Stopping Karate?

[ps1]

Listen to your doctor. Stop practicing for a month and take the tests. It may sound like a long time now, but it's better to get healthy and be able to practice for the rest of your life later.

[marie curie]

I had to quit kajukenbo and bjj because I tore my meniscus, which irritated my knee arthritis. I didn't leave at first, and it just got worse. Once I finally did, it got much better. My knee are both still too crappy for bjj, but I'm back at Kajukenbo for about 75% of classes. Taking time off was the best thing I could have done.

[Justin Treadaway]

I tore my meniscus as well, I had surgery on it and its about at 95% now. Only a few things hurt now but not bad enough that i cant push myself through them. Well if you for sure cant do karate, you could always switch to a softer style such as kung fu, tai chi, etc etc

[longarm25]

try and go to a sport med doc if ya can they will focus on getting you back into training more than other doctors.

[USCMAAI]

I think that you should listen to your doctor. It is only for 4 weeks. What is 4 weeks now, if you won't be able to train 4 years from now?

Listen to your doctor. They are there to help. Do the tests, stay away from Karate for now, and see if you can get things figured out.

Best of luck to you.

I agree! I have been training for 35 years, and have suffered injuries in and outside of training that has caused me to have to take time off of the physical part of training. This doesnt mean that you have to quit training all together though. If your injuries are such that impact causes problems do your kata (even if it is at walk-through speed or even in your mind). You can always do isometric training on blocks and strikes, work your foot manuevers, etc. I practice my parries at my office desk! Your doctor knows best, and you should follow his/her advice.

[Ann-Marie]

I think that you should listen to your doctor. It is only for 4 weeks. What is 4 weeks now, if you won't be able to train 4 years from now?

I agree with bushido_man96. I gave myself a rest for a few months in between university term times (I was at a Uni club) to rest a sore hip and I felt great when I returned. Another piece of advice that I got was to vary my exercise so that injuries had less chance of occuring in one particular spot - I used to go swimming and walking - nothing too strenuous.

You are only 15 - karate will be there for the rest of your active life so there is no rush. If you have a problem with your joints then sort it before it sorts you.

[cobrakai]

you mentioned you were 15 years old, correct ? What does your parents say. Im sure you had to get their permission to study martial arts in the first place. I think you should seriously set down with your doctor and you parents, all in the same room, maybe the doctors office and have it explained to you again. Maybe you already done this.

Since you are 15 - you have many years ahead of you to study martail arts, don't be in a hurry !!!

I have two kids of my own, Im also a karate student of 6 years and my 12 year old son is a Black Belt. He hasn't been to the dojo in about 6 months, but he previously never left the dojo in about 5 years.

Maybe its time for a break, especially if you are having health problems. Listen to your parents and your doctor, they will not ill advise you...

You can always practice your kihons and kata on your own during your break.......

[bushido_man96]

Listen to your parents and your doctor, they will not ill advise you...

Good advise. I would add, as well, to listen to your body. If it is telling you that it is hurt, then you should listen to it.

[swadoryu2000]

Well, you can always do the hand movements and solitary training for a while. If you feel the problem is not too bad, try going to karate class for a week. If you feel you need to stop for a while, then do it. You can always work on something else. You say the problem is in your back and legs...if it pains for you to stand , you can always sit down and do the hand movements or something. But concerning the feeling that you go mad when you stop training, I have that too. There have been times where I sprained my ankle and I still participated doing the hand movements, and there have been injuries where I had to stop and heal. Sometimes it's good to rest for awhile. You can learn something by observing the other karateka's...who knows? So I know how you feel.

[Tiger1962]

So i come back two months later (thats today) and he tells me to stop karate for a few weeks (up to 4) and gave me papers for joint tests and stuff.

Am 15 years old by the way, and i think that asking me to quit karate for that long is useless and no matter what the problem is it's not going to help me. He says that hes about %100 sure that i have no joint problems and it's just the pressure i put on my body (come on am not the only one in the world who practices karate).

So what do you all think? Am thinking of not stopping karate and just taking these tests, because it's hard as hell for me to quit karate for that long, i find it crazy, i go mad if i am ever forced to skip a karate class, let alone 16.

Did anyone ever have to quit Karate for a while? How did it make you feel?

I would listen to your doctor and "listen" to your body. I too have had many injuries since I started training many, many years ago. I have also had several periods of time when I had to miss karate due to these injuries. Speaking of personal experience, it is much better to miss karate now to allow your body to heal, especially while you are young, then to aggravate the injury and continue to train. The karate school will still be there - it isn't going anywhere. Your health is the most important thing because if you damage your joints any further, then you will risk doing something perhaps permanent and won't be able to train AT ALL. Trust me on this one. You will eventually go back, but do whatever it takes to recover.

I know how you feel, the very first time I had to take a break from karate, I was angry, sad and all that. But I ended up going back too soon and then hurt myself further. Now I'm a heck of a lot wiser. When I get injured, I'm out until I heal 100%.

This is one reason why I have developed interests outside of karate. Don't get me wrong, I love martial arts and always will. But I see people I know who have nothing else going on in their life and when karate is closed or they can't train for some reason, they just don't know what to do with themselves because they have NO life outside karate. I mean, it's good to enjoy something to its fullest. But I don't believe in putting "all my eggs in one basket."

Use this break time to do reading up on the style you train in (it's origin & history) or take up some other low impact interest that won't put pressure on your joints (how about learning the language of the style you train in, maybe?) and then when you can't practice one interest, you will have the other to fall back on and enjoy.

Like I said and the other posters said, heal first, train later !