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3 Months off the mat can make you a bit stir crazy....

I'm sure we've all been sidelined

due to injury, resulting in time out of training. Whether it be a few

days, a few weeks or a few months, it happens to all of us. Simply

put, it sucks. As careful or considerate as we are of another?s

wellbeing, #!?@ happens. After the injury we play it back through in

our head, what happened, what went wrong. I've done this 1,000

times with no problem. Then it becomes a matter of how long you'll be

out. A number of shoulder injuries seamed to flare up from time to

time. A week or two off and tempo rolling and I was good to go.

Focusing mainly on jits, the last thing I thought I'd ever do is break

my hand. But sure enough in October of 08 that exactly what I did.

Fractured my metacarpal, requiring surgery to install three titanium

lag screws. I was look at 15 week of recovery. I'd go crazy being away

from Jits that long not to mention being away from my closest friends.

This was a huge blow to my psyche. Piled on top this, I was stressing

about how far behind I'd fall and the ass beating I would take upon

return. You know, like a pack of wolves, the strong survive. I was

gonna do whatever I had to not let this happen. I committed to

continue to go to all my classes to watch and play the role of

observer. I attended a few seminars including Carlos Machado, Tim

Burrill and the SBGi fall camp, all with the sole intention of

observation and self analysis. At the conclusion of these seminars I

was left with a notebook packed with theory and technique. As I

continued to attend my regular classes I began to analysis others game

and visualize counters. Realizing that nothing takes the place of

actual interaction, this was the next best thing. I still felt as

though I was learning. Being out this long and subjected solely to

Jits from the couch, I have noticed that I now roll more technically

now, not rushing in to seek the submission end result. It is now the

task of continual problem solving that drives me in this art. I'm sure

this will change again and again as I continue to grow and I welcome

it. Bring on the problems. I'll bring them home with me every night and

silently break them down from my couch. My wife won't even know I'm

doing it. I've gone to my "empty box". The bottom

line, yeah the injury sucked but the grow I achieved could not have

occurred otherwise.