First Aid For Fighters: Torn Toenail

by Meredith & Doc Dill

More for the injury journal:

After months of 'breaking in" savate shoes that were a bit small on my right foot (my right is a half size bigger than my left, whatever, I'm not the only one), my big toe turned black. This was unattractive but not too upsetting since I have the nail polish option. It was already starting to grow out, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Then one day when I was sparring, I threw a roundhouse and my partner stuck out his elbow. He wasn't wearing elbowpads and my toenail split in half horizontally. I'd like to mention that I WAS wearing my savate shoes at the time. So currently I'm applying neosporin and trying to keep the remainder of the nail on the toe with bandaids.

Doc Dill says:

Ouch! Busted toenails hurt like a bitch!!

Well, ideally you should trim the broken part to prevent moisture accumulating and developing a fungal nail bed infection. Neosporin to keep it from drying out and cracking and preventing a bacterial infection. Cover it to protect it and wash it twice a day thoroughly trying it. In a couple of months the nail will grow out and you'll have beautiful tootsies once again.

Wash Your Clothes!

by Meredith

Wash your shit.

Just because you're about to get it all sweaty again does not justify dragging a stinky gi out of the laundry and wearing it in to class to burn the nose hairs off of your fellow students. I always keep an extra gi and shirt in my locker. If you're one of those that sweats profusely (you know who you are) and you plan on working out before class or taking more than one class, by all means, bring an extra shirt to change into. Especially if you're going to be grappling. Or kickboxing. I hate kicking someone and then having to drag my foot along the floor afterwards until I wipe off their sweat and regain traction. Just bring an extra shirt. For me.

Also, wash your knee and elbow pads and handwraps. I've been guilty of letting this go too long once before and man... was it embarrassing. But I made up for it this Saturday when I was about to grapple and my partner asked, "What fabric softener do you use? You smell great!" And, yes, he was a heterosexual male.

Just wash your stuff. It makes for good hygiene and good neighbors.

Doc Dill has the following to add regarding the sorts of things you might find growing in your nasty old gear.

Yep, [keep your gear/clothing clean] and you reduce the chance of passing on or contracting an infection. Things like impetigo, pseudomonas, etc. Worse is getting an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection like the MRSA or the "flesh eating bacteria." You wind up in the hospital on IV antibiotics, which leave you with a good chance at permanent dizziness. It's not all that hard to contract either. So stop the stink!!! Wash your SHIT and don't try and cover it up with bad cologne either. That just makes you smell like an 80 yr old incontinent with a bad nose.

CC licensed image from Handforged.

First Aid for Fighters: Stupid Shoulder Injury

by Meredith & Doc Dill

It was time to take the stupid family Christmas picture. I began to trundle down the stairs yelling over my shoulder for my cousins to follow me. I slipped. My left hand instinctively latched on to the railing and didn't let go although the rest of me fell. (This would have been cool had I been falling off a cliff or something cool like that.) After a couple of hours, it became clear that this was not just a minor strain. I couldn't live my arm above my waist without pain in my shoulder. Really I couldn't move it much at all. I iced it and took tons of Advil and when I got home two days later, a P.T. worked on it. It felt much better after that, but it still gets 'tired' when I work out and feels 'delicate' when I do certain things. I.E. after throwing a couple of hard jabs into a focus mitt, I get that 'this minor discomfort is a warning' kind of mild pain. I've been avoiding grappling and throwing hard left hooks.

Doc Dill says:

Well a couple of things could have happened here. Overhead injuries like the kind you describe happen in sports to pole vaulters and gymnasts. In those sports you are trying to lift or hold body weight with one or both arms in extreme flexion. A little too much extreme flexion or a ballistic move like you did (falling with a sudden recovery) and something's gotta give. Three possibilities come to mind: 1) acromioclavicular joint separation (separated shoulder), 2) rotator cuff strain, tear or compressive injury, or 3) torn labrum. Number three is bad and will only get better with surgery if you're lucky. Luckily these are rare. Number two is serious but unless it's a complete tear you can avoid surgery. Number one hurts more than the other two and takes a long time to fully heal but is relatively a minor injury. How do you tell the difference?

Well, 1 will hurt when you touch the end of your collar bone or if you grab the collar bone and try to wiggle it hard. 2 will be painful in the resisted "empty can" position. if a complete tear you will have no pain and be unable to resist at all.* In 3 you will most likely have pain with movement and a feeling of slippage as if you're shoulder wasn't attached right or a painful arc where everytime you move through a motion it hurts only through the same portion of the motion. Whattaya do? Well ICE then strengthen the scapulo-thoracic musculature and retrain scapulo- thoracic rhythm which I'll cover in another article.

* Empty can position fists in front of pockets arm rotated so thumbs point down, flex shoulder so arms are lifted on angles lower than shoulder height, as if emptying pop cans.

Savate shoes

by Meredith

I've been approached a couple of times by people at the school I work out at about savate shoes. Generally the questions are a combination of:

• How much are they?
  
  
• Where can I get them?
  
  
• What's the difference between savate shoes and those shoes my friend got at Sports Authority?

Unfortunately (if you're in the United States), savate isn't huge in the US except for in one or two concentrated regions. In any case, not nearly large enough for the manufacturers to cater to US customers, much less for there to be a US manufacturer of savate shoes. At the moment, if you want the real deal you have to order them from France. Good luck translating the website if you took Latin in school. I ordered my current pair from Sport7 (not to be confused with the fencing gear manufacturer). Be ready with your European size and it may not hurt to order them one half size larger if my Rivats are any indication. They will stretch, but it takes a while.

