Thank you and goodbye BJJ

gocubs1815 said:
wambulance5fw.jpg


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OOh you must have been itching to bust these out of the box tough guy.
 
Mattt said:
I quit BJJ in early 2006 due to the permanent injuries i have sustained. Not saying i definitely got those injuries from BJJ; i was lifting weights and doing boxing for a little while during my BJJ years too. However, i reckon it probably was the BJJ because i lifted fairly infrequently and boxed only occasionally while i trained BJJ at least 3 times a week and sometimes as much as 6-8 times. Furthermore, i experienced no issues post-lifting or boxing, whilst there were many clear times during BJJ where my injuries would flair up or suddenly get worse.

My legs now are so screwed i can't do what i always wanted to do after leaving university... which is join the military. These days, exercising is pretty tough to do at all and i can never keep it up for more than a few weeks before i have to take an extended break. That's the case even considering my usual approach of training responsibly and 'taking it easy'.

I've seen consultant orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists and radiologists, i've had physiotherapy. I'm told nothing can be done and i'll be like this forever.

I have patelo-femural joint dysfunction, and lateral subluxation of the ilio-tibial band. What this means is i have problems with my knees and hips, on both sides but significantly worse on the right. When straightening my knee my patella rubs against my femur causing a click that is usually only mildly painful, though when the joint is weight bearing and i'm trying to straight my legs (say, for a butterfly guard sweep) the click (if it even happens at all before i gave up due to the pain) is so intensly painful that it is disabling. The problem with my hip is that when i move my leg outwards laterally (abduction) i have a rubbing/clicking sensation that feels as though my hip is partially dislocated, and this is the iliotibial band getting stuck on the outside of my femur. It's usually only mildly painful, but again, if it is weight bearing (in the case of me resisting someone pinning my leg against the mat during a knee-through guard pass) or if it is sudden and fast (such as your legs being controlled in any number of guard passes) then the pain is the worst pain i have ever felt and has in the past resulted in my needing to walk with crutches for a few weeks. Overall, i'm in a constant dull aching pain and even walking a long distance makes that pain become noticable.

Anyway, these injuries have already screwed up my hopes of my dream career, and ideally i'd like to at least be able to walk properly for the rest of my life... not to mention exercise at least a little in order to keep in fairly ok shape, and in the future if i have kids i'd like to be able to play sports with them and stuff. You know, we all take mobility for granted, but after having all this going on i've really come to the conclusion that my overall wellbeing is more important to me that BJJ.

At first, i missed BJJ so much. I was really obsessed with it. I used to think about it all the time, watch youtube videos, take private lessons with my instructor, try to get all my friends into it... you know the feeling. I took a week off at first, then a month, then a couple of months. Last time i went was around mid-2006, i went for about 2 sessions and was incapacitated. I decided i'd stay away from it until my joints were better, and at the time i was still seeing consultants at the hospital, having MRI scans and all that, so i was hopeful. I tried to do Judo for a while instead because i did find that the throws were less stressful for my joints... but as it happens the clubs 'round here do a lot of groundwork too and those judo guys are far less delicate in their guard passing! I did boxing for a while too but my joints were already so bad that it just wasn't happening. With BJJ, my months away turned to years and i haven't been there now in almost 6 years!

I'd been doing martial arts since i was 6 years old, and it was really a huge part of my life. But i don't miss it anymore. There is more to life than BJJ obviously, and i have other interests that don't cause me injuries. I still try to do physical activity too; i swim, jog (rarely), cycle (sometimes), and i do stretches and rehab exercises for my legs. These days my focus is on guitar playing, reading more books, scuba diving; i might take up skydiving this year. Gotta get my kicks.

