Stupid ways I have injured myself

[RoryQ]

As I type this I've still got a slightly tingling in my right hand, and my neck still not very good at flexing forward.

Last week I managed to injure myself in a new and relatively frightening way (for the first day or two at least). Basically I trained brazilian jiu jitsu on a Wednesday and at some point probably used my neck muscles pretty extensively to try and resist a choke called a 'guillotine'. The clue is in the name, in terms of the type of effect this can have on the neck as a whole. That night I woke up at about 3am with my neck pretty inflamed, bad enough that I struggled to sleep. I put it down to some stiffness and, being the idiot that I am, decided that it would still be really clever to go ahead and do a max-effort upper body weights day on Friday.

Anyway, long story short I didn't get any sleep on Saturday or Sunday night because it felt like someone was tasering my right arm on a low-setting, plus my neck had obviously been totally aggravated by the weights session. Saw a physio and doctor and they basically said looks like transient neuropraxia - where the muscles are inflammed/aggravated because they're protecting a bruised nerve (at a particular point on the cervical vertebrae, in my case). The tingling sense of a slight shooting pain in my right arm was because the area affected was or touched on the brachial plexus, which I guess runs down the arms.

My physio doesn't think I've done anything more serious or got a bulging or ruptured disc or anything, but basically she suggested that had this been worse I could have had worse loss of sensation in my arm or potentially on the really bad end of things needed surgery and maybe done permanent nerve damage. I'm doing some nerve flossing exercises at the moment and there might be a bit of specific rehab to do after Christmas.

I'm starting to feel more back to normal now, and she thinks I'll be back to normal in 10-14 days, describing it as a reasonably lucky escape.

It's made me re-think, once again, my BJJ career. Prior to this the worst injuries I have had have been a few cuts, broken front tooth (no gumshield - stupid), bruised ribs twice and a torn MCL in my knee (that was pretty annoying too). Some shoulder tendonitis too, but I'm not sure that counts as that was benching, not BJJ.

Sometimes I think being a couch potato might actually be less harmful to my health in the long run - or at this point at least. I love BJJ as a sport, but there's a lot of scope for injuring yourself in a long-term way (guess that's true of things like rugby too though). After christmas I'm going to try and rethink training and I might actually try and do things that make me feel supple and healthy without the byproduct of having periodically to visit E.Rs or ask my girlfriend to pass the ibuprofen. Then again, maybe the trade-off is worth it. My girlfriend's dad has had a hip replacement (in his late 50s). He says it's the price of having been able to run a good marathon time in his 20s, and that he'd pay it again.

Any of you guys injured yourself? I'm presuming some of our CA posters must have fallen off some skateboards in their misspent youths, at least.

[Texkota]

Never stop training!!! When I fuck up and give up my neck, I just tap. That's in training of course, tournament or on the street I'm not fucking tapping. In training I tap a lot, if the guy I'm rolling with get's the hold, I tap then start again. I've been injury free for the last 6 months.

[RoryQ]

Good advice about tapping early - if anyone comes even remotely close to something resembling a leglock I tap, same with armbars, kimuras etc. Once they've got the position right I usually won't resist it unless it's in competition. On this occasion, with the guillotine, it honestly didn't feel like I was under that much pressure at the time - but lesson learned. I'm usually quite careful to shrug up and protect my neck against snap-downs, people clinching with me and pulling me around etc.

[CaptCanada]

I've recently started to train in bujinkan, and for the most part it all goes smoothly cause we don't rush though moves. That being said, I could have what could be a broken pelvis from hitting the ground and not rolling correctly. Been swollen for the past few weeks, should get it x rayed but what will they say "just lay off that side for a while."

[kylegrey]

Lesson to the wise ,you can't train through injuries .If your serious about what you do treat any injury accordingly ,this may sound prudent to male bravodo ,but then again you haven't seen the number of guys virtually ruined,depressed or cripped by what started out as treatable .

[RoryQ]

CaptCanada -

No way, I used to train in the Bujinkan (for about six or seven years I guess). I made it over to the hombu dojo twice. Noguchi sensei, Nagato sensei ... Good times. Hope the pelvis feels better, something that central can't be fun to have a problem with.

