Bows Respectfully

[Kravist05]

Hi everyone (waves hand),

Well I have posted on here a few times and met some very knowledgeable people. Thank you all for sharing your training tips. As well as some opinions that have opened my mind to different worlds of thought.

I have always been an active person. From Cross-country running and racing in high school, Western boxing, MT, and now Krav Maga. This active lifestyle, love for people, and a moral value system have moved me to become the best student of martial arts that I can be. Krav Maga may have its strength and weaknesses as a martial art but I wanted to follow through to black belt before starting a new art and possibly becoming a more complete fighter. You see my goal was never to become a world champion but to teach to others. I especially wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Here in lies my problem. Last month I sustained an injury to my knee while in a Krav Maga class. My training partner and I were in the clinch practicing throwing knees. My first mistake looking back at it was I was going to easy on him being a newer student. We were still standing in the clinch when he moved to trap one of my legs and throw me. That is when my knee twisted and I felt a "pop".

I am currently seeing a specialist-Orthopedic surgeon to see what can be done about my leg. One month later and I am now walking with a limp around the house. I miss training and wonder if and when I will be able to get back to it. I am also concerned if a career in law enforcement is still possible.

Has anyone sustained a knee injury, possibly a torn ACL and gone back to achieving there goals in martial arts? Does anyone have any advice on exercises or stretches I could do for now. I do not wish this on anyone just hoping to here from those on the board that have sustained a serious knee injury and what the road back to recovery was. What it will take to continue in martial arts and become a police officer. I want to take a more active role in my recovery, not just be the patient hoping it will get better. Thank you ahead of time for your support.

[taekwondo champ]

Krav Maga aint got nothin on wing chun kung fu. its like a watered down version of wing chun

[Hardball]

Rest, rest and more rest. It's just a fact of life, you gotta rest when injured. I would stretch my legs daily and concentrate on hand techniques and martial arts theory. Also, now may be a good time to take up a martial arts weapon.

[taekwondo champ]

ok this might sound silly but i have done it for quite a while. its called iorn palm kung fu and its not that hard, it involves striking an object with ur hand for along time. i started out with a phone book and keep droping my hand from over my head posisition. eventually if u keep practing you are able to snap 4 or 5 pages in the phone book with a slap check out this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Palm i am telling u this because u dont really need to be that mobile if your arm can move thats all u need, also rest is the best thing for any injury but like hard ball said be sure to streach ur legs out daily so they dont get stiff, altho i dont know how much you use your lges in krav maga because its quite practicle

[taekwondo champ]

by a while i mean a couple of weekes not for ever

[Kravist05]

Krav Maga aint got nothin on wing chun kung fu. its like a watered down version of wing chun

Well now I finally feel initiated into the defend.net message board. An insult finally directed at me. "Watered down version". It would be interesting to see what you base that opinion on. It wouldn't happen to be your extensive training for numerous years in both systerms would it?

[Kravist05]

Rest, rest and more rest. It's just a fact of life, you gotta rest when injured. I would stretch my legs daily and concentrate on hand techniques and martial arts theory. Also, now may be a good time to take up a martial arts weapon.

Hardball,

REST! That was the last thing I wanted to hear, however it completely makes sense. I'm slowly building up the injured leg (strengthening/stretching). Just taking it slow. I follow-up next Thursday with the Specialist to see what else can be done to get me back on track. Thank you for the advise.

As for hand techinques I have found throwing elbows to be quite a workout. I sit or lay there imagining I'm in a fight and I can't stand. My opponent just took out my leg. I can't quit because my life is at stake. So what do I do? I spend the better part of my day working that out. All the different moves that I can manage. It's like shadow boxing, but without all the footwork. The other thing I work on is how to get up from a sitting or prone position while still maintaining a protective posture. Its been a challenge coming up with things. Thanks again for the advice. It has once again given me something to focus on. Besides my injured knee.

You must always have an answer to the question. How am I going to fight my way out of this disadvantage?

