Injuries

So, this is something that I haven't discussed, but it is an inevitable part of training in any serious martial art.

My back is terrible and has been for over a decade. It's better now than it has ever been, but it simply is not every going to be well. At best, it will be better than it is now....meaning that it will cause me problems on a less frequent basis.

Anyway, my back is acting up after judo and has caused me to miss some training. I hate, I repeat HATE, missing training. I just feel all lost and out of sync with everything. Hopefully, I will come back hungry and ready to work on new things, as I have in the past.

When I can't train, I spend a lot of time reviewing old techniques, watching videos and chatting about BJJ, just to keep my mind on it. It reminds me of something my old guitar teacher said. He said that if you are going to train guitar, you have to do more than just play. You have to listen, keep the guitar out, make guitar friends, talk about the guitar, go see live shows, do seminars, etc. You have to immerse yourself in the culture, so that it intersects with more of your life than just class. That makes you miss it and still relate to it, even when you have missed a class or two.

So, I've done the same with BJJ and can't wait to get back to the mat.