Kyle -

I would completely agree with you and obviously in this instance I did the opposite of what I know I should have done. The worst injuries, by their nature, are usually the ones you don't see coming. But not taking warning signs or the aftermath of an injury seriously or trying to train through a problem is a recipe for disaster. I'm taking until well after Christmas off, and going to get my physio to check me over again before I do anything remotely like training.

[CaptCanada]

Small world @RoryQ if you trained for that long why did you give it up? Do you Shihan Larry? That is who I am studying under. Meh, my pelvis is more annoying then anything else. Its swollen where they Iliac crest would be on your back. Doesn't hamper my movement or daily life, just if I hit it.

@kylegrey I also agree with what you are saying. I am still training weekly but taking it easy. When I would normally be forced to do ukeme or hit the ground we stop, before I injure myself further.

[Avery Taylor]

I would have thought a thread called "Stupid ways I have injured myself" would have more stories about drinking than working out. I must be out of touch.

[Barbie Doll]

I would have thought a thread called "Stupid ways I have injured myself" would have more stories about drinking than working out. I must be out of touch.

My thoughts exactly. This was my bright idea at Bay to Breakers 3 years ago. The bruise I got was epic.

[RoryQ]

I always had a sort of inner radar when I was drunk, kept me out of the worst trouble. I feel down an open manhole once, and came out with just a bruise on my shin - blessed! Then again, possibly it's the relaxing effects of aclohol. A sober person might have broken their legs.

CaptCanada-

I was a third dan (I think) when I stopped. I had begun training relatively young (17, 18) and I train all through college and for a little bit after. Then, I went away to police college and basically had all these new things to contend with in terms of work, new skills to learn etc. I had always wanted to try MMA, and I also wanted something that was going to have more of an emphasis on athleticism - I wanted to spar, do padwork etc. I think it was just a matter of going into a new phase of my life. I'm still on good terms with the guys I used to train with. Maybe I'll go back to it sometime.

[MsRad]

stupid ways i hurt myself usually involves baking cookies... or hot water. recently, it involved hot water and my new pup. she tried scratching her neck while lying dangerously close to the edge of the couch, her back towards the edge. i was sitting next to her with a cup of steaming hot water that had just been poured from the kettle on the stove, and just as i said to her "you're going to fall off the couch" she looked at me like "oh shit!" and fell, but in the process decided that flailing her legs would work as an attempt to keep her balance. my cup was kicked due to the flailing, and hot water landed all over my legs, missing my crotch by mere inches (thank fuckin' god). it's still healing.

[RockelMan]

Hmm Stupid injuries eh?? As mentioned above about thinking that you would have heard more from the Skaters here. . .

I, from Skateboarding had a few notable injuries, a chipped piece of bone in my ankle joint and along with that was some torn ligaments.

Also, on another occasion, I split my knee wide open and cracked my knee cap what a fun one that was LOL. Before the blood started I could see my knee cap. . . oops.

Snowboarding I have had a few. Two that stand out for me were, a concussion from a failed attempt at clearing a massive table top jump. missed the landing by about 3 feet. The other was a compacted and shifted tailbone with my hips severely out of alignment resulting in my legs going numb if I sat down for more than 5 min.

A really funny one was when I was little. My brother and I were sledding on our driveway with those crazy carpets. I ran to jump on the sled but stepped on the end of it, it took me down and I hit the driveway chin first LOL. yup that needed a few stitches and a lot of hot chocolate to calm me down.

[CaptCanada]

Ohh, rockelman you reminded me of something that I would have wished I forgot.

When I was younger my friends and I were driving by my high school (30 minutes away from my house) and I got out to talk to some friends in a different car. My friends being who they are... decided to speed off with out me (both cars) I ran after the one I knew I could catch. Hopped on top of it stayed for a few seconds and then fell off. Car was going about 30 mph and I quickly tucked into as much of a ball as I could. Landed on my shoulder then head. Got a concussion and blacked out for a minute or so. When to a friends house got a bag of ice and Ibuprofen... then home and went to sleep. all was good after I woke up except for a killer head ache.

