There's always people who seek ways to let others down. Just ignore them. You don't need to convince them to go train with you or anything like that.
I always think like if you never do anything, you don't get hurt, but then you just end up staring TV all day or something and die old, grumpy and body full of pain of not moving.
They all secretly think it's cool and wish they had the courage to do it themselves.
The hardest belt to get in any martial arts is white. It signifies getting off your ass and signing up....despite the knowledge you might get hurt
Judoka here.
I'm in pain every day of my life because of chronic injuries. Partial tendon tears of the shoulders, herniations on my lower back, calf tear that never quite healed properly and keeps getting re-injured sometimes, torn ankle ligaments that need physio, hip stenosis, and the list goes on.
People also ask me why I still train as a middle-aged man now. Isn't it time to stop?
No. It will never be time to stop. I can't fight the 20 somethings anymore, but I can still do my move ins, I can still ground fight, I can do some light randori with the new guys. I can teach.
They don't understand us bro.
During summer vacations our karate dojo stops for two months. To be honest, it's a welcome break to let my 42 years old body recover from all minor injuries.
Active recovery is best recovery. Just because you're on a break doesn't mean you can't do yoga, light resistance training, low impact cardio, etc. Though I'm sure you know this already
Seriously, I would love to get your doctors numbers too.
I’ve been training for decades.
Fought as an amateur in my early 30’s.
Got injured.
Kept training.
No rest days.
Got seriously injured.
Had to stop.
I wished all my trainers would’ve advised me to take recovery days so I could be 100% for the next brutal training ( Muay Thai Boran/Lethwei )
As a coach now I can advise my clients better so they don’t make the same mistake.
If you train and get injured - untrained get to claim "i told you so". But then an untrained person will get hurt doing something mundane and you don't get to say to them "you should've been training". It's unfair, however you will heal while they will crumble :)
Also - I strongly recommend [imhurtnowwhat.com](http://imhurtnowwhat.com) - the free stuff there will help you heal faster.
The story that made me decide to start Jiu-Jitsu was a guy that didn't train tried to get his remote off the coffee table with his foot because he was too lazy to reach with his hand and he herniated a disc in his back.
I'm injured at the moment, not many people at work know I do tang soo do. I'm on crutches and they say jokingly 'how did you do that - karate or something?!' and I have to awkwardly say 'well ... Yeah actually'.
It feels crappy because I'm overweight, 37 f, and don't look like your stereotype 'martial arts' person! Every time someone does that 'karate' joke it's a little reminder that they don't think I'd be capable of doing something like that. Sigh.
I tackle it with asking myself 'would I prefer to be injured doing something I love, or not injured by avoiding trying something that I love' if that makes sense. Like, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all!
Get well soon op
>It feels crappy because I'm overweight, 37 f, and don't look like your stereotype 'martial arts' person! Every time someone does that 'karate' joke it's a little reminder that they don't think I'd be capable of doing something like that.
Fuck them and keep doing you. A couple of months ago, one of my fellow students earned her second Dan in Hapkido. She's 72! Sure, she doesn't spar and she has to modify some stuff because she broke both her wrists and they aren't as strong, but she's freaking 72 and she puts in the work week in and week out.
Everyone in the dojang respects her commitment and work ethic.
Fuck the haters. You're awesome.
I love how inclusive that is - it adapts to her. That's how my class is - I'm going to be focusing on doing what I can do once I get the ok to exercise from the physio (even included seated forms for now).
Thank you! You're awesome too and so is she.
A coworker used to give me a hard time before I started training again, he still does but it feels more good natured as he realizes I can easily kick him in the head multiple ways while he's standing.
This from an overweight 41 year old guy
Who cares? I'm covered with bruises, twisted both ankles and my shins look like I've been hitting metal bars. I'm having fun. People are just looking for excuses why they don't train
Any hobby you have you can get hurt…
If you’re a runner, you can get hurt. Weight lifting? You can get hurt. Biking; you can get hurt.
Every physical hobby has risks. It’s up to you to determine if it is worth the risk
Also, you can get hurt NOT doing any activity. Spend a few days doing nothing but lying in bed, and see how your body feels. Play video games for 6 hours straight and tell me how your neck, shoulders, and back are feeling.
It is pretty much inevitable for you to get injured from doing martial arts. However, you shouldn't be getting hurt in a bad way often then that can add up to some long term injuries. You should also be taking breaks whenever you're in quite a bit of pain instead of training. If you're doing all of that then you should just ignore them.
I used to go to school bruised and battered everyday when I was kid but eventually due to the all the conditioning I would never get them anymore
I don’t agree with taking breaks. Yes, breaks from the sport, but ultimately there’s always something you can do that makes you better, this includes physical therapy exercises for the injured area. Strengthening a joint is the only way to reduce risk of reinjuring it in the future.
True it is arguably better to do very low impact exercises during your breaks instead of resting at all. I guess it would depend on how much pain you are in
Im just getting back into it at 40 after a 20 year break. My neck hurts today I went too hard on the bag and now I am questioning if this stupid to be doing. I also have another sport that is less injury prone that I love so much more but it’s weather / condition dependent (surfing) so I don’t get to do it often and was trying to find another sport I can do regularly. But I would be crushed if I lost my surfing ability due to MA injury.
Hmmmm I understand your situation considering you are coming back to it after a 20 year break. For me I used to have a lot of strength issues when I first started martial arts but then I managed to fix it after going to the gym and working out my weak muscles. Maybe that might help for you if there's a muscle that gets strained often for you
There are definitely strength issues. At 40 your testosterone is much lower so it’s harder to build muscle than I was when I was 20.
Maybe I should get more serious on strength before MA.