In fact, it's kinda nice to be away from it in some respects. No more dealing with roider meatheads doing illegal moves to 'get the tap', no more having to hear how people are 'fighting' at a local BJJ competition next weekend, no more having to hear of people 'smashing' their opponents and all that other stupid macho talk, no more hearing BJJ guys criticise the belt-factory system of taekwondo/karate only to then be totally cool with the growing trend of 'stripes', no more hearing stupid debates about the effectiveness of BJJ versus trad-martial arts only to see everyone butt-scooting/playing x-guard/etc. There are many aspects of the sport that i don't miss, and it's refreshing to take a break from that.

Anyway, my point is just that you feel at first as those your life would be significantly more empty without BJJ... but that's just not true. BJJ is fairly pointless in the grand scheme of things, as is any hobby or sport really.

My brother also quit, in around 2007 i think. He was also obsessed with it, trained in brazil, went to the euros, etc. Some idiot in the club cranked an armlock on him and injured his arm... every time he went back to training and anyone tried to do something to that arm it would flair up and he'd be injured again. The prevalence of aggressive meatheads combined with this seemingly permanent arm injury caused by one, made him decide to quit. He's a software engineer who needs his hands/arms for his job, and he plays drums too, he doesn't want to be permanently disabled.

Cliffs:

- I quit BJJ due to injury too.
- So did my bro.
- It's no big deal, there's more to life.
Click to expand...

Yep, end of thread. I'm not whining, just priotising. Great post Matt. As i said at the start, thank you and goodbye.
 
Mattt said:
I quit BJJ in early 2006 due to the permanent injuries i have sustained. Not saying i definitely got those injuries from BJJ; i was lifting weights and doing boxing for a little while during my BJJ years too. However, i reckon it probably was the BJJ because i lifted fairly infrequently and boxed only occasionally while i trained BJJ at least 3 times a week and sometimes as much as 6-8 times. Furthermore, i experienced no issues post-lifting or boxing, whilst there were many clear times during BJJ where my injuries would flair up or suddenly get worse.

My legs now are so screwed i can't do what i always wanted to do after leaving university... which is join the military. These days, exercising is pretty tough to do at all and i can never keep it up for more than a few weeks before i have to take an extended break. That's the case even considering my usual approach of training responsibly and 'taking it easy'.

I've seen consultant orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists and radiologists, i've had physiotherapy. I'm told nothing can be done and i'll be like this forever.

I have patelo-femural joint dysfunction, and lateral subluxation of the ilio-tibial band. What this means is i have problems with my knees and hips, on both sides but significantly worse on the right. When straightening my knee my patella rubs against my femur causing a click that is usually only mildly painful, though when the joint is weight bearing and i'm trying to straight my legs (say, for a butterfly guard sweep) the click (if it even happens at all before i gave up due to the pain) is so intensly painful that it is disabling. The problem with my hip is that when i move my leg outwards laterally (abduction) i have a rubbing/clicking sensation that feels as though my hip is partially dislocated, and this is the iliotibial band getting stuck on the outside of my femur. It's usually only mildly painful, but again, if it is weight bearing (in the case of me resisting someone pinning my leg against the mat during a knee-through guard pass) or if it is sudden and fast (such as your legs being controlled in any number of guard passes) then the pain is the worst pain i have ever felt and has in the past resulted in my needing to walk with crutches for a few weeks. Overall, i'm in a constant dull aching pain and even walking a long distance makes that pain become noticable.

Anyway, these injuries have already screwed up my hopes of my dream career, and ideally i'd like to at least be able to walk properly for the rest of my life... not to mention exercise at least a little in order to keep in fairly ok shape, and in the future if i have kids i'd like to be able to play sports with them and stuff. You know, we all take mobility for granted, but after having all this going on i've really come to the conclusion that my overall wellbeing is more important to me that BJJ.

At first, i missed BJJ so much. I was really obsessed with it. I used to think about it all the time, watch youtube videos, take private lessons with my instructor, try to get all my friends into it... you know the feeling. I took a week off at first, then a month, then a couple of months. Last time i went was around mid-2006, i went for about 2 sessions and was incapacitated. I decided i'd stay away from it until my joints were better, and at the time i was still seeing consultants at the hospital, having MRI scans and all that, so i was hopeful. I tried to do Judo for a while instead because i did find that the throws were less stressful for my joints... but as it happens the clubs 'round here do a lot of groundwork too and those judo guys are far less delicate in their guard passing! I did boxing for a while too but my joints were already so bad that it just wasn't happening. With BJJ, my months away turned to years and i haven't been there now in almost 6 years!

