Just Not Built For It?

[Avraham]

I have years of various standup MA. I also love BJJ and have been doing it on and off for the past several years also. The reason why it is on and off so often is because I find myself injured from BJJ more than anything; mostly muscle strains. It often leaves me sidelined for a few days at a time which stops me from doing other strength and conditioning work, etc. I have tried Sambo and Wrestling also but stopped because the places closed down. I didn't get half the injuries from them that I do in BJJ. When I am not doing MA I am doing strength and conditioning so I consider myself relatively strong and fit also.

Could it be that I am just not cut out for BJJ? Anyone else ever get consistent injuries from just one style of training?

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

That's very odd IMO.
Actually, I think that BJJ is the sport that suits the most to many people, which is not the case of all combat sports/MA if you ask me.
For striking arts for instance, you have to have that willingess to accept and to inflict damage. I don't care how good you are from a tactical/technical/athletic standpoint, if you don't have the mentality, you won't become a world beater. And I say that as a boxer.
That you get more injured from bjj that from standup grappling arts is strange too. The fact that BJJ mostly happens on the ground takes away a lot of injury risks... Also guys involved in Wresting or Sambo are in general way more athletic and competive than BJJers if you ask me, so it's another level of intensity...

 

[biscuitsbrah]

At first glance it seems like you’re doing something wrong. Especially if you’re rolling in a gi. Tell us your injuries and we might have more to go on.

 

[backlight]

If you're getting mostly muscle strains, it might be because you're trying to exert too much force, which results the muscles (even and especially the wrong ones) being overly tensed.

 

[Whitebeltatlife]

If you're that serious then take 6-12 months off from BJJ and work on strength and bulking up. Then when you come back you will be injured less, especially if you use a top/passing game.

 

[nefti]

If you're that serious then take 6-12 months off from BJJ and work on strength and bulking up. Then when you come back you will be injured less, especially if you use a top/passing game.

Horrible reply, if he is hurting himself its probably due to hin doing something wrong. Now he is stronger and still doing the same wrong things. The injuries will be greater.

TS do not listen to this guy.

 

[CFGroup]

....are you stretching?

Sounds like me, a solid decade of intense standup, consistent, sometimes intense years of S&C....

....the thing that's saved my ass over and over is constant dedication to stretching. Usually as a cool down half hour.

Plus when I got back to Judo, and that's harder on the body than BJJ, a grizzled old Nam Vet San Dan-nod to all the Vets out there for Veterans day yesterday- taught me Tai Chi after I blew a Distal Bicep Tendon, but couldn't stop training something during my rehab. A lot of guys do Yoga and it serves the same purpose of building a subset muscle groups base of strength while also being relaxed.

BJJ/NeWaza can throw you into all kinds of weird structure tension. I was getting killer calf cramps drilling or sinking Triangle/Sankaku Jimi for a year after I had hip surgery. Even training outside of the club a couple hours a day with the Tai Chi half hour stretching half hour.

....are you stretching?

 

[shunyata]

Judging from the sambo and wrestling experience with less than half the injuries you're getting from BJJ...

It sounds like you can take a fall but have no idea what you're doing in grappling and are hurting yourself in random crazy white belt ways.

Chill out, stretch, take it easy until you learn how to swim. Quit thrashing around in the water.

 

[Whitebeltatlife]

Horrible reply, if he is hurting himself its probably due to hin doing something wrong. Now he is stronger and still doing the same wrong things. The injuries will be greater.

TS do not listen to this guy.

It's not a horrible reply at all. Bigger guys get injured WAY less than smaller guys on average. Passing is far less injury prone compared to playing guard. Look at most of the veterans in BJJ, I'm not on about world champions either but you can include them if you want...they're all massively strong and many of them are over 100kg.

Obviously if you do stupid stuff and spazz out you will get injured more. But putting on muscle and strength will obviously help combat injuries.

 

[Peteyandjia]

Without having more information, it does sound like you are going too hard. If that is the case, you would do well to fundamentally change your approach to the game. Like Bruce Lee said in his classic ‘Be Water’ speech: “Water can flow, or it can crash.” In the case of jiujitsu, you usually need to calibrate that to about 90/10 flowing, with very rare instances of crashing. I’d recommend you practice breathing techniques to calm yourself during rolls. And I second everyone who said it: Stretching is life. Do it everyday! (Extra) Hydration as well. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

It's not a horrible reply at all. Bigger guys get injured WAY less than smaller guys on average. Passing is far less injury prone compared to playing guard. Look at most of the veterans in BJJ, I'm not on about world champions either but you can include them if you want...they're all massively strong and many of them are over 100kg.