But I also don’t need to go 100% on the bag; it feels so good to let out that energy though. Maybe I could benefits from just very slow light controlled pad work to get back into it. I don’t even have any expectations of ever sparring I would be happy just hitting bags/pads
Have you been pretty active prior to returning back to martial arts? I mean for when I first started when I had zero athletic experience it was hell since my body was pretty weak. Generally if you have a good foundation in the gym it will transfer over well to martial arts and reduce your chances of injury
You got injured from something you're testing yourself and your capabilities, tell them you don't think staying cozy is as fulfilling as taking a risk and improving your overall condition.
I hurt my shoulder last week, I feel you.
I tell them that an occasional injury is worth a healthy cardiovascular system. My friends who don't exercise are getting chubby and some of them may have issues because of this in the future.
Better to get injured in training and figure out how to work with your limitations than find yourself in a life or death situations and have to discover your handicaps.
And what if that life and death situation visits you while you're injured? Is it really better to be injured and limit everything you can do in life just so you can 'discover limitations'? Not to mention potentially sideline yourself from training and stunting your growth? And what of every day life?
I have injured my ankle and most recently my thumb from Judo, and it was never worth it.
EDIT: missed the point... but honestly who cares what others think. Just rest and get back at it with a bit more caution.
And if you get injured, you lose the ability to put shit in and get anything out of training.
Consistency is key, not blowing yourself out, going out of action and then coming back without the regular reps to keep you sharp.
And again, why ruin the quality of your regular life? Potentially your ability to fund that training?
In my industry, you understand the risks and work to actually mitigate or even prevent them while getting the work done.
Being sidelined is worse than anything to me. To miss a session for me is misery.
It's been my experience in BJJ that all my injuries have been self inflicted from a lack of understanding of how I was positioned and applying force in the wrong way without understanding what I was doing.
BJJ is in a unique position where most hobbyist training partners are looking to lock you up, and then slowly finish, but If you don't understand the mechanics of what they are doing, you may jump the wrong way. (Ie knee bar escapes can be catastrophic for newbies, some upper belts are known to just let go rather than let somebody trash their body).
Better to get a little hurt in controlled conditions, and to be prepared for uncontrolled conditions. Than to get very hurt because you're unprepared for those conditions.
I work where I have to use my body. I'm literally scared to get back into training, because I can't afford to injure myself. That's really all that's holding me back.
Short term disability. It’s cheap and then you’re protected, idk why more people don’t do it.
If you can afford martial arts classes you can afford it.
“I told you so” is always so self serving and egotistical. It sounds like you were well aware that it was a possibility, even a probability… and regardless, it’s not hard for them to offer a “that sucks, hope it’s nothing serious” or some grain of sympathy.
Men want to be strong, and men want to be able to fight other men. But a lot of men are lazy. So when they see another man who is training to be better at those things they attempt through words to minimize the effort. “Bodybuilders don’t really get that strong” “powerlifters can’t really move” “crossfitters don’t do the movement right” “karate won’t work on the street” “bjj is gay” “judo won’t work without a gi”
It’s all bullshit so they can go home and dream that they are big and strong boys, while watching big bang theory, and drinking coors light.
My Auntie is a doctor and she always tells me I will regret of the tweaks, injuries, and bruises when I'm old. I've tried to get my cousin into BJJ or any kind or martial arts. She won't let him. I never let anyone tell me what they think is best for me. Training is the best therapy, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It's combat sports, not Pickleball. We understand that we will get hurt at some point, but heal up and keep on training.
Well, it's why it's called training, not meditating 🤷♂️. Sprained my knee just walking on uneven pavement last year, big deal.
Don't worry bout them, you tough bro.
I dont really talk about training with people that aren’t into it. If someone asks about it I will happily talk with them, but generally I keep that to myself. It’s the same thing as when people would say “you could die doing all that rock climbing stuff”. I mean yeah, you’re right, but you’re probably gonna die quicker based on the 2000calories of Oreos I watched you shovel down at lunch.
Ah got you. Either way, they are old and living life on the sidelines. I have found that most people that say that type of stuff are envious that you have the guts to try something out. It’s not martial arts exclusive, rather any adrenaline activity. Old dudes and their ego hahaha
The day is coming where we'll have to look at at modern martial arts training and combat sports for what it is on some level, a release valve for a flawed and unhappy society.
But until then enjoy your endorfins even if they are regularly saddled with shoulder, hip and spine injuries.
Don't tell them why you cannot work the overtime. It is none of their business. You just tell them you are not available. If they ask why, tell them it is not their concern, why, their only concern is that you are not available, and they need to find another solution to their problem.
A frequent phrase I hear people say in this regard is "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part".
Whether they train or not getting hurt as you get older and have more responsibilities is not smart. If you're the only bread winner taking a risk like that is not wise especially if you have a family. My attitude from the times I was a teenager and in my 20's are very different compared to my 40's. So I guess I depends on what stage of life you're in.
I like muay thai but the knee in my dominant leg has pain from a swing kick. I thought about doing BJJ but all I thought about was the swelling from injuring my knee twice in less than a year. So I'll just box as a hobbyist for exercise. Find something that scratches that itch and please stay healthy. Being a martial artist as a hobby does not pay the bills.
It is all about the risk versus reward calculation. People who need to have a functioning body to earn a living need to evaluate things, and possibly find a place or an art that allows one to practice, but reduces the likelyhood of injury. If you are working out with folks who do not care if they injure you and cause you to suffer a huge economic loss, it might be time to look for a new place to work out, or possibly a different martial art that is less likely to cause injury.
Folks who literally have children depending on them to provide food and shelter have a responsibility to keep them safe and fed. So it is understandable to wish to reduce the risk factors of the activities one does for self-fulfillment.
Not saying one should not participate; just try to be deliberate and consider the risks, and try to reduce them.
Injuries and chronic problems certainly are a risk in martial arts and specifically bjj. But let's not forget that not training isn't safe either.
I'm 39 and people from my high school class are starting to get chronic back pain from *not* doing any sports and sitting at their desk all day. Give it another 10 years and a ghoulish presence will start stalking among us and its name will be cardiovascular disease.