I'd been doing martial arts since i was 6 years old, and it was really a huge part of my life. But i don't miss it anymore. There is more to life than BJJ obviously, and i have other interests that don't cause me injuries. I still try to do physical activity too; i swim, jog (rarely), cycle (sometimes), and i do stretches and rehab exercises for my legs. These days my focus is on guitar playing, reading more books, scuba diving; i might take up skydiving this year. Gotta get my kicks.

In fact, it's kinda nice to be away from it in some respects. No more dealing with roider meatheads doing illegal moves to 'get the tap', no more having to hear how people are 'fighting' at a local BJJ competition next weekend, no more having to hear of people 'smashing' their opponents and all that other stupid macho talk, no more hearing BJJ guys criticise the belt-factory system of taekwondo/karate only to then be totally cool with the growing trend of 'stripes', no more hearing stupid debates about the effectiveness of BJJ versus trad-martial arts only to see everyone butt-scooting/playing x-guard/etc. There are many aspects of the sport that i don't miss, and it's refreshing to take a break from that.

Anyway, my point is just that you feel at first as those your life would be significantly more empty without BJJ... but that's just not true. BJJ is fairly pointless in the grand scheme of things, as is any hobby or sport really.

My brother also quit, in around 2007 i think. He was also obsessed with it, trained in brazil, went to the euros, etc. Some idiot in the club cranked an armlock on him and injured his arm... every time he went back to training and anyone tried to do something to that arm it would flair up and he'd be injured again. The prevalence of aggressive meatheads combined with this seemingly permanent arm injury caused by one, made him decide to quit. He's a software engineer who needs his hands/arms for his job, and he plays drums too, he doesn't want to be permanently disabled.

Cliffs:

- I quit BJJ due to injury too.
- So did my bro.
- It's no big deal, there's more to life.
Click to expand...

great post.
 
First, get healthy. Then, if you really like BJJ, get back to it. Take class. Just don't roll. It seems you got injuried while rolling. Many seniors just do it for fitness and fun, not for competition, nor proving anything.
Great for conditioning and fitness. If a conditioning or technique drill will hurt you, don't do it. But don't sit out; do another excercise that isn't harmful for you.
There's nothing wrong with not engaging in risky activities when the possible cons outweight the pros. It's a smart move.

p.s. I'm glad you just do BJJ and not judo/wrestling/sambo, or your body would have exploded into pieces before you were able to make this thread.
 
mcdowels said:
why are people being a dick to the TS
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Because he blames bjj when it's really his lack of technical ability that got him hurt. You aren't supposed to lock your triangle on your foot TS, because why? BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED.
 
Patrick F Carey said:
Because he blames bjj when it's really his lack of technical ability that got him hurt. You aren't supposed to lock your triangle on your foot TS, because why? BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED.
Click to expand...

Newsflash! White belt makes technical mistake, film at 11!

An 18-month layoff due to injury is not a minor thing. To have the same injury happen again within a few months back on the mats, he's not out of line to consider calling it quits. This is a hobby for him, and he's got a family to provide for.

I don't understand why people feel the need to chastise him for this decision. It's not like he's saying that BJJ is dangerous and the rest of us should quit, he's just choosing to walk away before he screws up his ankle to the point of giving him problems later in life.
 
Patrick F Carey said:
I wouldn't blame him as much I'd blame the instructor. My instructor made a huge emphasis on NEVER locking it on the foot for these very reasons.
Click to expand...

If white belts did everything their instructors told them to do correctly every time, they wouldn't be white belts.
 
Sorry to hear TS. Hopefully, the ankle gets better in time and/or you find something else to do.

