Top ten best decision Ive made in my life

[Dead Roman]

Not playing Highschool sports. I pole vaulted 2 seasons and played football in 8th grade. I never was much for team sports. I see all these guys in their mid-late 20's come in to class who do a roll or 2 and take a break, 5 minutes later they can barely get up off the mats. I hear stories about dudes that have had multiple knee surguries starting when they were like 16. I will never regret not playing football(im from Texas, not playing football is a big deal for a kid who's 5'11 180;bs and can run a 4.6 40 when your in highschool). My back is fine, my knees are fine, I have a little bursitis in my left shoulder) Im just glad I didnt destroy my body before I found Jiu Jitsu.

 

[NickNack]

That's only one decision. Thread title is misleading.

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

I played football (rugby league and union, here in Australia we have the balls to play contact sport without dressing up in padding and wearing plastic helmets) and basketball all my life and got into BJJ freshly when I quit those and I have no problems with my knees or anything else, it all depends if you get injured, I never did

 

[Fedorzilla]

I first thought that this was going to be a "starting BJJ was a top 10 best decision" but whatever. I'm guessing that (given this forum) you grapple. Injuries will happen, but the juice is worth the squeeze regardless in my opinion.

TS, there's nothing wrong with being glad about your health. However, I have a few injuries from baseball and I wouldn't take any of them back because I enjoyed the sport that much. Football is a bit more injury prone, but you also can't assume you would have walked away with major injuries.

Personally, I am not passing this body on to anyone when I die. So, by analogy, I'm trying to get as many miles out of this car as I can. No need to drive like a moronic 16-year-old, but I feel that keeping it locked up in the garage in pristine condition is not doing justice to the vessel. I'm going to hit potholes and have fender benders (hopefully no major re-building), but it's ending up in the junkyard anyway, so why not take the shit for a joy ride.

Pole vaulting. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

fucking cracked up at this

 

[crocoppertones]

I played football, soccer and nationally competitive paintball (we were sponsored and got invited to play the first Vegas X-ball)

paintball was probably the worst for my joints.

wouldnt take any of my youth sports back

 

[se7en-]

played hockey soccer and snowboarded since i was 12.

my knees are fucked.

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

I played football, soccer and nationally competitive paintball (we were sponsored and got invited to play the first Vegas X-ball)

paintball was probably the worst for my joints.

wouldnt take any of my youth sports back

how is paintball bad for your joints? please elaborate, I am very curious. I can't think of how it could be bad unless you got shot and with much force at your knee or something.

I wish I did judo in high school and stuck it out in wrestling practice. At the time, I was not prepared to work that hard when I first started.

 

[blackers10]

id suspect in paint ball the running and diving onto knees and elbows on hardish surfaces and also brisk changes in direction

in australia all the big older lads who played rugby league or union when they were younger all have shagged knees/legs and usually shoulders too even the guys who aren't built like a small block of flats.

 

[roqriro]

how is paintball bad for your joints? please elaborate, I am very curious. I can't think of how it could be bad unless you got shot and with much force at your knee or something.

I wish I did judo in high school and stuck it out in wrestling practice. At the time, I was not prepared to work that hard when I first started.

wtf lol...same as soccer, guys fukk their joints up because the ball, ball hits them very hard and fast and it's very bad for joints^^

 

[hughes fan]

I played rugby for the school but that was it, so I guess I'm lucky tbh.

 

[knoxpk]

Not playing Highschool sports. I pole vaulted 2 seasons and played football in 8th grade. I never was much for team sports. I see all these guys in their mid-late 20's come in to class who do a roll or 2 and take a break, 5 minutes later they can barely get up off the mats. I hear stories about dudes that have had multiple knee surguries starting when they were like 16. I will never regret not playing football(im from Texas, not playing football is a big deal for a kid who's 5'11 180;bs and can run a 4.6 40 when your in highschool). My back is fine, my knees are fine, I have a little bursitis in my left shoulder) Im just glad I didnt destroy my body before I found Jiu Jitsu.

As opposed to destroying it after finding BJJ?

