Oh no, not the injuries (again)! Perhaps it was a really close roll or a thing you wanted to try out while drilling techniques… But no matter what the cause is, the end result is the same: you’re now injured.
But here’s a perspective to keep in mind: getting injured is somewhat normal in Jiu-Jitsu. Jocko Willink knows that from experience:
The temporary injuries – that is normal from training, you’re going to get them.
I had neck surgery… That was a blip on the radar. I don’t even remember how long it took.
[And] what did I do during that time? I did other exercises, I figured out other stuff, I watched YouTube videos, I figured out other moves… You know, that’s what I did.
That’s the most important point, actually. That you need to keep moving even when injured, even when you don’t feel like it:
What do you do [when injured]?
Number one: stay active. You know… Move. If you can’t move all of your body, then work on your forearm strength, right? Squeeze a tennis ball. If you can’t roll, box. If you can’t box, lift.
And if you can’t lift, stretch… And get that flexibility work in some area where you’re not flexible. Whatever you’re gonna do – stay engaged, stay active.
During those low times, you need to find a way to make the best out of them:
So, the bottom line, the question is: what does a man do when there’s quiet? He takes advantage of it.
So, take advantage of it; get smarter, get better in other ways. And when the body comes back, you will be better.