Also, be aware that French online customer service is not the same that you'd get from a US company, possibly because they don't deal with enough US orders to be concerned with it. My order involved multiple translators, cryptic emails and no way to track the slow progress they were making. Also, I ordered my shoes in August. And apparently no one in France works in August. Or so I was told by my French savate seminar instructor, who found my lack of new shoes hilarious for that reason. I got them sometime in late September, but have been told that any time from three weeks to two months is not unheard of.

Also be ready with your credit card, because they are not cheap. And you'll have to pay the conversion rate since you'll most likely be purchasing them in Euros. The cheapest ones Sport7 offers are about $80 and a midrange pair can cost $150+.

Because of the above hurdles, many people just use wrestling shoes when they first start out. I borrowed a pair of savate shoes from a friend until I was able to determine if this was something I liked and was going to stick with or not. Wrestling shoes are a fine substitute if you're just taking class and not going to be competing. The main difference between savate shoes and wrestling shoes is that savate shoes have a reinforced toe to protect ... well, your toes. But again, if you're not competing, you probably won't be blasting your partner's leg and the wrestling shoes will offer you enough protection. Savate shoes also have smooth soles that are even with the vamp and the reinforced heel. The competition savate shoes are also very light and can be resoled (if you live in France).

The soles are one of the main reasons that wrestlers wouldn't want savate shoes and vice versa. Wrestling shoes help your feet to grip the mat for shooting in, whereas savate shoes are made specifically to glide over the mat for lots of spinning and movement.

You MUST wear some kind of shoe when taking a proper savate class. If you're not kicking with your toes, you're not doing savate. And if you are kicking with your toes and plan on doing it more than once, you should wear shoes.

See also: Shoes: To Wear or Not to Wear?

Yoga, it’s not just for hot chicks anymore.

by Meredith
(with an assist from Mike)

Originally, I decided to check out the yoga class offered at our gym because I had met the instructor a couple of times in classes, she seemed like a nice girl, it seemed like kind of a mellow, chill thing to do on a Saturday afternoon, and it was offered for free. A year and a half later, it's become a significant part of my training, one of those "no, I can't do a movie then, I have yoga" classes. I was also unaware when I began taking yoga class, that 'the nice girl' was a very experienced instructor and very sensitive to the needs of the individual students.

For me, beginning yoga had more positive effects than the obvious increased flexibility and strength that would benefit any martial artist.

• I have a notable case of scoliosis which, aside from affecting my posture, causes me to generate more muscular injuries and general tightness in my right shoulder and my neck. These are especially irritated after practicing judo throws or grappling. Both of which I really enjoy, but are particularly high risk for me in terms of potential injury.
  
  
• Strengthening stabilizer muscles that are difficult to train by other means. This will help you with your posture as well as lowering the risk for injuries.
  
  
• Breathing is likely the most important part of yoga and learning how to relax even in awkward and difficult positions will directly translate to breathing while uncomfortable or stressed in the ring.
  
  
• As we mentioned above, flexibility is an obvious benefit, but far from the only one that yoga allows.
  
  
• Active recovery is another positive. We've noticed anecdotally that injuries heal much more quickly when going practicing yoga. Obviously, you should not perform yoga while suffering from a severe injury.

There are many types of yoga out there. How should one choose a class?

When shopping for a good yoga class, obviously attend at least one class before signing up for a monthly pass. Show up a little early and try and talk to your instructor beforehand and let them know what you do, what your injuries are if any and what you're looking to get out of the class. If they seem uninterested or act as though you're a weirdo or annoying for talking to them, this probably isn't a place you want to go to. If you're on the fence after the class, maybe try it one or two more times.

Yoga classes vary in intensity, some tend to stay at the beginner level so that many people can jump in off the street and enjoy them and not get hurt or feel frustrated because they can't levitate the first day. Some will offer different options for students of varying experiences. Some will leave you feeling calm and mellow, some will leave you feeling like you've had a real workout. My class (a style known as "Forrest Yoga") tends toward the latter of both experiences, but there are always variations and you can always ask your instructor how intense the classes get based on the one you've just experienced if you're curious.

If you're embarrassed to be one of those 'never tried yoga before' people, check out some DVDs first.

Because our instructor teaches within the school and has taken classes, she's aware that generally everyone in the entire room is suffering from one injury or another and will go around before class and ask about it. (There has actually been applause one or two times when a person has said that they have no injuries.)

After doing it for a while, you will learn poses you can do safely on your own to help you with problem areas and which poses to avoid. I.E., if you have chronic neck problems, headstands are probably not something to experiment with. Yoga class can also help workout muscle tightness and soreness that comes with constant working out and training. Know your limits - It can aggravate it as well if you 'push beyond the pain' thinking that yoga can't hurt you, so be aware of what hurts, just like anything else.

And just to reiterate that this stuff WILL help your martial arts, I attended a class before a kickboxing match last weekend. It was a small class and the instructor asked if any of us were competing and what in and we did some ‘restorative’ leg work. That night I DID successfully land a roundhouse to the head of my opponent with no strenuous effort.

Flickr photo by emdot.

Wear your damn cups

by Meredith

This article is a 'mate' (if you will) to Mike's Wear a Damn Cup article below.