[Hardball]

Hardball,

REST! That was the last thing I wanted to hear, however it completely makes sense. I'm slowly building up the injured leg
As for hand techinques I have found throwing elbows to be quite a workout. Thanks again for the advice. It has once again given me something to focus on. Besides my injured knee.

Most martial artist forget all about defensive hand techniques. Work on your Blocks, parries {deflections}, covering up. Then for offensive techiques now is the time to add to your arsenal. You need more than elbows, Eg. palms strikes, hammer fist, knife hand strikes, finger jabs, boxers punches, phoniex knuckle, hand conditioning just to name a few. There is a lot you can do with an injured leg. Read martial arts books and magazines. Take up a weapon such as staff or cane. Buy some training blades and sharpen up your knife skills. Visit a firearms range and have some pistol practice.

Be a Spartan and work through your injury because thugs on the street are not gonna take any pity on you just because you are injured.

[Tant01]

LOL @ TKD Chump

Krav Maga aint got nothin on wing chun kung fu. its like a watered down version of wing chun

Well now I finally feel initiated into the defend.net message board. An insult finally directed at me. "Watered down version". It would be interesting to see what you base that opinion on. It wouldn't happen to be your extensive training for numerous years in both systerms would it?

.............


Heal well Kravist. If it's been over a month you should at least have some mobility back by now?

[jubaji]

Krav Maga aint got nothin on wing chun kung fu. its like a watered down version of wing chun

Is that like diet water?

[nutter]

Krav Maga aint got nothin on wing chun kung fu. its like a watered down version of wing chun

You got that right mate!

[treelizard]

Kravist,
I have a friend who's a BJJ player who sustained a major knee injury and had to have surgery and couldn't train for over a month. And he's training again now. Did BJJ for about two months, switched to aiki/taiji now.

[nutter]

Did BJJ for about two months, switched to aiki/taiji now.

Yeah Aikido and BJJ have a lot in common right so it's a natural progression.

[Kravist05]

Thanks again

Hey Kravist,
I'm a lot like you in that I don't like to stop moving. However, I blew out my back and hip a few years back, and my refusal to rest and recover magnified the injury to a point where I was out of action for over a year! It sucks, bro, but take the time to heal. Especially a knee. Do your PT and take your vitamins - listen to the doc.

And blow off TKDChamp. Anyone who starts off a reply to a thread asking for advice on a knee injury by insulting the guy who's injured is either very young, very immature, or just plain stupid. Maybe a combination of all.

I agree with hardball in that you need to keep working, but by God, work smart. If you screw yourself up so badly in training that you can't defend yourself for real, what's the point of training? it's supposed to make you better, and you need all your parts working for that to happen, so take it easy on that knee and do what the docs tell you to do. After all, you said you want to be an instructor, right? Well, what would you tell a student in the same boat?

Your absolutely correct. Lead by example. Too many serious injuries have forced training partners in my past to walk away from martial arts and do something else. I have always trained smart, took care of myself in and out of the ring. Aside from your standard bumps and bruises this has been my only serious injury. How I rebound from this will be a testament to my character. I wouldn't want to become a hypocritical teacher.

I'm taking it slow right now. It's amazing how much is out there in the way of training. This injury has been a good thing in that it reopened my eyes to life outside of sparring or rolling. Tunnel vision led me to narrow my training to only doing the fun stuff. Thanks to the advice here I've found some other fun stuff to do.

The road to recovery doesn't seem so far away now.

[Kravist05]

Heal well Kravist. If it's been over a month you should at least have some mobility back by now? [/QUOTE]


Thanks Tant01,

Yes I do have better mobility now. I'm walking a little better everyday. Called the Doctor he says no running but I can ride the stationary bike. 10 minutes at a time. I'm looking forward to meeting with the Physical Therapists next week.

Its amazing looking back I was running about 4 to 5 miles a day. Now I can barely walk to the end of my block. Running is such a gift.

Take care of your legs everyone. Those days where you wake up lazy and don't want to work on cardio. Get out there and start moving.