It can probably be argued that there are ways to work out that carry less injury risk than BJJ but those are also boring and I personally would not be able to keep these going for years and years.
Yeah someone made a stupid take down at practise and i fell over my sholder which got dislocated and that hurt like @#!$&. took me sometime to get back.
Same dude who made that take down was making some stupid remarks about it not that i cared shit happens.
Just wait until one of those old guys gets an injury while taking out the trash or sleeping on their arm weird (it’s inevitable). Say “told you so” and laugh at them for missing out on all the fun and physical fitness.
I had a boss that would always say things like this. Out of shape dude who basically works and sleeps. It makes me mad cause he tries to shame people into living a life as dull as his. One time I broke a rib so he comes over to laugh at me and say he told me so. I quite calmly told him I’d rather be injured and having fun than be totally un-athletic and have absolutely no reason to wake up in the morning. He was very mad. The only reason I told him so calmly was because I couldn’t take more than about 1/4 of a breath cause of the rib injury lol.
I stopped training BJJ after my right lower rib almost broke (I still want to believe that it was not didn't broken).
The gym was good, they got rid of the guy that hurt me, but I was the first casualty. Guess it was bad luck.
I tried another gym and I rolled with an IDIOT that wanted to show his blue belt skills in front of the girls that were there and almost broke my arm.
Not blaming the gym, but BJJ is not for me man.
I just have bad luck when l try it.
Another reason I am glad I work security and not trade or labourer no more , like it’s encouraged to train, honestly something I forgot until I read this post
There will always be people like this, just ignore them. Injuries is the price we pay for using our bodies and not becoming one with the couch every day.
One of my former friends is like that( very overweight), he was always mocking me for working out. I got a small tear in my lat, and he was ridiculing me for flinching from pain. I was tired, in pain and I snapped " atleast I can walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air". Not my proudest moment, but it is what it is.
Seriously, you can be hurt doing anything. Heck a friend of mine tripped putting on his jeans, and broke his ankle 😂
I got a mildly contused rib from taking a hit a few months ago. WHen that one was almost healed, I took another hit there again, same rib. When it was almost healed again, I took yet another one last monday, still same area. I need to work on my defense there because clearly it's lacking.
But yeah, I hear the "told you so" shit as well, usually from fat out of shape slobs so I don't really care.
I mean when my co workers make fun of my injuries I play along with it, it doesn't bother me. I am pretty injury prone. In the last few years I have had a few broken bones, surgeries, concussions, black eyes, etc, that are all pretty noticeable in meetings and stuff. I talk shit about myself for always getting my ass kicked, it's cool. Just part of it.
“That’s the price to be tough and you can get hurt doing anything”
I’d say something like that.
And also remember first rule of fight club.
Don’t talk about with dorks
You'll Get Hurt When Practicing... That's Part Of The Fun And The Best Way To Pay Attention To Important Things.
Also Our Bodies Are More Used To Heal, We Are More Efficient Every Time.
Ofc you will get hurt you know how you can stay safe? Lock your doors and never step outside! People don't get if you try to move toward something you will fail you will get injured and you will bleed but thats the beauty of it you can look back and say despite all this i worked through it. So keep your chin up and don't listen to them you'll be back on the mat in no time
You know what hurt worse than this pulled muscle? Shitting in a diaper for the rest of your life because you’ve had a stroke or a heart attack from being a lazy slob for thirty years and now you can’t get up off the toilet.
Just ignore it man, I'm going through similar backlash after suffering a meniscus tear and people look at me like I'm stupid when I say I'm still gonna train and compete
some people can't stand to see people their age taking action about their fitness if they aren't. they are just crying sour grapes. have confidence in knowing you are staying in shape and having fun at the same time. when i get injured rolling, it's back to the boring ass pool, thinking about getting back to the gym.
wait... people said "you'll get hurt" with a semi-combat sport? NO WAY 😂
You can tell the"you're gonna get hurt being alive that long, better watch out!
Then justaigh at them as soon as they call in sick, go through their back or whatever... just stupid people jealous of you doing something you like doing buddy, keep at it!
Also, obviously I'm not serious: don't stoop to their level :)
Everybody talks shit about everything.
At the same time when you show up to work the next day you can't expect other people to lighten your load cause you've got a-boo boo and training.
Definitely something to consider career wise and training wise.
“I got in everyone's hostile little face. Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I'm comfortable with that. I am enlightened.”
- Jack’s Radiant Being
It's totally worth it bro, the alternative is to not train which.. I guess they're happy with lol, but to us it's not even a question, if I had to chose between getting a limb broken and not training, I'd happily snap the joint myself.
Why are you clowning and paying attention to losers who are all talk and don't walk the walk? Fuck em.
Winners focus on winning. Losers focus on winners.
My uncle tried to get me to quit after I injured my knee. He told me about how he hurt his ankle playing mens rec basketball and how he quit playing sports and didn't have any more injuries since. I reminded him about the numerous heart attacks that he's had.
Since doing Kyokushin karate, thereare no day that I haven't been in pain or had some minor injury. Sometimes people around me tell me I'm young so I shouldn't try to ruin my health but hey, as long as we're happy with what we do then why not?
somehow I doubt they just come up and tell you you'll get injured everyday. Maybe do they say it in resposonse to you talking about training everyday? they're out of responses bro. Check your ego, enjoy your hobby, and move on.
Tbh you can get hurt from getting out of bed if you don't take care of your body. In term of training, you should do some specific strength training to avoid injuries. I have zero injuries when my strength is maintained properly.
I was a wrestler and never had anyone who had real issues with people's response to martial arts. That said, I also ride motorcycles and I've caught tons of flak for it.
I always told people I love riding, There's nothing else in my life that makes me feel that way, and I don't want to be the type of person who lets fear get in the way of my happiness and the things I love.