Ladies. Wear your chest protectors, PLEASE.

I know all the reasons why you might not want to. I put it off as long as I could, personally. I didn't want to look all 'busty' while I was working out. I liked the flatness of the sports bra. "It hasn't been a problem so far." "I never get hit there." Suck it up. I did.

My new favorite place to plant a thrust kick is square in the chest of my opponent. And you know how it is, we're all moving around, sometimes things don't hit square. I'm sick of feeling guilty for landing a good shot on a partner who wasn't wearing the proper equipment. I don't care if you're big or small. I'm a 32C, so I'm right there in the middle. What, it doesn't hurt you? Too many hits to the chest can cause damage. We don't want breast cancer do we? No. No we don't.

For more impact, here's what Dr. Dill says:

Lumps, scarring, deformation can all be the result of continued trauma to breast tissue. This can make detection of tumors more difficult resulting in more mammagrams and potentially more surgical procedures than would normally be expected. "Protect the girls!!"

Also, these babies can be an advantage! Ever grapple a guy in class and manage to put your full weight on him in a cross body position? Generally they will yelp or squirm if you're wearing your boob armor! Personally, I wear the turtle shells. I landed a shovel hook on a girl wearing that full torso stuff and hurt my thumb. A lot. Like, I had to stop.

So wear your shields. I'm not going to feel bad for kicking/punching your girls anymore.

And another thing, this can go for both sexes, don't go live if you forgot your mouthguard.

The one time I made a guy's lip bleed during a grappling class, I felt really bad. Until I realized he wasn't wearing a mouthguard. By choice. I mean, c'mon. Don't we all like our teeth? Especially during something like grappling where you never know where things are going to land half the time.

If you forget it, then let your partner know, and just drill. Sit out during anything live. Obviously the same goes for boxing and kickboxing. I get very annoyed when someone forgets their mouthguard, and then it's ME who is handicapped by not being able to punch them in the face. This happened once on my end, and I told my partner I wouldn't punch her in the face either since she couldn't punch me. Fair's fair. But what a drag when you were counting on all out sparring. At least offer to sit out and time until someone wants an easy round. Go work the bags.

Mailbag! Should Boys and Girls Be Allowed To Play Together?

"I'm a chick whose interested in getting started boxing. The gym I'm looking at doesn't have separate women's classes (guys spar with girls). I know no one's going to clobber me, but I'm afraid that they're going to take it easy on me and I won't learn as much. This gym has a good reputation, but would I be better off going to a women's-only gym or program?"

Meredith says:

Personally, I try to go with the guys as often as possible. And to be fair to them, since I'm smaller, I try to punch them as HARD AS I CAN.

Okay, in all seriousness, as long as you're sparring someone at the same level, weight and ability as yourself it really shouldn't matter if they're a guy or a girl. Some people have ego problems, but that's the same for both sexes and I'll address that later.

I do actually go with guys at least as often, if not more so, as I go with girls. One reason for this is just that there are usually more of them around and another is self-defence logic. If you're ever going to get attacked, it's generally not going to be by another girl so it helps to be used to fighting a guy. Generally the more experienced guys are pretty good with knowing how hard to go with someone who is in a lower weight class than themselves. If you get someone who you feel is taking it easy, do the same as you would if you were with someone who was going to hard. Let them know.

I've found that variations on following phrases work well to adjust another person's levels without insulting them either way: "Hey, do you mind if we go a little lighter? I'm trying to work some techniques, if that's okay with you. Let me know if I'm hitting too hard also." or for the opposite effect "Hey, you can go a little harder if you want. I know you're trying to be nice, but I'm okay with upping the intensity a bit if you are."

Both of those phrases are nicer to say than, "Hey, ease up asshole!" or "Dude, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't take a goddamn punch. THROW SOMETHING." Because really, someone may not know that they're hitting too hard. Also, some guys are just going to be overly gentlemanly about hitting a girl because it's been ingrained in their nature and you have to verbally let them know that it's really okay in the ring. Be nice about it, there's a good chance that they're not being a jerk either way and this way both of you get a better workout. Communication is always good since none of us can read minds (regardless of what Mike says after he gets a few beers in him).

When you start at your gym, likely you'll make friends in a few classes and those people would probably be good to partner with for outside sparring sessions. The longer you're there, the more you'll get to know people and you'll get more comfortable sparring with others. Limiting your partners to only one sex really just limits yourself and your experience.

Just like anything else, you will have those people who just don't like to be beat and don't like to be scored on. Guys as well as girls. Eventually you'll learn who these people are and can either avoid sparring with them or at the very least, you'll know what you're in for when you get in the ring with them. The same applies to people who outweigh you and have no control. Sometimes you just aren't in the mood for working with those people.

First Aid for Fighters: Deep Thigh Bruising

by Meredith & Doc Dill

This one's pretty simple. I was sparring with a guy who was bigger and more experienced and got nailed in the left leg with three Thai kicks in rapid succession. My leg was killing me for days after, but no bruise showed. It happened to be the same leg with my injured ankle which was not quite healed. And it also happened to occur one day before a three day Savate seminar I was attending. I wrapped it up during the seminar and tried to avoid getting kicked there. And the next time I went with the guy who had kicked me I moved the entire time. My left leg is now a little shy, which I'm not sure is a bad thing.

