is going to hand out an injury now and again. If you're smart and lucky, the majority of them will likely be minor. Honestly, for all the mental and physical benefits I get from grappling, I'll take an inury or two. fair trade.

Realistically, you likely won't avoid injury even if you take a completely solitary, non-contact sport. What are you going to do? Running, lifting, rock-climbing, surfing? Those guys get messed up too.

 

[cartwheelpass]

I've been training over a 10-year period now. I started when I was 19 and now 30. Over the years, I've sustained what I consider to be minor injuries. I haven't had anything where I was sidelined for significant periods of time or required surgical repair. The longest injury was a freak corneal abrasion that occurred when I went for a shot and got jabbed in the eye. I took a throw once and tried to post on my arm. Thought my arm broke but just developed R elbow soreness and lost some ROM. It's permanent now. The occasional knee tweak, back tweak, dislocated finger, thumb sprains, popped rib...It's inevitable as this is a combat sport. The way you train will dictate the amount of injuries you experience.

 

[HtomSirveaux]

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!

 

[Striderxdj]

I think it really depends on your interpretation of injury.

If you are asking if at some point you will get hurt in some manner whether minor or major? Then yes.

If you are asking if you will be seriously hurt requiring hospitalization or a doctor to take care of it, this question has a ton of factors to weigh. how often you train/compete, how hard you roll, how your gymmates are, your age, your propensity to get hurt and your lifestyle outside of BJJ all can cause/prevent serious injuries.

Ive been training over 5 years, have competed a handful of times, train at least 10 hours a week and I am at the low end of the weight split for live rolls (ie: im almost always rolling with bigger guys) and Ive not had any injuries that couldnt be solved with bandaids, tape, a temporary brace or some ice.

 

[Thrawn33]

After wrestling and judo?

I feel so safe doing Bjj.

 

[dr. john lee]

I've been injured in bjj. I recently had a radial break in my wrist area. Had to be casted and stay off the mats for 3 months. It still hurts. I've sprained my ankles, hurt my knee, my shoulders are all fucked up, and I think I'm starting to get arthritis in my fingers.

As Kesting says, it's inevitable in a contact sport. I'm 43 now. I don't recover as fast as I did even 10 years ago.

So, I'm of similar age... I have not done any BJJ like you, but I'd like to. In my time, it is all from traditional sports like basketball and football. I've got bad knees, bad neck, bad back, bad shoulders, messed up finger. Other than that, I'm OK!

Seriously though, to look at me, I'm an athletic and fit "young man". (That's what people think I am.) My wish (in taking up BJJ) is to find something that will "keep my young" (i.e. keep limber, flexible). I know I've heard how bad BJJ is for your spine, which is the death of limberness and flexibility. But I wonder if I can readily manage my fragile body as I get into BJJ.

Cuz really, I can't afford to be hurt all the damn time.

 

[Dogstarman]

So, I'm of similar age... I have not done any BJJ like you, but I'd like to. In my time, it is all from traditional sports like basketball and football. I've got bad knees, bad neck, bad back, bad shoulders, messed up finger. Other than that, I'm OK!

Seriously though, to look at me, I'm an athletic and fit "young man". (That's what people think I am.) My wish (in taking up BJJ) is to find something that will "keep my young" (i.e. keep limber, flexible). I know I've heard how bad BJJ is for your spine, which is the death of limberness and flexibility. But I wonder if I can readily manage my fragile body as I get into BJJ.

Cuz really, I can't afford to be hurt all the damn time.

There is a 59 year old man that trains with us. He played hockey his youth and into university. He is one tough dude. You need to be careful who you are training with. I no longer seek out the young wrestler who jut graduated from college or the young kid who thinks he has something to prove by tapping a purple belt. Sure I can turn it up but there are more seasoned guys I like to train with.

 

[Zankou]

Regular closed guard doesn't lead to injury.
In the rubber guard there is a lot of temptation to bend your own leg in a wrong way to accomplish something.

Closed guard does lead to injury. Just ask Rickson, who is a train wreck physically.

Actively attacking from closed guard against a quality opponent is a losing proposition, long term. You are playing at the limits of flexibility while under intense and rapidly shifting opponent pressure.

Subs from bottom position are largely a race between your opponent smashing you down and pulling in versus you fighting to get an angle and isolate a target. What your opponent is trying to do to you is physically damaging.