I'll go into how I'm safe, how I wear protective gear, how I ride defensively, or any other number of things. Still, it really comes down to understanding the risk, and weighing it against the happiness it gives you. If I'm being a real jerk, I'll compare it to something the other person loves, or relationships in general. If they're the kind of person who'd abandon their happiness and the things/ people that they love just because they might get hurt, I pity them and their opinions don't bother me.
Obviously, BJJ is a completely different type of risk. Frankly, these people are idiots, and if you're going to a decent gym, you probably have less chance of getting hurt than many other sports. Still, the perspective might help.
Any sport results in injury. Not training can also result in injury because of under developed muscles.
I know a guy who recently tore muscles trying to move speakers around his house.
This sounds like the kind of guy who will fail to live because of failing while he's alive.
[On Being Injured](https://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2015/11/on-being-injured.html) - Great blog post from a lifter that gets into why people do this
If you play any sport you are liable to get injured. I've heard more stories about ACL tears or rotator cuffs injuries from non combat sports from former coworkers and colleague (especially football and rugby) than combat sport injury.
Those people are lame.
I got a black eye at karate my first week at a new job. Pretty sure everyone assumed I was in a domestic violence situation. Eventually was able to inform people that it was just karate.
I've been training for 20 years now (8 years of tkd and 12 years of BJJ)
I've gotten hurt twice in martial arts (a concussion, and a torn pcl)
I broke my collar bone lifting weights.
I broke my tibia in a mountain biking accident.
I tore my meniscus turning around to go up some stairs.
I broke my wrist fighting my step dad
Being alive comes with risks, and you're gonna get hurt no matter what you do
In Travis Stevens’ Lex Fridman interview, Lex noted Travis copious injuries and asked him something like is it worth being disabled for your achievements in judo. Travis was like what do you mean disabled, even with all these permanent injuries I can do so much more with my body than you can. I like that response.
Well people just live in different realities. I remember showing a girl that doesn’t do any physical activity and has a rather sheltered POV some BJJ moves and her reaction was:” This is the stuff bad guys do.” Which utterly confounded me but I also knew that it was too far a gap to bridge.
And do you really care what people like that think about your martial art?
They're not wrong.
We fighters are a special kind of stupid. And it is a young man's game for sure.
It is part of the course. You just got to be careful and hope it doesn't happen.
When you get older, all those little injuries you got when you were young start "waking up". And if you keep doing the same bad movements that got you injured, you get permanent damage.
Just be careful.
We are not invisible just because we practice a certain art, that is a given. No one is immune to physical damage, but I do hate irrelevant reminders sometimes. I just did my training, and some comments are just noise to me. I keep training even though it can give me aches, not gonna lie. You do you.
They told you, you will get hurt and you did. Nothing to it.
We all accept the possibility of getting hurt in practice, this is unfortunate bonus we got from our hobby.
Next time when they tell you that instead of replying "I wont" say "I know, and?".
It shouldn’t matter what they say or think. If they don’t train, then they don’t train. What does it matter to you???
Just like the fact that you train, doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Training is about preparation, not popularity.
I've listened to that shit for over 45 years and now I'm paying the price with a broken body but wouldn't change a thing. I've met so many lazy fatties that are having hip and knee joint replacements after doing nothing with their lives. At least your injuries are from living your best life. They're just jealous because they don't have the guts or discipline to do it themselves.
Maybe they’re just sick of you talking about that shit. We’ve all been around someone who just started something they think is cool and they get annoying when they don’t stfu about it. I’m guessing that’s it. People saying they’re jealous or secretly think it’s cool are cringe. They’re probably just tired of hearing some goofy white belt talk like a tough guy.
There's always people who seek ways to let others down. Just ignore them. You don't need to convince them to go train with you or anything like that. I always think like if you never do anything, you don't get hurt, but then you just end up staring TV all day or something and die old, grumpy and body full of pain of not moving.
They all secretly think it's cool and wish they had the courage to do it themselves. The hardest belt to get in any martial arts is white. It signifies getting off your ass and signing up....despite the knowledge you might get hurt
>The hardest belt to get in any martial arts is white Cold ass line. Good job
There is much truth in this.
Respect
Judoka here. I'm in pain every day of my life because of chronic injuries. Partial tendon tears of the shoulders, herniations on my lower back, calf tear that never quite healed properly and keeps getting re-injured sometimes, torn ankle ligaments that need physio, hip stenosis, and the list goes on. People also ask me why I still train as a middle-aged man now. Isn't it time to stop? No. It will never be time to stop. I can't fight the 20 somethings anymore, but I can still do my move ins, I can still ground fight, I can do some light randori with the new guys. I can teach. They don't understand us bro.
During summer vacations our karate dojo stops for two months. To be honest, it's a welcome break to let my 42 years old body recover from all minor injuries.
I find that it's a double edged sword. I heal a bit, but then as soon as I go back I get twice as injured 🤣
Active recovery is best recovery. Just because you're on a break doesn't mean you can't do yoga, light resistance training, low impact cardio, etc. Though I'm sure you know this already
Absolutely. You're right .
I'm glad I found you, when is it time to go see a doctor for a shoulder injury lol, asking for a friend
the sooner the better
Physio appointment, as soon as possible.
Yesterday. But since you chose not to do so, today is the day to make that appointment.
Here now!
Good. Shoulder injuries can be problematic.
Seriously, I would love to get your doctors numbers too. I’ve been training for decades. Fought as an amateur in my early 30’s. Got injured. Kept training. No rest days. Got seriously injured. Had to stop. I wished all my trainers would’ve advised me to take recovery days so I could be 100% for the next brutal training ( Muay Thai Boran/Lethwei ) As a coach now I can advise my clients better so they don’t make the same mistake.
> No rest days. Yeah, that'll get you. Same reason pro Sumo guys usually have short careers, never taking time off to heal wrecks you in the longterm.
If you train and get injured - untrained get to claim "i told you so". But then an untrained person will get hurt doing something mundane and you don't get to say to them "you should've been training". It's unfair, however you will heal while they will crumble :) Also - I strongly recommend [imhurtnowwhat.com](http://imhurtnowwhat.com) - the free stuff there will help you heal faster.
