Sunshine and Olly

by Jonathan Blaustein

I bashed my knee on my 50th birthday.

Smashed it good during jiu jitsu class, and it’s been bothering me ever since.

Most long-time martial artists learn how to heal their injuries, and listen to their bodies, so by the next day, I was pretty sure I had a bone bruise in my patella, and a sprained LCL ligament. (On the left side of my right knee.)

Back in the day, I used to train through injuries, and sometimes, I still do. (Having taped up my foot for four months, after slightly tearing ligaments below my right big toe.)

Knees are a different story though. You don’t fuck with the knees.

I’m sure you don’t want to hear the details of my personal injury history, though.

That would be boring as hell.

Since I took the time to blog about it, though, there must be a point to this post…

…right?

Yes, there is, and maybe I’ll get to it, and keep things short today.

I hurt that knee ligament for a reason.

It was overdeveloped, having had to compensate from the faulty alignment I carry from a long-ago surgery.

Weak right hip, weak muscles on the outside of my right leg, means overdeveloped inner-right knee ligaments, to pivot the body.

And I have learned…

…Just as at other stages of my BJJ journey, the injuries always seem to open up locked fascia that was keeping my muscles trapped in the wrong place.

The breaking points are never random.

So while rehab sucks, for sure, and I really miss getting to train BJJ, I chose to see this as an opportunity.

Hours and hours, I’ve spent using foam rollers, (a clever birthday present from Jessie,) mercilessly breaking down the weak spots and locked fascia in my body.

Everything the knee ligament was over-working to support.

Furthermore, I chose to dive into weightlifting with gusto, getting a gym membership, and trying to build up all the muscles surrounding the knee.

The rehab plan was: release tension in the body, build up bigger muscles, and then I’ll be both stronger and better aligned.

I chose to work on balance and strength simultaneously, to support my BJJ, once I get back on the mats.

Rather than getting all hot and bothered, missing the Dojo, and lacking the proper physical outlet I’m used to.

So there you have it.

If you take each injury and look at why it happened, you can use the healing time to actually come back to your sport better than you left it.

Catch you next time.