Doc Dill responds:

Thigh bruises are potentially very serious. There are two areas of the body, the bicep and the quadriceps that have a tendency to turn accumulated blood, called a hemotoma, into bone. This is called myositis ossificans. This happens a lot to football players who cut down their thigh pads so they can run more freely.

Martial arts practitioners are particularly susceptible for reasons other than the obvious constant impact. In martial arts in particular there is a bit of quackery healing going on. All of the Ancient Asian Secrets applied by well meaning but ignorant “healers” should be avoided. Use only well known and preferably licensed practitioners. I do know a few trusted non-licensed “healers” but always use caution when seeking treatment. Both the biceps and quadriceps should NEVER be massaged after a deep bruise. This furthers the chances of developing a bony growth in the muscle.

This bone is both painful and debilitating. Surgical removal is the usual way of dealing with it although there are Physical Therapists in New York State that do iontophoresis with acetic acid to dissolve the heterotopic bone. I have seen radiographs before and after and the results are encouraging.

Basically lots of ice, gentle range of motion without pain, compression with ace wraps and protection from impact for several weeks is the way to deal with a deep thigh or bicep bruise. Good luck in your training.

Dr D

In case you missed it earlier, Doc Dill isn't actually a doctor. Take his advice for what it's worth, but consider talking to someone with the appropriate credentials.

First Aid for Fighters: Not So Stupid Ankle Injury

by Meredith & Doc Dill

Thumbs and shoulder being healed, it was time for leg and feet injuries. I hurt my ankle during a footwork drill. This was before I wore shoes to class regularly and my foot just rolled to the side and my leg stayed upright. I fell down instantly because I knew it was bad. I started swelling up right away and I had to take the rest of the class off and ice it. I iced it all night and it hurt so very very bad. I limped to work the next day with an ankle brace and iced it every hour for twenty minutes and wrapped it in between. It hurt. At first I didn't tell anyone about it aside from those in the class where I had hurt it, and wore a brace and shoes to classes and iced it afterwards. The icing got easier in the weeks that followed and as it felt better I iced it less. General consensus was that it was fractured. I took six weeks off from grappling class, wore shoes to every class, with an ankle brace (which I still sometimes do) and if live grappling ever occured in regular classes during that time, I took care to warn my partners off of ankle locks.

Dr Dill says:

Ankle injuries are very common in most sports. Sounds to me like you handled the “First Aid” part pretty well. Rest Ice Compression and Elevation or RICE is the mantra given to most musculoskeletal injuries. Now here’s the troubling part, many ankle “sprains” on further examination, namely radiographs, or x-rays in the parlance, are shown to be ankle fractures. So much so that emergency medicine, especially “sports” medicine, say to assume all ankle sprains are fractures unless proven otherwise. Most sprains feel much better for walking around in 3 to 5 days. Longer than that and I would suspect a break. By the way there is no difference between a “fractured” bone and a “broken” one.

Anyway recovery and rehab is about the same for sprains as non-displaced fractures. Initial healing takes about 2 weeks then gentle stretching or range of motion begins. Strengthening and kinesthetic rehab starts next and progresses for 4-8 weeks.

The retraining of joint position sense (kinesthetic training) is the key to preventing serial or recurrent sprains. This can be done in literally dozens of ways. Make sure to walk on different slopes and surfaces. Pay attention to your foot, don’t wear an ipod. Do heel and toe raises. Also raise up on the inside and then the outside border of your foot. Get to the point that you can walk around on the borders of your feet. BUT Pay ATTENTION to avoid respraining your ankle.

Ankle supports are good if you use good ones. Like the Aircast, or Sweedo lace up ankle brace. The elastic ones are useless, except to keep compression on if they have a tendency to swell. If you are having trouble go see a physical therapist for advice and or a treatment program. They are truly the experts at rehabbing injuries. Take good care of those feet. They are the foundation of your body. Ignore them and the rest crumbles.

Dr D

In case you missed it earlier, Doc Dill isn't actually a doctor. Take his advice for what it's worth, but consider talking to someone with the appropriate credentials.

Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone

By Meredith

Everyone has a style that they're more comfortable in and everyone develops personal preferences over time. Some people prefer boxing to kickboxing, some prefer a Muay Thai style of fighting over a Savate style, and some people can't stand grappling or any kind of ground fighting. Just as it's important to be aware of your strengths, every now and then it pays to break out of your comfort zone. It helps if you're in a rut, if you're feeling bored or even if you're feeling really great and want to try and tackle something new.

Having just attended a full weekend seminar that was based mainly in styles that I either have little experience in or that do not come easily to me, I thought I'd share a few bits of advice on how to make the 'non-comfortable' learning experience a bit easier. Some of these are things I had to remind myself of over the course of the weekend. In no particular order:

• Prepare to be frustrated and find a way to deal with it. Going outside your comfort zone is by definition uncomfortable. Things will seem weird and you won't be doing as well as you think you should be. Everyone feels frustrated when they're doing things they aren't good at. Take a breath, reset yourself and try not to throw things or snap at your partner. If you need a break, get some water and come back, ready to try again.
  
  
• Be patient with yourself and with your partner. Give yourself a break if you're not getting everything immediately. Perhaps you will, but remember that this is something you're doing to challenge yourself. The same goes for your partner. Maybe they're not learning as fast as you are and you're frustrated at their lack of ability. As long as they're trying, give them a break.
  
