In July, I started to take five classes a week at the BJJ gym. For a month, I
was consumed by the art, training in the evening and watching instruction videos
and taking notes during the day. I am glad to say that I have survived and
learned a lot, not just the moves but about my own body.
My neck and shoulders are adapting to the new activity. The neck pain came as a
shock the first week, lasted for two more weeks, and has since recovered. The
soreness was gone and the cervix spine felt good. Daily strengthening exercises
to defend against pulling and squeezing felt great.
The shoulders are stressed in many ways, e.g., from a heavy guy pressing down or
chokes that trap the shoulder to squeeze the neck. Bar-hanging and pressing
since the end of 2020 have prepared me well and one month seemed enough for them
to adapt.
The legs, however, have more stubborn problems. The left hip has ached for three
weeks after an improper break-fall and been recovering very slowly. On the right
side, the old groin pain bothers when I squeeze the knees hard or when I squat.
I have begun to study isometric methods for stretching and joint mobility to
address the problems.
I was not alone in battling injuries, as I learnt from one coach, "Everyone over
the purple belt is dinged up." On the other hand, the 63-year-old lady, a
veteran in all kinds of martial arts and a blackbelt in BJJ, told me she was
preparing for a tournament!
Another major challenge was cardio recovery (Maybe that's the reason for the
Gracie Diet). For a 48-year-old beginner who knew little more than using
strength, every bout felt like a brutal survival test, and five times a week
were a lot. Muscle pain all over the body often affected sleep. The leg pains
made me feel old getting up in the morning. Weight-lifting was reduced. Often, I
had to take a nap during the day to get ready for the evening roll. If it were
not for Tim, I would have skipped a couple of classes.
Nonetheless, once on the mat, the adrenaline surge does magic. Taking a fall,
getting smashed or strangled, the accidental elbows or knees, etc., feel like
nothing. I only feel a great sense of well-being during and after each sparring
session. Fighting appeals to some primal need.
Anyway, I think I am lucky to be made aware of my weaknesses and limits and to
take action. I will do four classes a week in August to see if it's better.
Toward the end of the month, it seemed that the strain has accumulated to a
tipping point. I felt a hint of cold on Thu. Maybe I should've taken the day off
as the exertion that evening must have made it worse. Friday afternoon came an
avalanche of sneezes. I didn't have a temperature and my body did not ache. I
felt OK on Sat but decided to skip a class for the first time.
