For today's thought:
I liken getting sick for the average person to being injured for the martial artist.....
In a recent post, I mentioned that being sick should not always have such a negative connotation attached to the experience (Sick Doesn't Suck). In fact, I see it as the body's way of telling you something. 'Slow down', 'rest more', 'eat less', and 'take better care of yourself and/or your environment'; these are some of the most common messages the human body tries to convey to our decision making centers; the human brain.
If the brain does not pay attention to the early warning signs, the body will rely on more drastic measures, such as getting sick. Hence, time to take stock while eating your chicken noodle soup.....
For the seasoned martial artist, injury should indeed be a rarity. Any injury which takes place probably fits into one of these categories: practicing well-known techniques with poor form; attempting new or lesser known techniques incorrectly; training with little awareness; or simply by accident.
(If there are other categories I have left out, please feel free to suggest more)
All of these situations can be avoided, but they do occur, even to the most seasoned veteran of the arts. So, DOES being being injured suck?
Again, might I suggest a paradigm shift from traditional thinking:
While recovering from said injury, why not focus on why the injury took place and how to avoid it in the future? I find positive mental imagery, picturing myself as if this type of injury could never take place again, works well for me.
For example: say you injured yourself at the end of a long training session because you tried a new, high-flying technique. While nursing the injury back to health, take the time to recognize that new techniques (especially high-flying ones) should be attempted when the body and mind are at their peak performance; not when you are worn out at the end of a long training session with Kung Fu Kev's Mobile Dojo or one of his Martial Wellness classes.
Visualize how the training session should have gone and how you want it to go in the future. There is an order or structure to good martial arts classes and training sessions; find that order, understand it, and get in tune with it while injured, so as to avoid being in this predicament again any time soon.
If you make the most of your 'down time' by utilizing positive mental imagery, stretching, meditating, and rest; you may just find that your martial ability increases while you are injured. And, of course, you will find that Injured Doesn't Suck, Either.