I played 11 years of football with a long break between college and semi pro due to injuries. I really thought I was permanently done with any type of collision/combat sport afterward. Which really sucked because I couldn't get excited about golf or softball. Now I've just started BJJ and kickboxing and so far, I've been pleased with how well the body has held up.
 
Patrick F Carey said:
I wouldn't blame him as much I'd blame the instructor. My instructor made a huge emphasis on NEVER locking it on the foot for these very reasons.
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Yet there's blackbelts that do it when the "safe & sound" way of doing it is not available. We can't blame his instructor if he already told him 10 times not to do it that way, and he still did.
It just happens. Grappling can be chaotic, and even though experience helps to settle down that chaos, in the end we are all fragile humans that make mistakes and can get injuried.
 
Yes, injuries are very depressing. The biggest problem I have is not being able to train to my full ability. I'm one of those all or nothing types; the type to dedicate himself 100% to whatever he's doing. Still, I think you'll be back. I'm rehabbing for another run.
 
this is sad my friend, i understand your situation! but can you plz watch those videos:




as you can see, those guys dont have two legs but they really enjoy doing bjj so i hope you understand what i mean....good luck bro
 
sounds like life fucked up your ankle, bjj just maybe didn't help. I don't think that bjj fucked up your ankle.
 
TS, sorry to hear of your injuries. With that said however it is something you have brought on yourself. You need to find out what it is that pushes you into the pace you hold, why you don't tap and so on.

I had a whole freaking team of expert doctors tell me I would never ever do any martial art again regardless of intensity or level of contact after my brain injury.
A life without martial arts is no life at all for me though and I'm back in practice.

There were several things that had to change before I could safely practice again though. My style had to be changed for better safety, sparring partners 100% understanding, a coach that understands how it is to carry around these kind of injuries, my own mindset about competition and pushing myself.

That's about it, it took me six years to rehab myself enough so that I could finally visit the mats but it was very worth it.
You don't have to quit at all but you are 32 now, is injured and isn't getting any younger. If you can get past your competitive drive or find another outlet for it then you should be more than capable of a few hours on the mats 3-4 times a week.

That's at least what I think according to my experience with my own and others significant injuries.

Could the jerks that lay into this injured guy please stop by the way? We've all been there with our own injuries and if you haven't then it will come as long as you stay on the mats. Being injured for lengthy periods sucks, it messes with your mind and makes you depressed.
 
KGB313 said:
If white belts did everything their instructors told them to do correctly every time, they wouldn't be white belts.
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I suppose, but the way he made a joke out of
"Tapped to a triangle escape? I must have this game all wrong! "
makes me think that doesn't even realize what he did was wrong, ergo he was never instructed correctly.
 
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Patrick F Carey said:
I suppose, but the way he made a joke out of
"Tapped to a triangle escape? I must have this game all wrong! "
makes me think that doesn't even realize what he did was wrong, ergo he was never instructed correctly.
Click to expand...

Or he wasn't paying attention and missed it. Or he forgot. Or he thought he was doing it right, and didn't realize he wasn't. It happens.

Other than the pre-existing injuries, which sound bad, the remaining injuries were all due to his doing.
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So what? If I shred my knee because I waited too long to tap to a heel hook, does that mean the injury is any less debilitating? Hindsight is 20-20, and you can't retroactively correct past mistakes. He knows how easily his ankle was injured this last time, and clearly feels it's not worth the risk. That's still far better than the legions of white and blue belts that quit every single day for no reason whatsoever.

I have more of a problem with Mattt's post than TS, that is. Complaining about meathead roiders like they are a) a serious part of the population and b) they don't honor taps is just silly. Tapping early. It's very advisable.
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You don't know the gym environment he was in. Guys in my gym are very respectful of each other, and I've still had injuries from things that got cranked.

Maybe he was in one of those meathead type of MMA gyms where everyone does everything like they have something to prove. You don't know, and it's silly to assume that you know his situation better than he does.
 
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