  The situation could also be reversed - maybe your partner has a better grasp of the material than you do and is trying to help you. If they're overloading you with suggestions, be nice about it, but tell them you're just going to try and get Thing A down right now before moving on to Thing B, C and D. If they still won't stop, it's okay to shut off your ears and just keep trying.
  
  
• Don't make excuses for why you can't do things. No one cares and it's annoying. If your instructor is giving you constructive criticism, nothing is more cringe-worthy than to come back with, "Well, see, I usually do BlahBlahBlah so this is REALLY WEIRD for me." Unless your instructor is wondering why you seem to have a retardation, i.e. "I don't understand why you keep trying to kick with your toes." "Oh, well, I mainly do savate, I'm sorry, I'm working on it." "Ahhh..." If it's a case where you think knowledge of your background can help your instructor transition you, it may be worth saying something. Just don't use this as an excuse to wave off criticism.
  
  
• Try and stay positive. As long as you maintain a positive attitude you can still 'suck' and have fun with it. Don't think negative things. "Well, I'm never going to do this shit again anyway, so I'll just get through this and forget it." Remember why you're doing it in the first place.

Changing things up every once and a while can only make things better. Especially if you're in a rut and can't figure out why you're moving badly, dropping your hands, can't turn left, etc. Just try something different. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't. But chances are there will be at least one thing you can take away from it. And you may even like it.

What's Your Fighting Style?

by Meredith

Which Voltron Lion Are you?

Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. We all have things we're naturally better at and things we can improve on. Recognizing what these things are can be the first step to capitalizing on your strengths and shoring up your weak spots.

Let's make it fun by dividing up five key fighting personas into the five different Voltron Lions. Well, at least it will be fun for me. And you should play along to make me happy.

Let's start with the Yellow Lion.

The Yellow Lion (piloted by Hunk) was powered from MAGMA and was the strongest of the lions. Coooool. It's great to be big and strong. I wish I was bigger and stronger sometimes. Especially when I'm grappling and someone's sitting on my head squishing the life out of me. However, be careful of relying too heavily on your size and strength. You can probably come out on top in a lot of fights just by powering through people, but how boring. Make sure you're not sacrificing your technique in the process and also concentrate on speed and agility. Eventually you will meet someone bigger and stronger than you are. Also, you'll eventually get old and weak. It's the way of the world. And don't be a big, strong bully. Even the Yellow Lion does not like bullies.

Now on to the Green Lion.

The Green Lion is powered by the life of the forest and can create tornadoes! Pidge, who pilots the Green Lion, is the smallest of all of the pilots, yet he can jump very high and is quite smart. If you're small, likely you have other advantages, like speed, agility and/or flexibility. Those are all excellent, but do try to increase your strength if you can. Weight training, if done correctly, does not bulk you up and slow you down. You have the dubious advantage of being a smaller target, but fight smart. Don't just charge in swinging. It's admirable to have courage, but courage and nothing else will just get you a broken nose. Don't use being small as an excuse either. No one likes a whiney midget.

The Red Lion.

The Lion of fire! The Red Lion can spew flames out of his mouth! Which is appropriate being piloted by hotheaded Lance, who is also known to be a bit of a rebel. A willingness to charge in and go with anyone is admirable and a certain healthy disregard for the rules can be an asset in that it will keep your opponents on their toes and keep you from becoming routine. However, remember that there are times when it would behoove you and those around you if you would dial it back a bit. And some of those rules are there for a reason. Just because you're awesome doesn't mean there's not always more to learn, so listen to your instructors and those giving constructive criticism. And remember to breathe, don't waste energy getting worked up.

The Blue Lion.

Powered by water and capable of shooting jets of water from its mouth and forming them into ice walls at will, the Blue Lion was piloted by both Sven and Allura. Sven, the original pilot, was injured in battle and sent to another planet to recover. In this writer's opinion, he was the better pilot and should have come back once he was healed, however, (This is all revealed in one of the last episodes.) he assumed the Force wouldn't need him anymore and was better off without him and was ashamed to contact them. Awww. Suck it up. Yes, it's good to know when you need to let an injury rest or heal and it's good to know when to take a break. Be careful of using minor injuries as excuses for poor or flagging training. If you're nervous, that's okay, but there's only one way to get over it. I'm not encouraging people to go in to train if they're ill, nor am I talking about people with major injuries, but I think we all know the people I am talking about. The Voltron Force did need Sven. He was the better pilot and should have come back, damn it. I formed this opinion when I was six years old and I'm not changing it now.

The Black Lion.

The lead lion, forming the head and torso of Voltron, the Black Lion gets its power from LIGHTNING! Sweet. Keith, the head of the Force, is the most level-headed and rule abiding of the bunch. However, he's sometimes distracted from the task at hand by his crush on the princess. If you're that person that everyone looks up to, chances are you did something to deserve it. Likewise, it's great to make friends and meet new and interesting people where you train. No one likes the unfriendly jagoff in the corner who has no time for anything but HIS workout. The pitfalls here are pretty obvious. Don't become the arrogant bastard or the laurel rester and try and give something back. Remember how you got their in the first place. Don't get distracted from what you're doing by the more attractive members of the opposite sex or cater to them because they're purty. Remember why you're there.

This concludes my highly scientific analysis of different fighting styles based on the Voltron Lion Personality Wheel. It's most likely that we all have several of these lion types in us at one point or another, but now that we're all aware of them, we can accentuate the positive and deaccentuate the negative and become more balanced martial artists. Right? Right.

