Throughout years of training I have seen various training centers train very hard, but at the same time I have seen a correlation between that type of training and injury. Injuries have several draw backs and are caused by several factors---some of which are quite obvious, and some are not as apparent as they look.
Injuries obviously heal quickly when you are young, however, healing quickly does not mean that you did not cause a havoc on your body which won’t revisit you later in life. Generally, they go dormant for several years, but do come back to haunt you down the line. So, first hand, don’t play the tough guy. Injuries have both short and long term effects. Short term, you undergo some down time on your training which puts you behind and kill your momentum in skill development; and long term, it would turn into some sort of arthritis, joint and muscle weakness degeneration of some sort and even nerve damages that would remain with you permanently, and they will get worse with time.
So, what is the cause of the problem and how can we minimize such occurrences? One of the factors I have experienced and is noteworthy to point out is the actual poor instruction and clarification on behalf of the coaches. So, this is the instructor’s lack of guidance. An instructor must explain to all new students and periodically repeat that training must be viewed on an evolutionary scale. No student or instructor should expect sudden jumps and leaps in progress of the students. Maybe some students are gifted genetically and CAN do that to some extent, but majority of students cannot and should not attempt this. Sudden unreasonable expectations create a breeding ground for carelessness and when carelessness is combined with lack of experience, now you have gotten yourself a perfect formula for an injury that will affect you for life. So, students must understand the gradualistic nature of training and progress. This is the first factor.
The second factor is the atmosphere that the coach or instructor must create for students. Most training centers and academies and dojos, create an atmosphere of intense loser/winner competitive nature. Now don’t take me wrong competitive nature is good, but students MUST learn to look at each other as team-mates, and as valuable assets towards each other. If I am a student, and my instructor likes me to choke out my partner or hurt my partner, maybe to curb the ego of the other student, again this will lead to an unhealthy environment which will ultimately lead to injury, or even a loss of potential students. If the instructor had explained the purpose of a given training and WHY they were going to do it in a very particular way, then most likely the egos and misunderstandings between two students would not have arisen and would not have led to ballistic kill mentality which would ultimately lead to injury, hate, resentment and so on. Once students are expected to look into each others’ faces with the eye of pushing and HELPING each other without THE IDEA OF loser/winner mentality, then we would be creating an atmosphere for healthy growth, rather than the cocky mentality which is one root cause of injuries. My students always push each other to their limits, but never ever look at each other as trophies. Why? Because, I would never allow that to fly by in the Phoenix JKD Institute. If I see some new person appears to not understand the symbiotic relation we have in our training institute, then I myself would intervene, and cautiously and wisely lead him or her to proper way of orienting his or her thought processes, and indirectly help them with their view of how to approach training. This part is a slippery stepping stone for even most instructors. But ultimately, it would end up reducing injury, if any!!!
The third point in regards to injury, again goes back to the instructor and not the student necessarily. It has more to do with matching partners properly. In the beginning, it is wise not to put two opposite people together. For example, a new student who has had many many street fights and who happens to have a short fuse and has heavy hands, would not be a good match in the beginning with another student who is an older family guy, who is interested in just technical aspects of the arts. I would never put them together. However, within a moth or two I would work on both of their needs in what is meant by hard training/safe training, and physical and mental adaptability, in the light of a realistic training for fights. This way they both grow individually and at the same time, I have taken the risk of possible introductory injury out of the equation. In few months, they would be mature enough and ready to train with each.
The fourth factor I like to add is the emphasis on timing and touch, and NOT timing and power. If a student can touch another student with precision, timing, footwork, and so on, then obviously, he or she could have touched that same spot much harder, if he or she wanted to. So why bust my partner’s tooth, and tweak his neck and arm when I could have just touched him with superior timing and footwork and distance control!!! What do I gain by hurting him or her, if the next day they are so damaged that they cannot come back, and perhaps permanently? What did I just prove? I just lost a team mate, and one of my assets in the gym. Remember, if your partners are not progressing, then YOU are not progressing either. But if I push him or her in a healthy way, they grow, and as a result, next time I would have to perform better, which is to say, I will be helping my own skills development. So, if THEY get better in their skills, then I am getting better. Therefore, to help better myself, I need to help and protect my partner first.
The fifth factor in injuries is size. Generally bigger students are prone to using strength and size to overpower smaller type bodies. If the smaller individual is not experienced enough, or if the bigger student does not demonstrate a kinesthetic perception or an awareness of his partner’s body orientation and position, then this is a receipt for injury again. The instructor should point out to them that the smaller student should play a more melting energy since he or she cannot apply strength and size to his or her advantage; and I would suggest to the bigger student, not to rely on his or her strength and size to get a position, and it would be wise to visualize themselves against people of their own size and strength and try to use finesse to get the job done, rather than size and strength. This approach can prevent injuries greatly in such a size-mismatch and it is something they need to focus on anyway.
The sixth factor in injuries have been correlated to explosiveness and percussion type students. Such students are jittery, strong, and unpredictable. With such students, the wise instructor should work with them first before setting them loose with the other colleagues. As the instructor moves with this type of student, he or she must instructor the student when would be a good time to relax, and teach them the value of explosiveness ONLY at certain times and certain circumstances, and not always. The instructors, as they are moving with such students must explain why the nature of this move would be better than the other move, and explain detail consequences. Also, explain the significance of incurring injuries to our valuable partners, should they persist in their way of thinking. This approach would work and raise the level of awareness in conjunction with injuries. Students should learn the virtues of calmness and composure right from the beginning, rather than killer instinct. Killer instinct is not difficult to develop, but composure under stressful situations is. Remember, most injuries are caused under the banner of the killer instinct, and not calmness and composure.
Normally, in my writing conclusions I briefly reinterte my discussion points, but I am not going to do that here, because I like you to go back and read the paragraphs above rather than just glancing at my conclusions. But remember, one of the biggest reasons you are studying martial arts is not fighting by itself, although it comes with the package and it is indeed a central benefit, BUT the bigger picture is personal growth and attaining a steady state of health and longevity while you are learning real skills. To do that, you must avoid injuries as best as you can. I hope these six steps can be a little bit of a help.
Feel free to contact me directly, should you have any questions about your training program.
Thank you,
SHAHRM MOOSAVI.
480-489-7202