Obviously if you do stupid stuff and spazz out you will get injured more. But putting on muscle and strength will obviously help combat injuries.

Horrible reply was probably a little harsh by him. But it was certainly a bad one. If you read the TS he said he already considers himself relatively strong and fit, not to mention he has previously trained stand up grappling arts without being injured.

Physicality is not the issue. It’s either his approach to grappling on the ground, his flexibility, or both.

Telling him to get stronger might make him more durable in the short term, but without changing your approach you will still fail and make the same mistakes you originally did to injure yourself. No big deal though, being strong and fit does armor your body up no doubt. But that is not the main concern here

 

[TheMaster]

That's very odd IMO.
Actually, I think that BJJ is the sport that suits the most to many people, which is not the case of all combat sports/MA if you ask me.

That you get more injured from bjj that from standup grappling arts is strange too. The fact that BJJ mostly happens on the ground takes away a lot of injury risks... Also guys involved in Wresting or Sambo are in general way more athletic and competive than BJJers if you ask me, so it's another level of intensity...

I don't think it's strange. Most of the experienced BJJ guys like Rickson have had multiple surgeries for hernias even doing it 'perfectly'.

Although the potential for injuries is there with standing grappling Judo is probably the least dangerous as you usually throw the other guy while staying standing.
Wrestling throws have probably more chance to cause injury as often you suplex then land with body weight on the guy.

For BJJ, although less chance of standing injuries unless you do horrific things like jumping guard, the possibility of injury is higher overall IMO.
Spending most of the time having your limbs and joints continuously pulled and bent the wrong direction as you scramble and twisting and bending your spine loaded with weight on the ground is going to cause more injuries in the longtern.

 

[Grassshoppa]

It's not ping pong.

 

[Ishaq]

Sounds lile you are spazzing out. Flow roll. It doesnt matter if you're getting dominated. Get better with technique, not with strength.

 

[dimmyfinster]

Horrible reply was probably a little harsh by him. But it was certainly a bad one. If you read the TS he said he already considers himself relatively strong and fit, not to mention he has previously trained stand up grappling arts without being injured.

Physicality is not the issue. It’s either his approach to grappling on the ground, his flexibility, or both.

Telling him to get stronger might make him more durable in the short term, but without changing your approach you will still fail and make the same mistakes you originally did to injure yourself. No big deal though, being strong and fit does armor your body up no doubt. But that is not the main concern here

Absolutely a horrible reply. Look at OP avatar pic. Does that shirtless guy look like he needs more muscle?

Imo injuries depend on strength, but approach to bjj matters way more.

 

[CyborgSmash]

Most bjj guys are ussually nursing some kind of hurt. My neck and one elbow are messed up right now. Its part of the game. If you don't at least have some jacked up fingers and toes your doing it wrong. Do some yoga, slow down maybe,

 

[jpak]

Are most of the people you train with significantly bigger than you?

 

[Matsukaze]

I can tell you this.... most, not all, muscled up guys I have rolled with , especially lower ranked dudes, come at you like its the finals at the Gracie Nationals. Maybe you are one of these..... If that's the case then you are threatening peoples safety and therefore are being hurt from self protection or hurting yourself because you are spazzing out...... chill out

 

[sb413197]

Relax and don't be afraid to tap or "lose" in training - it's just training, not a competition or a life and death struggle. If someone has gotten into a better position and is passing your guard, use the techniques you know to prevent it but don't "spaz" - if they pass your guard or sweep you, fine, analyze it and think about where technically you could do better but don't feel the need to strain life and death to prevent it. I would argue that going nuts to substitute for technique is actually COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, much less unnecessary - it will impede your learning. Training is your chance to experiment with the techniques you are learning in class and fine-tune your technique.

Before a competition start to raise your intensity and get in that mode.

 

[Old Man]

It sounds like you need to calm down. I had a similar experience to you. I trained stand-up for 20 years, and then started BJJ thinking that it would be an easy transition. I got injured all the time, and eventually quit after about 8 months. I took 16 years off, and then started again.

I had a completely different mindset on my second attempt. One difference was I realized that my years of stand-up wouldn't help me at all. I was also a lot older, so I went from thinking it'd be easy, to wondering if I could even do it. I'd tap early, and for the most part I kept my ego in check. I've been at it for 5 years now.

It's a rough sport, so I haven't completely avoided injury, but it's been easier than my first attempt. Also, as you get more skillful it's easier to roll safely.