What is one thing we know about the Voltron Lions? Separate, they're damn good fighters, but together, they create Voltron, Defender of the Universe! And he's pretty much impossible to beat.

First Aid For Fighters: Stupid Shoulder Injuries

by Meredith & Doc Dill

After my thumbs recovered, my next injury of note was obtained during a kickboxing drill. The drill was on sweeps off a punch - catch the punch while sweeping the leg. Sounded easy enough. I just remember that when it was my turn, I was holding my partners arm with my right hand while sweeping them (to ease their landing). I felt like someone stabbed me in the shoulder. I worked through the rest of the class, but couldn't stretch it out or loosen it up. I even went to yoga directly after with only mild benefits. My shoulder hurt for days. I had gouges on my back from people trying to rub it out. I continually alternated heat and ice on it for a long while and eventually it got better. But it was incredibly inconvenient for quite a while.

Doc Dill says,

Yikes! You injured one of the most complex parts of the body, the shoulder. It could be anything but since I’m answering and you’re not here I’ll assume a few things.

First off, it could be a rotator cuff injury. Can you raise it from your pocket to shoulder height with your thumb down, like emptying a can? No? Then it is a rotator cuff injury and off to the doc for you. Complete tears never get better without surgery. Luckily, they are not that common.

You can raise it but it hurts? Read on.

Is it tender around the top of the shoulder? Feel like a “knot” in a muscle there?

If so, you probably have a localized muscle spasm of the levator scapula muscle. In layman’s terms “a big knot in the shoulder muscles just under your traps.” That muscle runs from the top of your shoulder blade to several of your neck vertebrae. A spasm in it can cause shoulder pain a headache and even upper arm and wrist pain and occasionally low back pain. It can spasm for a lot of reasons but in my opinion that usually doesn’t matter that much. What do you do? Ice, Ice baby. After icing you can do deep tissue massage to "mash that sucker out.” It hurts but feels oh so good at the same time. If that’s all it is it’ll feel better soon. Just keep icing and kneading.

Can you train? Sure, just don’t be stupid about it. If it hurts to raise it overhead DON'T.

Just a quick note on icing - Why are all the docs giving you less-than-perfect advice when they tell you to ice it for 24 hours then use heat? Because you are not a little old lady suffering from lumbago, that’s why! Use ice. It stops pain better than heat. It reduces swelling better than heat, it lowers local metabolism and it increases blood flow better than heat. Plus a gin and tonic tastes great with ice and shitty hot!

Adidas!

In case you missed it earlier, Doc Dill isn't actually a doctor. Take his advice for what it's worth, but consider talking to someone with the appropriate credentials.

First Aid For Fighters: Stupid Thumb Injuries

by Meredith & Dr. Dill

This will be the first of a series of entries under First Aid For Fighters where I diary all of the injuries I've had in the course of my martial arts training and Doc. Dill will follow up with care recommendations and dispel any myths about the injury or care thereof.

The first injury we'll cover was sustained during grappling (you'll notice this eventually becomes a pattern). Through some quirk I was in knee-on-belly, working from the mount when I got swept and landed on my thumb. There was a crunching noise, some pain immediately swelling. Of course, I iced it and ended up having to tape it up during class.

After doing the exact same thing to the other thumb a week later, I learned to keep my thumbs in while grappling. I also developed a preference for long-range hooks (swing for all you Savateurs) that I'm still trying to break myself of.

Doc Dill says:

Well first off I’m not a doctor. I am a healthcare professional and have much experience dealing with athletic injuries.

Now, finger injuries can be bad and take a long time to heal. Break a pinky and see what I mean. The appendage that makes us different from the other apes, the thumb, is particularly at risk because of how it sticks out all alone. Brave little digit!

First off if, it happens to you while training, stop doing what you’re doing. Give it a few moments for the shock of the injury to settle down. Now gently try and move it by itself and with help of the other hand. Any noise that is new? Like grinding? Like a cement truck rotating? Look at it. Any bones sticking out? Compare it to the other one. Look similar or is it twisted around and winking at you like a hooker behind a light pole? If you answered yes to any of these, you either broke it or damaged some cartilage. Training done - now it's time to see a doc and have surgery and try not to get fat.

No to all of these? Still could be broken, still could have cartilage damage but probably just a sprain. So ice it right now! Then compress it with some kind of wrap or massage. Rest for a short while, like overnight. Start moving it like you normally would do. Too much rest and inactivity is bad. If you want/need to train, tape it up. There are a myriad of books that show you how I suggest “Modern Principles of Athletic Training” by Klafs and Arnheim. Keep icing the bejebus out of it. I mean all the time. Like every hour. Until it’s numb. But don’t let it turn white or you may freeze it. Explaining how you got a frostbite injury because of wrestling is embarrassing, so use your head.

Gently stretch it so it works like the other one. It’ll take somewhere up to 6 weeks to feel like it was never hurt but you should be able to use it long before then. And yeah, learn how to keep them thumbs in.

Oh, one more thing. Never, ever, let anyone “pull” your finger, unless you are just trying to fart! That’s just stupid and an easy way to worsen a relatively minor injury. Everybody thinks that’s a magic solution, but it’s not so don’t let the shmuck you’re training with get all Marcus Welby and suddenly go from broke down MMA fighter to ER doc simply because “it worked when I was 12 and playing little league.” Cuz it didn’t and it won’t. Adidas!

