Two Steps Forward, One Step Back…

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Melanie, Dec 17, 2002.

  1. Melanie

    Melanie Bend the rules somewhat.. Supporter

    Hardly an unheard of term…at one stage or another you or someone you know has said this. What does it mean though? Is it positive or negative?

    Its an expression that can mean both in my opinion. Its just down to the outlook of the person saying it at the time. The mental attitude.

    I bring this up now, because today (Monday 16th December) I received my latest injury. It seems I have pulled a hamstring. Always the same isn’t it? My training has been going through a fairly rough patch up until recently, I start to get on top of my game and ‘bang’ I am back to square one. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Yes and No. Yes: because all the hard work I had been putting into my practical and physical training will be lost. The muscle memory will get rusty and a decline in my general fitness. No: because everything else I have been ignoring in order to do the above is something I can now concentrate on. I can explore and look deeper into my training with the time I have on my hands. I was told by my former Sensei, you didn’t need to physically train daily to learn your kata, kumite, etc. This could all be explored with your imagination, your mind. Different scenarios could be added, people, weapons, locations and no one got hurt! I especially found this helpful when learning new kata. I would write down the moves and try and pick up the beat of the movements in my head and then complete the kata in ‘my minds eye’. Once I could understand what I was doing, had some idea of why I was doing and roughly how quickly to do it, it made the practical side easier for me. That works for me though…not everyone.

    One thing that martial arts has taught me in an extremely short space of time, is patience. I have only ever had one injury related to my training. That was a Bursa earlier on this year. I got it because I didn’t listen to my body and ended up not training for 3 months. It was agony, but worth the wait. I came back more powerful and determined than ever and have spent the most incredible spring/summer in my training. I will not let this ‘small’ setback beat me! I know I will now have to be a lot more careful and warm up thoroughly as I now have a weakness in the hamstring, but proper care and listening to my bodies limits in the future will help. Believe it or not – my hamstring snapped changing gear in my car driving to work. Apparently it was the straw that broke the camels back. I don’t remember my hamstring complaining previously…but I guess I never thought to listen?

    What I am trying to say basically, is MA isn’t all about belts, competition and striving against others. I train for myself and only for myself. Sure, its nice when others say you’re doing well, but personally my opinion is I can never do enough. I have let other things in the past cloud my judgement in my training and it has taken away the enjoyment of it from me. I train not only for the physical fitness side, but also for the small and brief glimpses of when I have actually achieved a technique, hopefully a little bit better than the week before. I train with people I respect and enjoy their company (and hopefully they like mine??) and I train because there is nothing about it which makes me feel inconsequential, ridiculous, small or pathetic. Its been a wonderful confidence builder for me. I consider myself fairly fortunate in that I have had two extremely good Sensei and had the opportunity to train with many other styles and Instructors as well. What is even nicer, is they even want me to come back.

    Everyone gets doled out some lousy times in their training every now and then. Life, responsibilities (work/partner/familly) have their piece of you when they need you, but your training is always there. If you respect yourself, the people you train with and your style (s) there is no reason in the world that although you may need to miss that lesson to attend your Great Great Aunts High Tea once every four years or have to spend 3 months not training (physically) so be it. Your training will be waiting for you when you return.

    I suppose you might be wandering what I am going to be doing now for at least the next 3-4 weeks. Well, frankly I will be doing nothing physically for a week, apart from a bit of steady walking, in short and gentle spurts! Then I will see how I get on. If it takes me two months to get back to full fitness..no problem. I can wait...my martial arts is worth waiting for…
     
  2. Jim

    Jim New Member

    Ummm... What's a Bursa and how painful are they?
     
  3. TkdWarrior

    TkdWarrior Valued Member

    well put thoughts Mel..
    myself been down from last week due to ankle-calf injury...can walk fairy well but no running or twisting of foot...
    I can wait...my martial arts is worth waiting for…
    hmm not a bad thougth..
    Mel u think of putting this in articles section?...
    it's good one for newbies...
    -TkdWarrior-
     
  4. YODA

    YODA The Woofing Admin Supporter

    Hey Mel

    Two steps forward & one back is still one step forward! That's progress :D

    It's when it's one step forward two steps back that the problems arise :p
     
  5. Cain

    Cain New Member

    Thoughts from a supermoderator....WOW!!! I never knew you were so deep :eek:

    Well for starters Yoda pulled the words right out of my mouth 'two steps forward and one step back is still progress' :D although in my opinion I always try to see all the steps so that I never miss a step :D

    You hv been injured only a few times in ur life from wat I see in ur posts, that's a really good sign, since I smacked a chin, had blood from my nose, my thighs like rubber after a 100 - 200 yards of squat walking, my swollen ankle.....the list goes on and on

    I too train for myself only, over the months I 'wanted to be like' my hero Bruce Lee, but today I admire him as more of a philosopher and a 'Martial artist' rather than just luving his stomach muscles and forearms :D believe me thoughts rapidly change over time, and so does our physical conditioning,

    Experiencing all the side effects makes u 'learn' though I myself never learnt that much :D

    Just a few acknowledgements,

    Though my parents don't really want me to, they know I want to continue my training, they used to advise me against it since they said it was 'too violent' But I am glad they are on my side till today, I feel really lucky sometimes, mostly parents here don't encourage their kids to to do the martial arts.

    Just my two cents and 30 lines and 200 words ;)

    |Cain|
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2002
  6. Bon

    Bon Banned Banned

    Melanie, it's a blessing in disguise, IMO...
    It'll only make you stronger when you return to your training!
     
  7. Melanie

    Melanie Bend the rules somewhat.. Supporter

    A Bursa
    The medical terminology is Posterior Calcaneal Bursitis and is evidenced by pain and tenderness of the posterior aspect of the heel and under the skin Due to inflammation of the bursa located between the Achilles tendon and the skin.

    Yes it is painful!!
     
  8. Melanie

    Melanie Bend the rules somewhat.. Supporter

    I'm not quite sure how to take that?

    ;)
     
  9. Melanie

    Melanie Bend the rules somewhat.. Supporter

    Thanks for all the support guys. I just wanted to vent last night - but I realised how lucky I was in reality. This IS an injury I can overcome and I would like to think I am mature enough to overcome it with some dignity and learn some lessons from it.
     
  10. TkdWarrior

    TkdWarrior Valued Member

    it's quite a good time to learn some drills which can be deal while sitting... some attacks which can be dealt...lots of things..like theories, etc etc...i don't take these injuries as a hurdle... but u expressed much better than me...that must hav to do something with poetic/writer side of u... :)
    -TkdWarrior-
     
  11. stump

    stump Supersub

    Well said Mel....sorry to hear about your injury. Hope you'll be back training soon as possible.
     
  12. Cain

    Cain New Member

    Take it as a compliment :D

    |Cain|
     
  13. pgm316

    pgm316 lifting metal

    Hi Mel

    Hope you recover well from your injury & fast!

    Are you sure its a pulled hamstring, it could be a pulled muscle, and that won't be as bad!

    Injuries really get you down when their more permanent, I originally gave up Judo after two ankle sprains and it just felt too weak.

    I pulled my hamstring 3 years ago and I still don't have the same flexibility :(

    So now I only do low kicks that don't involve twisting my ankles :D
     
  14. Andy Murray

    Andy Murray Sadly passed away. Rest In Peace.

    I understand your frustration Mel.
    It is all part of the big picture though. How you spend your time while injured is a hard test of character, but hopefully one you will look back on in a positive light.

    Wish you a speedy recovery, and reccomend you tap Becci for some Glucosamine Sulphate.

    Take it easy.

    Andy
     

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