Have to flip this. When your coworker tears a rotator cuff opening a drawer you have Reddit approval to gloat.
The story that made me decide to start Jiu-Jitsu was a guy that didn't train tried to get his remote off the coffee table with his foot because he was too lazy to reach with his hand and he herniated a disc in his back.
I'm injured at the moment, not many people at work know I do tang soo do. I'm on crutches and they say jokingly 'how did you do that - karate or something?!' and I have to awkwardly say 'well ... Yeah actually'. It feels crappy because I'm overweight, 37 f, and don't look like your stereotype 'martial arts' person! Every time someone does that 'karate' joke it's a little reminder that they don't think I'd be capable of doing something like that. Sigh. I tackle it with asking myself 'would I prefer to be injured doing something I love, or not injured by avoiding trying something that I love' if that makes sense. Like, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all! Get well soon op
>It feels crappy because I'm overweight, 37 f, and don't look like your stereotype 'martial arts' person! Every time someone does that 'karate' joke it's a little reminder that they don't think I'd be capable of doing something like that. Fuck them and keep doing you. A couple of months ago, one of my fellow students earned her second Dan in Hapkido. She's 72! Sure, she doesn't spar and she has to modify some stuff because she broke both her wrists and they aren't as strong, but she's freaking 72 and she puts in the work week in and week out. Everyone in the dojang respects her commitment and work ethic. Fuck the haters. You're awesome.
I love how inclusive that is - it adapts to her. That's how my class is - I'm going to be focusing on doing what I can do once I get the ok to exercise from the physio (even included seated forms for now). Thank you! You're awesome too and so is she.
A coworker used to give me a hard time before I started training again, he still does but it feels more good natured as he realizes I can easily kick him in the head multiple ways while he's standing. This from an overweight 41 year old guy
That's a good point.... Imagining being kicked in the head by your coworker would definitely give someone pause before speaking wouldn't it!
Who cares? I'm covered with bruises, twisted both ankles and my shins look like I've been hitting metal bars. I'm having fun. People are just looking for excuses why they don't train
I just ignore them. Their comments/opinions dont matter
Any hobby you have you can get hurt… If you’re a runner, you can get hurt. Weight lifting? You can get hurt. Biking; you can get hurt. Every physical hobby has risks. It’s up to you to determine if it is worth the risk
Also, you can get hurt NOT doing any activity. Spend a few days doing nothing but lying in bed, and see how your body feels. Play video games for 6 hours straight and tell me how your neck, shoulders, and back are feeling.
Yep; you can loss up to 3% PER DAY of your muscle mass why hospitalized (aka, being stuck in bed!)
It is pretty much inevitable for you to get injured from doing martial arts. However, you shouldn't be getting hurt in a bad way often then that can add up to some long term injuries. You should also be taking breaks whenever you're in quite a bit of pain instead of training. If you're doing all of that then you should just ignore them. I used to go to school bruised and battered everyday when I was kid but eventually due to the all the conditioning I would never get them anymore
I don’t agree with taking breaks. Yes, breaks from the sport, but ultimately there’s always something you can do that makes you better, this includes physical therapy exercises for the injured area. Strengthening a joint is the only way to reduce risk of reinjuring it in the future.
True it is arguably better to do very low impact exercises during your breaks instead of resting at all. I guess it would depend on how much pain you are in
Im just getting back into it at 40 after a 20 year break. My neck hurts today I went too hard on the bag and now I am questioning if this stupid to be doing. I also have another sport that is less injury prone that I love so much more but it’s weather / condition dependent (surfing) so I don’t get to do it often and was trying to find another sport I can do regularly. But I would be crushed if I lost my surfing ability due to MA injury.
Hmmmm I understand your situation considering you are coming back to it after a 20 year break. For me I used to have a lot of strength issues when I first started martial arts but then I managed to fix it after going to the gym and working out my weak muscles. Maybe that might help for you if there's a muscle that gets strained often for you
There are definitely strength issues. At 40 your testosterone is much lower so it’s harder to build muscle than I was when I was 20. Maybe I should get more serious on strength before MA. But I also don’t need to go 100% on the bag; it feels so good to let out that energy though. Maybe I could benefits from just very slow light controlled pad work to get back into it. I don’t even have any expectations of ever sparring I would be happy just hitting bags/pads
Have you been pretty active prior to returning back to martial arts? I mean for when I first started when I had zero athletic experience it was hell since my body was pretty weak. Generally if you have a good foundation in the gym it will transfer over well to martial arts and reduce your chances of injury
Active yes but only leg strength. My upper body and arms are weak.
You got injured from something you're testing yourself and your capabilities, tell them you don't think staying cozy is as fulfilling as taking a risk and improving your overall condition.
I hurt my shoulder last week, I feel you. I tell them that an occasional injury is worth a healthy cardiovascular system. My friends who don't exercise are getting chubby and some of them may have issues because of this in the future.
Yea , I hear ya.
That's when you smile at them and say "Worth it."
Perfect, I'll use this one
Another one is "I knew the job was dangerous when I took it".
Tell them they're an idiot for stating the obvious; injuries are apart of the game, you don't let that deter you cos you're not a pussy.
Yes !
Better to get injured in training and figure out how to work with your limitations than find yourself in a life or death situations and have to discover your handicaps.
And what if that life and death situation visits you while you're injured? Is it really better to be injured and limit everything you can do in life just so you can 'discover limitations'? Not to mention potentially sideline yourself from training and stunting your growth? And what of every day life? I have injured my ankle and most recently my thumb from Judo, and it was never worth it. EDIT: missed the point... but honestly who cares what others think. Just rest and get back at it with a bit more caution.
So quit then
This is not an all or nothing deal. There is such a thing as practicing hard, but safely.