In case you missed it above, Doc Dill isn't actually a doctor. Take his advice for what it's worth, but consider talking to someone with the appropriate credentials.

Flickr photo by thejesse.

Seminars, are they worth it?

by Meredith

Four things I generally look at when I see a posting for a seminar at my school:

1. Does this look like something I'd be interested in? (Particularly for X number of hours?)
2. Can I afford it?
3. Have I heard anything about the person leading the seminar and was it good stuff?
4. Do I have time?

The last question for me applies because of theatre, thus sometimes my nights and weekends are otherwise occupied, which knocks out more seminars for me than the other three, but if all of the above questions are positive, then I generally will take the seminar. I'll explore this a bit more deeply however.

If you're learning something that you don't normally see, is it going to be worth your time to learn?

Personally, I say definitely yes. Unless it's something you know a little bit about and know you will be miserable and resisting it the entire time, I think something new is always worth learning. You'll learn a lot of different techniques at a seminar, and one or two of them are likely to become personal favorites. Who knows when you will be able to incorporate them into your normal practice? It will be something different than your opponent will have experienced, or maybe something you can teach your partner. At any rate, it will start you thinking differently, and that's never a bad thing.

As a beginner, are you going to get as much out of it as someone who is more experienced?

There are certain things that won't come as easy to a beginner as they would to someone who has been doing martial arts for a while. That's not to say you wouldn't learn anything, but do pay attention to what the notices say. If they say a certain session is for advanced students only, then pay attention to that. It's also a good idea to ask your instructors what they think. They'll generally have a better idea of how advance the seminar will get, presumably having participated in the like before, and be able to better advise you. Generally, if the seminar is broken out into sections, there is at least one section of basics, and that is worth attending at any level. Presuming you can pay by section.

Will you actually use the stuff you learn?

There's no telling if you will use ANY of the stuff you learn in ANY class really. My own belief is that it's always helpful to get a different perspective on things. If only to learn what DOESN'T work for you. Different people adapt to different things with varying successes, which is one reason there are so many different kinds of martial arts. If you didn't at least check it out, you would only be doing yourself a disservice. Even if you don't find the entire seminar appeals to you, it's unlikely that there won't be at least one thing you take away from it that's of a value to you.

If the seminar is run by someone that you occasionally see, would your money be better spent doing a private lesson?

This depends. Is the seminar specific to something this person specializes in that perhaps you haven't covered before? If you are training with someone who is honest, they should be able to tell you if the seminar is different or you should be able to tell by the way in which they say 'oh you should come, there's always something to learn' that perhaps it IS all the same. But many of the people we train with every day in kickboxing have kali talents we never imagined.

My personal belief is, if you have the money and the time and it's someone you know is a good teacher who you will learn from, is there something else you would rather be spending your money and time on? If so, do that.

Chill Out During Warm Ups

by Meredith

Warm-ups are just what the name implies. They are used to warm up your muscles and get you geared up for your training session, whatever that may entail. Warm ups are generally not 'full contact' and if you are doing a partnered warm up, the objective is not to take the other person out.

Sport-specific warmups are to prepare you for the upcoming class. They're to help get you thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) about proper technique, distance and warming up your muscles. They are not for taking cheap shots at your partner.

For instance, if the drill is 'elbow tag' there's no reason to intensely slap the crap out of your partners elbows multiple times with a crazed expression on your face. Or even without a crazed expression. Try to remember that elbow tag is technically a footwork drill, although it also teaches you to keep your elbows in, is a fun reflex challenge and a nice light way of getting your blood moving.

Likewise, If you're doing a kicking drill for a warm up, there's no reason to bean your partner as hard as you can with your kicks. If you're working a savate targeting drill, remember that this is the time to get your distance and form ready for the upcoming class, not the time to pop someone in the solar plexus even if they're 'open'.

If you're doing grappling takedowns/flow drills, there's no reason to be cranking submissions. If you're doing a boxing defense drill, that is not an invitation to pop your partner in the nose while they're trying to get the technique down.

Basically, chill out during your warm ups. Use them to loosen up your muscles and get focused and ready for what you're about to do. You're not impressing anyone.

Shoes: To Wear or Not to Wear?

by Meredith

Unless they're specifically required to the type of martial art you're training in, then generally it's a matter of personal preference. Obviously, if you're doing wrestling, wrestling shoes would be preferable, if you're doing savate, savate shoes are a good idea. Although there is generally some flexibility. I wear my savate shoes to wrestling and I know Mike wears his wrestling shoes to savate and neither of us has been cursed yet. So far as we know.

If your options are open, generally it's up to you. Let's break it down into pros and cons.

Positives of Wearing Shoes:

• If you're a foot model or just one of those people who likes to keep their feet sandal-ready and callous free, then shoes would definitely help avoid the wear and tear you can get from pivoting on bare feet.


• Shoes can protect against some minor bumps and bruises sustained if you kickbox regularly. Generally better than the strap on foot coverings. They also help prevent frequent toe jams and mat burn.
• Shoes will stay in place better than the strap on foot coverings.


• Shoes also provide better footing for explosive movements (shooting).


• If you're a germaphobe or a hypochondriac, shoes are the way to go.


• If you've sustained any recent injury or have chronic problems with your feet or ankles, shoes may be a smart idea.


• If you have ugly feet: shoes.