[exume]

both my ankles are super jacked from skating and snowboarding, glad I haven't done my knees or anything though

[smiling.politely]

i snapped my collarbone in half trying to jump down a hill... it was about a six foot drop, and i didn't roll through correctly because i was running too fast... and there's a permanent lump in my left shin from not seeing the hitch for a trailer i was unloading in Alabama a few years ago. the swelling/bruising was pretty gnarly, and no hair grows there anymore either. however, from everyone's reactions, it was hilarious to see, so... i guess that's a good thing.

[Gregor]

After my oldest was just born I fell out of a Taxi with the pram (dragged out more like it) and broke my elbow. generally tho I cant be trusted in the kitchen, whether its slicing open my fingers or burning myself in the oven i'm your man.

[Tight-Lines]

The large scar on my hand is from seeing Terror in 2005 @ Petalumas phoenix theater. A very large man didnt like that I hit him in his belly and knocked my ass out. Wooden floors are not good for sliding on.

[Gregor]

The large scar on my hand is from seeing Terror in 2005 @ Petalumas phoenix theater. A very large man didnt like that I hit him in his belly and knocked my ass out. Wooden floors are not good for sliding on.

fuckin oooouch!!

[jade1955]

We were talking about this at work the other day.

Many years ago I had a job delivering milk to peoples houses. At the time of my misfortunes it was during the winter it was quite icy underfoot. Anyway I slipped up on someones path I had a bottle of milk in my hand. The bottle smashed and badly gashed the palm of my hand. Blood everywhere. My hand required a few stitches and I was off work for three weeks.

On my second or third day after returning to work from my accident I must have slipped on icy paths about three or four times. As I was walking back up someones path I slipped again and I just lost the plot. I screamed something like "Fucking cunt" and kicked this gate post as hard as I could. I gingerly limped back to my milk float. I managed to carry on for about half and hour but my big toe was killing me. I phoned the dairy and told them I had dropped a crate of milk on my foot. Back to the hospital for an xray. Broken big toe another 4 weeks off work.

Mind you not as good as my workmates dad.

He was taken to hospital after he hit himself on the head with a hammer. WTF.

[RockelMan]

Hitting himself with a hammer LOL I have one from about a month ago. Not that serious more so a bruised ego and forehead. I was at work and I was tightening a control valve onto a heating radiant panel when my wrench slipped off the pipe and connected with my forehead making me see stars LOL

[Scott R]

Good advice about tapping early - if anyone comes even remotely close to something resembling a leglock I tap, same with armbars, kimuras etc. Once they've got the position right I usually won't resist it unless it's in competition. On this occasion, with the guillotine, it honestly didn't feel like I was under that much pressure at the time - but lesson learned. I'm usually quite careful to shrug up and protect my neck against snap-downs, people clinching with me and pulling me around etc.

great advice on tapping in practice I used to never do it even on armbars and I would hurt for a week.

my small list of training or fight injuries

dislocated toes

piece of turnbuckle stuck under nail bed got infected

cracked eye socket- didnt know, or even when it happened but an eye exam showedd damage

crushed nasal passage

broken nose

stitches on eye from accidental headbutt

dislocated pinky finger

dislocated shoulder(fought the first rd happened sometime dont really recall when but the doctors jumped in the ring and I thought the other guy threw in the towel. It was only when the came rushing to my corner did I realize my left hand was dangling below my knee)

I am also dealing with a chronic hip issue thought to be caused from muay thai kick box. Doctors are worried that MRI will make the hip joint too unstable so we have been doing all this other crap before MRI

[cibo]

carving...

post stitches...

the stupid white one...i finished it tho!!!

[pixxillatted]

I have a small scar under my right eye from the time I thought it would be funny to rub my socked feet on the carpet and then sneak up behind the cat. Cats have reaally quick reactions.

[RoryQ]

I have a small scar under my right eye from the time I thought it would be funny to rub my socked feet on the carpet and then sneak up behind the cat. Cats have reaally quick reactions.

Reminds me of the time I drunkenly tried to take down a friend who had had a few pro-MMA fights, without warning him. He stuffed the takedown, and me, onto an iron road bollard, before he'd thought about it. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

[RockelMan]

carving...

post stitches...

the stupid white one...i finished it tho!!!

LOL I love the Gourd carving thats so awesome!!