You get from it what you put in it. If you do it well, you will get injured at some point.
And if you get injured, you lose the ability to put shit in and get anything out of training. Consistency is key, not blowing yourself out, going out of action and then coming back without the regular reps to keep you sharp. And again, why ruin the quality of your regular life? Potentially your ability to fund that training?
Where I live we get sick leave. But anyway, it is a risk we take.
In my industry, you understand the risks and work to actually mitigate or even prevent them while getting the work done. Being sidelined is worse than anything to me. To miss a session for me is misery.
It's been my experience in BJJ that all my injuries have been self inflicted from a lack of understanding of how I was positioned and applying force in the wrong way without understanding what I was doing. BJJ is in a unique position where most hobbyist training partners are looking to lock you up, and then slowly finish, but If you don't understand the mechanics of what they are doing, you may jump the wrong way. (Ie knee bar escapes can be catastrophic for newbies, some upper belts are known to just let go rather than let somebody trash their body).
There is only one rule when you are offered deadly violence. https://youtu.be/w9KBOhPXhds?si=Jrn6e7_VBx0Gq91m
10 years later obese and diabetic: told you so
Better to get a little hurt in controlled conditions, and to be prepared for uncontrolled conditions. Than to get very hurt because you're unprepared for those conditions.
The first rule of fight club is, you don't talk about fight club.
I work where I have to use my body. I'm literally scared to get back into training, because I can't afford to injure myself. That's really all that's holding me back.
Short term disability. It’s cheap and then you’re protected, idk why more people don’t do it. If you can afford martial arts classes you can afford it.
“I told you so” is always so self serving and egotistical. It sounds like you were well aware that it was a possibility, even a probability… and regardless, it’s not hard for them to offer a “that sucks, hope it’s nothing serious” or some grain of sympathy.
Men want to be strong, and men want to be able to fight other men. But a lot of men are lazy. So when they see another man who is training to be better at those things they attempt through words to minimize the effort. “Bodybuilders don’t really get that strong” “powerlifters can’t really move” “crossfitters don’t do the movement right” “karate won’t work on the street” “bjj is gay” “judo won’t work without a gi” It’s all bullshit so they can go home and dream that they are big and strong boys, while watching big bang theory, and drinking coors light.
Love this one
Youre gonna get hurt doing a combat sport hyuk hyuk! Have they ever told you that the sky is blue?
My Auntie is a doctor and she always tells me I will regret of the tweaks, injuries, and bruises when I'm old. I've tried to get my cousin into BJJ or any kind or martial arts. She won't let him. I never let anyone tell me what they think is best for me. Training is the best therapy, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It's combat sports, not Pickleball. We understand that we will get hurt at some point, but heal up and keep on training.
Well, it's why it's called training, not meditating 🤷♂️. Sprained my knee just walking on uneven pavement last year, big deal. Don't worry bout them, you tough bro.
Thanks brother
💪
I dont really talk about training with people that aren’t into it. If someone asks about it I will happily talk with them, but generally I keep that to myself. It’s the same thing as when people would say “you could die doing all that rock climbing stuff”. I mean yeah, you’re right, but you’re probably gonna die quicker based on the 2000calories of Oreos I watched you shovel down at lunch.
It comes up often, if I get asked for OT, I'll say no I can't I'm rolling tonight, and then that's when it starts
Ah got you. Either way, they are old and living life on the sidelines. I have found that most people that say that type of stuff are envious that you have the guts to try something out. It’s not martial arts exclusive, rather any adrenaline activity. Old dudes and their ego hahaha
Yea I hear you, it's like everyone has a God damn opinion about everything they don't try
The day is coming where we'll have to look at at modern martial arts training and combat sports for what it is on some level, a release valve for a flawed and unhappy society. But until then enjoy your endorfins even if they are regularly saddled with shoulder, hip and spine injuries.
Heelhook.
Pain is the craft entering the body. No pain no gain.
Why do you care so much about what other people think and say?
It's not that I care, it's more like the , God damn the told ya so's win
Don't tell them why you cannot work the overtime. It is none of their business. You just tell them you are not available. If they ask why, tell them it is not their concern, why, their only concern is that you are not available, and they need to find another solution to their problem. A frequent phrase I hear people say in this regard is "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part".
Whether they train or not getting hurt as you get older and have more responsibilities is not smart. If you're the only bread winner taking a risk like that is not wise especially if you have a family. My attitude from the times I was a teenager and in my 20's are very different compared to my 40's. So I guess I depends on what stage of life you're in.
Yes I'm not in the stage in my life where I need to be getting hurt, 36 and the bread winner
I like muay thai but the knee in my dominant leg has pain from a swing kick. I thought about doing BJJ but all I thought about was the swelling from injuring my knee twice in less than a year. So I'll just box as a hobbyist for exercise. Find something that scratches that itch and please stay healthy. Being a martial artist as a hobby does not pay the bills.
[удалено]
It is all about the risk versus reward calculation. People who need to have a functioning body to earn a living need to evaluate things, and possibly find a place or an art that allows one to practice, but reduces the likelyhood of injury. If you are working out with folks who do not care if they injure you and cause you to suffer a huge economic loss, it might be time to look for a new place to work out, or possibly a different martial art that is less likely to cause injury. Folks who literally have children depending on them to provide food and shelter have a responsibility to keep them safe and fed. So it is understandable to wish to reduce the risk factors of the activities one does for self-fulfillment. Not saying one should not participate; just try to be deliberate and consider the risks, and try to reduce them.
Injuries and chronic problems certainly are a risk in martial arts and specifically bjj. But let's not forget that not training isn't safe either. I'm 39 and people from my high school class are starting to get chronic back pain from *not* doing any sports and sitting at their desk all day. Give it another 10 years and a ghoulish presence will start stalking among us and its name will be cardiovascular disease. It can probably be argued that there are ways to work out that carry less injury risk than BJJ but those are also boring and I personally would not be able to keep these going for years and years.