You might want to do a little search about injuries related to BJJ on this forum. In addition there was a particularly good one that was posted by a BB detailing many of his multiple injuries.

As an adult you heal slower and it gets worse as you get older, injries are part of the game and not being hurt in HS is a great thing but I dont think it means anything the 1st time you screw up your knee, shoulder or elbow in BJJ.

 

[Red Harvest]

I wrestled and played football through college, had 3 acl surgeries in 15 years and countless broken bones and nagging injuries. My body feels better and better every single day. You missed out, dude.

 

[Leon]

I played soccer(football) for almost 15 years and this is one of the reasons my knees are fucked now.

I do not regret it at all because I love football.

You wanna know more, here :http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/i-am-destroyed-1300525/

 

[sanchezero]

whatever. polevaulting is AWESOME...

 

[An end for]

I regret not having played more sports. I played futsal as a kid, and practiced taekwondo as a teen, but ended up quitting TKD due to a cracked rib, and once I was in FIGHTING SHAPE, the place was gone. My weight started to balloon and this bit me in the ass. Took me a long time to finally lose what I've gained, and I'm still far from good enough.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

whatever. polevaulting is AWESOME...

holy fucking shit thats a hot woman...

 

[BJJ_Rage]

I played football (rugby league and union, here in Australia we have the balls to play contact sport without dressing up in padding and wearing plastic helmets) and basketball all my life and got into BJJ freshly when I quit those and I have no problems with my knees or anything else, it all depends if you get injured, I never did

this is not true, I played both, rugby and football (american) and american football is BY FAR the most violent sport of both...its the rules what make the difference... if you are a running back, and you are going for a pass, you jump on the air the catch be ball, in that moment you can be tackle by 3 different HUGE guys, with A LOT OF WEIGHT on (those pads are heavy as shit) that are coming in 3 different directions... not to mention this guys do not usually go to the knees when the tackle... they try to run you over... in rugby you can get stomp yeas, or hurt going for a tackle and hitting the knee of someone coming at full speed, but its a total different impact.

 

[spazo]

Damn shes hot.

I played soccer and ran long distances, never seriously injured myself.. mabye a few cuts, bruises head colltions and testie scrapes.. till i was older and ive came close to puting a hairline fracture in my foot.. and ive fallen with all my body weight onto my thumb and put it out of place.. and this thumb injury plays up every now and again during BJJ / grappling.. my knees somtime hurt and my muscles r sore and my bck..
but im doing a labour job and bjj too.

 

[YeahBee]

I wished I had stuck with judo as a kid

played alotta soccer and handball instead, handball really did a number on my knee and some on my shoulders

 

[Doctor Gonzo]

this is not true, I played both, rugby and football (american) and american football is BY FAR the most violent sport of both...its the rules what make the difference... if you are a running back, and you are going for a pass, you jump on the air the catch be ball, in that moment you can be tackle by 3 different HUGE guys, with A LOT OF WEIGHT on (those pads are heavy as shit) that are coming in 3 different directions... not to mention this guys do not usually go to the knees when the tackle... they try to run you over... in rugby you can get stomp yeas, or hurt going for a tackle and hitting the knee of someone coming at full speed, but its a total different impact.

you do know all that padding is the reason why the rules are the way they are?

growing up as a big guy I was always a forward. I have had 5 people hang from my body trying to bring me down, I've been tackled from behind before and I have been at the bottom of a full 8 person ruck for the ball, trust me, I would rather be wearing a mattress covering my body and a helmet then nothing but short shorts and a mouth guard while people are stomping all over me with metal spikes on there shoes trying to get the ball, sure it sucks to be tackled in the air (its illegal in rugby and it has happened to me numerous times), but the difference is American football wear padding as if they are little kids under there, we having nothing but a jersey that probably wasnt washed and maybe a mouth guard if you decide to wear one. I'm not a fan of AFL but if you want to play the "tackled in the air card", you should watch a couple of those matches, no padding and there are always mid air dumps

and to go back on topic, alot of the Australian Rugby League teams have been hiring wrestling and BJJ coaches to help there tackling, you can tell when they train because they cross face in side control lol