it's been a tough couple weeks in my martial arts brain.... classes have been few and far between, and to boot, i have had a recurrence of very bad back pain... stabbing daggers bad.... i keep telling myself that all martial artists train with discomfort of some sort, and i, too, have always been banged up to a certain degree... yet pain is a great tool for making one humble... albeit grumpy, as well....
in fact, the amount of physical pain that manifests itself as mental struggle is amazing... it's not, "all in your head," but there is a definite battle that takes place there... one loses sight of which hurts more--the thought of being hurt or the pain itself.... it reminds me of a native north american saying that was written on a piece of art given to me many moons ago: "...Änd the shaman gave us the wisdom of the bear and the orca. First the bear spoke saying: Seek strength, not to be greater than your brother, but to fight your own greatest enemy... yourself. Then spake orca: You must live your life from the beginning to the end, no one else can do it for you..."
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I wish you well. Is the pain a result of a chronic issue or is it a new development?
ReplyDeleteAll martial artists train with some discomfort, as you said, but many reach old age with disability that could have been avoided with proper mindfulness and vigilant maintenance. Listen to the voice of your body and keep in mind the difference between mere discomfort and outright warnings.
Amen to the last comment as well. I'd say all martial artists experience periods of injury or pain, but who and how they go through it surely differs greatly. I've played sports all through my youth, and certainly wouldn't quit unless I had doctors threatening the teams if I continued. As far as adult martial arts go, I've had a rib injury as of late, with kyudo it doesn't effect it at all, so I go just as much as usual, but it hurts on impact, and until it's 95% healed, I definitely won't be hitting a mat. We're all different, but I would say go on the easy side! Take it easy!
ReplyDeleteunfortunately it's chronic... the last time it was this acute it lasted nearly two years... that said, i didn't quit, i just adapted my training and tried to focus on what i could do well...
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