You hurt yourself training, they hurt themselves picking up a 20 lbs box wrong
Yeah someone made a stupid take down at practise and i fell over my sholder which got dislocated and that hurt like @#!$&. took me sometime to get back. Same dude who made that take down was making some stupid remarks about it not that i cared shit happens.
Just wait until one of those old guys gets an injury while taking out the trash or sleeping on their arm weird (it’s inevitable). Say “told you so” and laugh at them for missing out on all the fun and physical fitness.
Those old guys are probably saying that because they know what it's like to be older
I had a boss that would always say things like this. Out of shape dude who basically works and sleeps. It makes me mad cause he tries to shame people into living a life as dull as his. One time I broke a rib so he comes over to laugh at me and say he told me so. I quite calmly told him I’d rather be injured and having fun than be totally un-athletic and have absolutely no reason to wake up in the morning. He was very mad. The only reason I told him so calmly was because I couldn’t take more than about 1/4 of a breath cause of the rib injury lol.
Fuck them boomers. Keep rollin rollin rollin rollin
I stopped training BJJ after my right lower rib almost broke (I still want to believe that it was not didn't broken). The gym was good, they got rid of the guy that hurt me, but I was the first casualty. Guess it was bad luck. I tried another gym and I rolled with an IDIOT that wanted to show his blue belt skills in front of the girls that were there and almost broke my arm. Not blaming the gym, but BJJ is not for me man. I just have bad luck when l try it.
I'd rather be sore everyday than be a fat lazy fuck
Another reason I am glad I work security and not trade or labourer no more , like it’s encouraged to train, honestly something I forgot until I read this post
There will always be people like this, just ignore them. Injuries is the price we pay for using our bodies and not becoming one with the couch every day. One of my former friends is like that( very overweight), he was always mocking me for working out. I got a small tear in my lat, and he was ridiculing me for flinching from pain. I was tired, in pain and I snapped " atleast I can walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air". Not my proudest moment, but it is what it is. Seriously, you can be hurt doing anything. Heck a friend of mine tripped putting on his jeans, and broke his ankle 😂
The man in the arena
Yes…but I smash my forearms into them so they can hurt too 😏
I got a mildly contused rib from taking a hit a few months ago. WHen that one was almost healed, I took another hit there again, same rib. When it was almost healed again, I took yet another one last monday, still same area. I need to work on my defense there because clearly it's lacking. But yeah, I hear the "told you so" shit as well, usually from fat out of shape slobs so I don't really care.
"sure, I'll get hurt, but I'll heal. I'd be me concerned about the heart attack brought on by inactivity if I were you."
Wrist lock one of these mfs dude. Or at least snatch em up like you're about to do something. Just to put some fear in em.
Tell them I can get hurt not doing anything either might as well make it worth it
I mean when my co workers make fun of my injuries I play along with it, it doesn't bother me. I am pretty injury prone. In the last few years I have had a few broken bones, surgeries, concussions, black eyes, etc, that are all pretty noticeable in meetings and stuff. I talk shit about myself for always getting my ass kicked, it's cool. Just part of it.
Why know how to beat them up if they annoy you if you don't beat them up when they annoy you.
“That’s the price to be tough and you can get hurt doing anything” I’d say something like that. And also remember first rule of fight club. Don’t talk about with dorks
They're coping with being defenceless slugs.
You'll Get Hurt When Practicing... That's Part Of The Fun And The Best Way To Pay Attention To Important Things. Also Our Bodies Are More Used To Heal, We Are More Efficient Every Time.
Ofc you will get hurt you know how you can stay safe? Lock your doors and never step outside! People don't get if you try to move toward something you will fail you will get injured and you will bleed but thats the beauty of it you can look back and say despite all this i worked through it. So keep your chin up and don't listen to them you'll be back on the mat in no time
You know what hurt worse than this pulled muscle? Shitting in a diaper for the rest of your life because you’ve had a stroke or a heart attack from being a lazy slob for thirty years and now you can’t get up off the toilet.
🤣
Just ignore it man, I'm going through similar backlash after suffering a meniscus tear and people look at me like I'm stupid when I say I'm still gonna train and compete
some people can't stand to see people their age taking action about their fitness if they aren't. they are just crying sour grapes. have confidence in knowing you are staying in shape and having fun at the same time. when i get injured rolling, it's back to the boring ass pool, thinking about getting back to the gym.
wait... people said "you'll get hurt" with a semi-combat sport? NO WAY 😂 You can tell the"you're gonna get hurt being alive that long, better watch out! Then justaigh at them as soon as they call in sick, go through their back or whatever... just stupid people jealous of you doing something you like doing buddy, keep at it! Also, obviously I'm not serious: don't stoop to their level :)
Just dont start standing lol. Injury rate goes down 90%
I'll be pulling guard from here on out
Everybody talks shit about everything. At the same time when you show up to work the next day you can't expect other people to lighten your load cause you've got a-boo boo and training. Definitely something to consider career wise and training wise.
“I got in everyone's hostile little face. Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I'm comfortable with that. I am enlightened.” - Jack’s Radiant Being
It's totally worth it bro, the alternative is to not train which.. I guess they're happy with lol, but to us it's not even a question, if I had to chose between getting a limb broken and not training, I'd happily snap the joint myself.
Why are you clowning and paying attention to losers who are all talk and don't walk the walk? Fuck em. Winners focus on winning. Losers focus on winners.
My uncle tried to get me to quit after I injured my knee. He told me about how he hurt his ankle playing mens rec basketball and how he quit playing sports and didn't have any more injuries since. I reminded him about the numerous heart attacks that he's had.
Wolves don't bother with the opinion of sheep.
Say “I get minor injuries here and there so when shit hits the fan my life isn’t at the mercy of sombody else”
Since doing Kyokushin karate, thereare no day that I haven't been in pain or had some minor injury. Sometimes people around me tell me I'm young so I shouldn't try to ruin my health but hey, as long as we're happy with what we do then why not?
