The Torture Of It All!

[sensei8]

Pain is just a part of any type of training and in that, the martial arts isn't without its influence.

With each kick, punch, block, strike, drill, sparring, kata (for those who do kata that is), self-defense techniques, grappling, and exercise pain rears up its ugly head to remind everyone that with every martial arts technique, there are prices to pay, both small as well as large. But, the pain is worth the price.

Pain is only one thing, and that is this. Pain is temporary. In that, one pain will be replaced with another ill pang. Surely one that will help everyone to forget the first or second or third or the billionth with a brand new and fun anguish. It may seem that our Instructor is out to kill us, although at times, it might feel exactly just like that.

"I have never seen a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself." - D.H. Lawrence

This quote speaks to the martial artist in totality. Martial artists can moan and groan over each and every little, yes little, discomfort or distress or soreness or tenderness or agony or anguish or misery or suffering or torment or inflammation or swelling or damage or harm or hurt or injury or backache or bellyache or charley horse. Or, the martial artist can endure it and work through it. Victory is just one second from another pain evolution. Total victory over pain comes through defeating whatever it tries to be. Don't allow the pain to win! Overcome the pain! How one works through their pain speaks a lot about that martial artist.

Besides, pain is there to remind each of us of one thing only. That we're not dead...yet!

[Toptomcat]

An inspiring philosophy, but not a particularly healthy one. One should ignore the little pains, the habitual complaints of your body when its limits are tested and expanded or when it's subjected to a bit of punishment. But there are BIG pains too- your body will let you know when you've reached too far beyond its limits, and ignoring *that* signal is a sure way to aggravate an injury to the point of permanent disability.

True, there's a price in pain to pay for every worthwhile training session. But sometimes it isn't worth what you get back. Pain is like any other currency: spend it foolishly and you'll only ruin yourself. Only if you learn to invest your pain intelligently can you expect returns on it over the long run.

[GeoGiant]

I have to agree with both posts. There is a type of pain that I work through (say sore muscle), then there is a type of pain that hinders me (hyper-extended elbow), and finally there is the pain that stops me (sprained ankle). It has taken me a loooooong time to acknowledge and react appropriately to the type of pain that I have. On more than one occasion I have made a mild pain much worse because I refused to give in and rest.

[Chitsu]

I believe it was a member of the S.A.S. - the worlds most elite military division that coined the phrase: -

"Pain.... is just a sign of weakness leaving the body".

Good enough for the SAS good enough for me.

Chitsu

[Martialart]

Though the shock of this revelation has nearly caused me to cough my coffee through my nose, I have to say I agree for once with Toptomcat.

As one who is not naturally flexible--but works very hard to become flexible--I have to watch my level of pain closely. I'm tough enough to take a lot of pain in training, but that doesn't mean it's the best thing for me. In fact it can be a problem.

Sensei 8 is probably trying to toughen our spirits with this inspirational post. But those who are already tough should ignore it, because it can cripple you in a hurry.

But in my school, there's a lot of people who hope for the easiest instructor, the lightest sparring match, the fewest pushups, etc. Those are the ones who need to heed the advice of the OP.

[sensei8]

After re-reading my OP, I went...DOH! I shoud've mentioned that I'm not referring to minor/serious pain received from training in the martial arts. No! Any and all injuries accompanied by pain needs to be cared for by medical professions.

What I'm referring to are the comman aches and pains from a night of hard/tough training at the dojo that requires absolutely no medical intervention at all. Just an ice pack and some bed rest. The kind of aches and pains that greets you in the morniing when you try to get out of bed, and you don't want to get out of bed. That would be so careless and irresponsible for me to suggest anything other than that, but, that's how my OP might've sounded like.

Sorry!

[Jeffrey]

Besides, pain is there to remind each of us of one thing only. That we're not dead...yet!

Check pulse.. it's good so off to Karate Practice. After Practice check pulse again.... safe to go home.

That was a good read. I like Tomcat's addition. There are 2 kinds of pain. One you can work through and the other is your body saying stop or it's going to get worse and you'll reget it later.

[sensei8]

Does anyone here ever have a thought that comes out right in our brain, but then it comes out wrong on the post? Well, I know that I do from time to time...like my OP of this topic. The meaning was there, but the words came out inappropriate. You were all correct in chastizing me because my inspirational words if listened to might've caused undue pain to someone. Sorry!

I'm only speaking about regular/common aches and pains from training, that's all. If the pain continues to be a bothersome, than by all means, seek out a doctor asap!. In that, the pains not worth the suffering and/or the permenant injury.

Pushing yourself to do that extra set or that extra drill might be fine, but only to a point. It's not fine to push oneself to such a point that you place yourself in an unsafe risk.

I once tried to use a gymnastics Vault. I had no business on that darn thing, but I still tried to run up to it and do a somersault. Well, it went fine until I landed. I severely sprained my right ankle. So bad that I was on crutches for about a month. But, just as soon as I could stand and put a little pressure on my right foot, I did something stupid. I did one roundhouse after another. First slow and soft and then I increased the speed and the power. Yeah, it hurt alot. I didn't care! I worked through the pain. Eventually, the pain was gone.

The morale of that story was that I was STUPID! I could've seriously and permanently injured myself. Working through the pain is one thing, but being STUPID is another thing. What I should've done was what the doctor told me to do...rest it and for me not to do anything with it until I was cleared by my doctor, but I didn't. Yeah, I'm fine and I'm lucky...I was very STUPID!

Bottom line. Listen to what your body is telling you and go to the doctor. Don't wait until you're so injured from working through your pain; that you suffer for the rest of your life. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY WHENEVER YOU HAVE ANY discomfort or distress or soreness or tenderness or agony or anguish or misery or suffering or torment or inflammation or swelling or damage or harm or hurt or injury or backache or bellyache or charley horse. Your body's signaling you and telling you to pay attention and tend to it before it's to late. Rest might be all you need, an ice-pack might be all you need, a hot bath might be all you need, a ace bandage might be all you need, an aspirin might be all you need, OR you might need to go see a doctor.

Stubborn shouldn't be replaced with stupid!

[sensei8]

Besides, pain is there to remind each of us of one thing only. That we're not dead...yet!

Check pulse.. it's good so off to Karate Practice. After Practice check pulse again.... safe to go home.

That was a good read. I like Tomcat's addition. There are 2 kinds of pain. One you can work through and the other is your body saying stop or it's going to get worse and you'll reget it later.

Great post Jeffrey! You said it so well in so few words, than when I said it so badly in so many, many words!

[bushido_man96]

I was tuned into to what you are saying, Bob, and I think it is a good point. Its like any physical contact endeavor....football players understand, professional fighters understand...its those little pains that we have to fight through in training that make it worth while.