Scenario: You were sparring, or pushed yourself too hard in training. You got injured. You then go and see the physiotherapist or the doctor. They diagnose you with – insert your favourite injury here – and tell you to take X weeks off training. We all know the butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth and horrible thoughts racing through your mind waiting for the examination to finish and the verdict be given to (FYI - this is also a form of adrenal dump). At which point, you are left with two choices:

The first is that you take a couple of days off, use RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation) for a couple of days and then shrug it off and go back to training even though you are not at 100%. Most people I have trained with have done this before, usually leads to recurring injuries within a short time that will force you out for even longer than first anticipated.

The second option is that you listen to your doctor and take time off. This also means your skills may deteriorate a little bit, your cardio capacity will diminish and your monthly fee will go to waste. Also, you will have to deal with the psychological effects of not training or doing physical exercise for a while – anything from boredom to anxiety to depression to lethargy - which can be even more furstrating than the physical symptoms, particularly to those who train very often.

 What do you do?

Ron found this the other day and at the time of this post is the number one video on Youtube featuring Shihan Sig Kufferath, who was the head of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu at the time. Video is from circa 1987 at my old dojo in Los Angeles.

When Ron showed me the video I didn't realise at first that it was Sig and me from back in the day - could hardly recognise myself!

The other person in the video is Professor Michael Belzer, my Sensei in the US and an 8th dan in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu as well as instructor of Japanese Jojutsu and his own system known as 'Sabaku Jutsu' or Cement Jujutsu.

Professor Sig Kufferath was quite a character and also an amazing martial artist; he was in his late eighties when this video was shot.

OSS!