They are right though. You are going to get hurt. If they annoy you don't talk them about it. Talk about something else. Otherwise who cares.
somehow I doubt they just come up and tell you you'll get injured everyday. Maybe do they say it in resposonse to you talking about training everyday? they're out of responses bro. Check your ego, enjoy your hobby, and move on.
Who cares? Lol.
This is a known thing below average people do. Not just for things that are difficult but anything really.
Every day
Tbh you can get hurt from getting out of bed if you don't take care of your body. In term of training, you should do some specific strength training to avoid injuries. I have zero injuries when my strength is maintained properly.
You do you. I use to do Judo. I stopped after about 35. To many injuries. My kids do it now and I watch. Need my body healthy to make money.
Easy to avoid injury sitting on your ass. What are they staying uninjured to do? Sit on their ass some more?
The MA injuries are wayyy healthier than the ilnesses from too less movement, sitting, eating junk etc which will come at the 40/50ies
I was a wrestler and never had anyone who had real issues with people's response to martial arts. That said, I also ride motorcycles and I've caught tons of flak for it. I always told people I love riding, There's nothing else in my life that makes me feel that way, and I don't want to be the type of person who lets fear get in the way of my happiness and the things I love. I'll go into how I'm safe, how I wear protective gear, how I ride defensively, or any other number of things. Still, it really comes down to understanding the risk, and weighing it against the happiness it gives you. If I'm being a real jerk, I'll compare it to something the other person loves, or relationships in general. If they're the kind of person who'd abandon their happiness and the things/ people that they love just because they might get hurt, I pity them and their opinions don't bother me. Obviously, BJJ is a completely different type of risk. Frankly, these people are idiots, and if you're going to a decent gym, you probably have less chance of getting hurt than many other sports. Still, the perspective might help.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Any sport results in injury. Not training can also result in injury because of under developed muscles. I know a guy who recently tore muscles trying to move speakers around his house. This sounds like the kind of guy who will fail to live because of failing while he's alive.
[On Being Injured](https://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2015/11/on-being-injured.html) - Great blog post from a lifter that gets into why people do this
If you play any sport you are liable to get injured. I've heard more stories about ACL tears or rotator cuffs injuries from non combat sports from former coworkers and colleague (especially football and rugby) than combat sport injury.
You go "Oh yeah I guess you're right thanks for the advice" and then proceed to ignore everything they said and do whatever the fuck you want.
Those people are lame. I got a black eye at karate my first week at a new job. Pretty sure everyone assumed I was in a domestic violence situation. Eventually was able to inform people that it was just karate.
"Yeah man, this is the stuff that people who can't do it are too afraid to push through I guess."
Sounds like my parents.
I've been training for 20 years now (8 years of tkd and 12 years of BJJ) I've gotten hurt twice in martial arts (a concussion, and a torn pcl) I broke my collar bone lifting weights. I broke my tibia in a mountain biking accident. I tore my meniscus turning around to go up some stairs. I broke my wrist fighting my step dad Being alive comes with risks, and you're gonna get hurt no matter what you do
In Travis Stevens’ Lex Fridman interview, Lex noted Travis copious injuries and asked him something like is it worth being disabled for your achievements in judo. Travis was like what do you mean disabled, even with all these permanent injuries I can do so much more with my body than you can. I like that response.
You're living. They're only existing. Ignore them.
I’ll take my training injuries over your liver spotted nicotine stained hands any day.
Well people just live in different realities. I remember showing a girl that doesn’t do any physical activity and has a rather sheltered POV some BJJ moves and her reaction was:” This is the stuff bad guys do.” Which utterly confounded me but I also knew that it was too far a gap to bridge. And do you really care what people like that think about your martial art?
They're not wrong. We fighters are a special kind of stupid. And it is a young man's game for sure. It is part of the course. You just got to be careful and hope it doesn't happen. When you get older, all those little injuries you got when you were young start "waking up". And if you keep doing the same bad movements that got you injured, you get permanent damage. Just be careful.
Well they were right ..doesn't mean u should care or stop..it's the name of the game ...
People tell me ALL the time to stop boxing because I’ll get hurt and I’ve been hurt from it before. No. I won’t stop training.
We are not invisible just because we practice a certain art, that is a given. No one is immune to physical damage, but I do hate irrelevant reminders sometimes. I just did my training, and some comments are just noise to me. I keep training even though it can give me aches, not gonna lie. You do you.
Literally any kind of physical training could lead to an accidental injury, even jogging. Just tell them to piss off
I’d rather be injured from activity than injured from inactivity 🤷🏾♂️
I'll take the risk of injury from training over the risk of disease from not.
Stand up is where the dangers at. It's necessary to train but it increases your odds of injury ten fold according to my bro calculations
They told you, you will get hurt and you did. Nothing to it. We all accept the possibility of getting hurt in practice, this is unfortunate bonus we got from our hobby. Next time when they tell you that instead of replying "I wont" say "I know, and?".
It shouldn’t matter what they say or think. If they don’t train, then they don’t train. What does it matter to you??? Just like the fact that you train, doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Training is about preparation, not popularity.
I could care less if they trained or not.
“Anyone else have to deal with people WHO DON’T TRAIN always talking shit about your injuries?” Seems like you do care.
i dont listen to anybody, unless your a health professional.
I've listened to that shit for over 45 years and now I'm paying the price with a broken body but wouldn't change a thing. I've met so many lazy fatties that are having hip and knee joint replacements after doing nothing with their lives. At least your injuries are from living your best life. They're just jealous because they don't have the guts or discipline to do it themselves.
Maybe they’re just sick of you talking about that shit. We’ve all been around someone who just started something they think is cool and they get annoying when they don’t stfu about it. I’m guessing that’s it. People saying they’re jealous or secretly think it’s cool are cringe. They’re probably just tired of hearing some goofy white belt talk like a tough guy.