Negatives of Wearing Shoes:

• If you lack control, you have a slightly greater possibility of injuring the person you're working with (if they aren't wearing shoes) as you may feel the impact of your kicks on your feet less than they will and thus kick harder.


• If you're not used to wearing shoes, then they may take a while to get used to and your form could suffer briefly, this goes the other way too, of course.


• Shoes can be expensive. Especially savate shoes if you want decent ones.


• Fitting shoes can be tricky. This again goes more for savate shoes than wrestling shoes as savate shoes generally have a less flexible toe and are generally mail-ordered from France. All shoes require some breaking in, but striking the balance between having them fit comfortably enough to wear when you get them and having them still fit when they're broken in can be irritating.


• If you become a shoe aficionado and then decide to take a new class or try a different school, you may run into problems if the new instructor doesn't allow them in his/her class. More acclimation for you, and probably blisters if you're not used to pivoting in bare feet.


• I suppose shoes may add a little weight to your feet, but this really shouldn't be significant.

My personal experience with shoes has run the gamut. I started out a barefoot person, which is the way I have always been. I was a child that hated shoes. Then I got into savate and borrowed a pair to see how I would like it. I ended up sticking with it, but only wore those shoes for savate. Then I fractured my ankle and it was wear and ankle brace and shoes or stop training. The first couple of classes were difficult. I felt it was harder to pivot and I just felt odd wearing them. But I got used to them and liked them and ordered some savate shoes of my own, returning the borrowed ones as soon as mine came in. They were too small, uncomfortably so. I started wearing them at intervals to break them in and went back to bare feet for most of my classes. It was weird to readjust. I hated those little strap on foot things and got those little bruises on top of my foot from who knows what. And one of my toes was always sore. I've readjusted and am now pretty comfortable going either way, although my preference leans towards shoes because of the lack of tiny and irritating foot bruises and the increased quickness with which I am able to suit up for kickboxing without having to worry about the footies.

As stated before, while wearing shoes is generally a personal preference, there are a few things that should be taken into consideration.

Never wear your wore out gym shoes that you use to walk to work or run outside or go to some other gym. You'll carry all of the unwanted dirt and bacteria they've picked up onto the mats that others walk on with their bare feet and occasionally make contact with using other parts of their bodies as well. In addition, running shoes usually have too much traction to be used for martial arts. You'll break your ankle trying to pivot in them. Running shoes do have one thing in common with martial arts footwear, however; just as you would never wear a new pair of running shoes during a race, you shouldn't wear a new pair of martial arts shoes during a competition or any kind of lengthy seminar. Why should you have your shoes causing you pain when you're surrounded but lots of people ready to kick you in the head?

Training on a Tight Schedule

by Meredith

Let's face it, no one has time to exercise. There are always so many other things that need to be done. Cleaning the house, going to work, watching that show on television you've been waiting for, drinking that beer that's been just taking up room in your fridge, the list is endless. No one has time to exercise, you have to make time.

Then there are a few people for whom making time means sleeping 4 hours a night instead of 6 to get up and go for a run in the morning. Or doing push-ups behind the desk of your day job since there's not enough time between work and your 'job you'd rather be doing but doesn't pay you' to get to the gym. I consider myself an unofficial authority on this, as I work a regular day job to support my nighttime acting habits.

Generally I do alright and manage to fit in classes, training on my own and auditions and rehearsals without going crazy. Sometimes things happen though, family comes into town, rehearsal time is amped up for a few weeks, etc. and since I'm addicted to the endorphines that come with exercise and become and an extremely unpleasant person to be around when deprived, I've found my own ways to get my fix and still fit everything into my schedule. Today, I'd like to share some of those shortcuts with you.

The first one may seem obvious, but it bears mentioning. Try different classes. Everyone's got a schedule that works for them, but I'm pretty sure that for any decently sized gym, there will likely be classes you aren't taking. That class may be something that you normally don't pay attention to (a kickboxing class for grapplers or vice versa), but the change of pace could do you good. It may be a ‘beginner’ class when you are used to ‘advanced’ but it never hurts to work on the basics for a bit. You'll stay in shape and you might even learn something.

Get friends to meet you outside of class when you have time to work out together. And don't always insist to work on what you want. For one thing, this person is presumably taking time out of their schedule to help you out, don't irritate them. They're doing you a favor. Not everyone is going to have time when you have time, but it never hurts to throw some dates out there and ask if they'll be around during any of your windows. If you have no friends at your gym, you have other issues besides scheduling.

There may come a time when you can't even make it down to the gym because scheduling is too tight. This is an opportunity to get creative. Get off the train one or two stops before the closest one to work. Walk a mile rather than a block. It may add ten minutes on to your commute, but it's something. How far IS your commute really? Can you bike it? Personally, I'm not a biker, but I recently purchased a trail running backpack and have been using it for occasional runs home from work. The run is about 6.5 miles so my commute is only a little over an hour, which would be about what it would take on the train. I can't do this every day (yet) because my legs are still adjusting, but I still feel so much better.

Also, obviously watch your eating. If you're not as active every day, you can't eat as if you are. These suggestions all, of course, presume that you don’t want to take an enforced break from training. Sometimes breaks can be beneficial. Not only as rest, but to allow injuries to heel and such.

Things not to do: skip sleep to exercise, combine social activities generally involving alcohol and exercise, develop an eating disorder to reduce caloric intake because of less calories burned.