I am curious to the effects of training on the body. I know being fit and stretching can lead to a happier life in the future, but I was wondering if the iron conditioning and strenuous breathing could cause adverse conditions that could hinder oneself later in life.
I ask because some other threads warned about hurting yourself and it coming back when you are older. I have some "reckless" reminders from rollerblading and other activities that let me know what I did will not be forgotten (especially when it gets cold and rainy!).
Thank you for your replies.
Future adverse effects of training?
Moderator: Available
Permanent damage? Don’t worry about it.
I know I have written about it and kid around a lot, sometimes serious and sometimes half-serious with the meaning aimed at those who’ve had martial arts injuries. For all the things I’ve done in my life I do not consider the times I’ve been injured excessive.
For most of my 56 years, I’ve fought and played hard and have had my share of injuries from: laying a bike down, to car accidents, to getting thrown on the rocks in heavy surf while scuba diving, bitten by a few unfriendly creatures, shin splints from running, falling down stairs after stepping on a bottle, baseball injuries, football injuries, and also karate injuries. I once had almost a perfect split and had muscle tears to go along with it. There’s probably others but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
The only injury I ever had that had big-time permanent effects was when I was run over by a pickup truck and dragged 100 feet down the road. But that’s exceptional and I’ll briefly write about everything else in a nutshell.
The only other injury that has permanent ramifications was when I got a finger kicked off and it was re-sewn on. It looks normal and is normal most of the time except when I put a lot of pressure on it for sustained periods of time like playing the guitar and bending the strings all the time.
All the results of my training have paid off handsomly in dividends as far as health is concerned.
Martial arts. Well… I’ve seen people injured far worse than me on the mat and even doing simple stuff. A lot of TKD people have bad knees. I attribute that one to not learning how to kick properly but NOT to stretching and NOT to a lot of kicking, just improper kicking.
Boxers who get hit in the head a lot have problems. Stay away from places that put you in the position of getting hit in the head all the time.
I do the TC Uechi, which means I do many of the movements will all my might including whipping the joints right out there; do it right and no damage. I’ve seen others dislocate their shoulders from such violence. Either they were doing it wrong, tried to advance themselves too fast for their body, or had an imperfection or weakness that may have gone unnoticed until they put their ultimate into it. Those cases are rare but do happen.
People hurt their elbows by hyper extending them when they extend their fist improperly or have problem straightening their elbows fully from years of pulling their punches.
All these things can lead to serious permanent painful injuries.
It’s NOT the practice but the improper practice that can lead to serious permanent painful injuries.
And when one does get hurt it’s NOT macho to lick your own wounds and not see a doctor, just plain stupidity, ignorance, or other negative attribute no matter how small the injury may seem.
But when we get older we do not heal as fast nor as well sometimes as when we did when we were younger. Bones become more brittle, a bruise can become serious, we’re just not as tough as we used to be and, at least my take on it is for survival’s sake we must slow down a little as we age.
Strenuous breathing -- TC Uechi, TKD, years of fast long-distance running. A couple of years ago I had my heart checked with an ultra sound machine [coffee, not exercise gave me pains] The prognosis was a very strong heart and valves, etc., like those of a much younger man fairly physically fit.
The heart and the lungs are big-time system units in the body and if you want to make them strong you have to work out hard and breathe hard. Forced breathing, in my opinion, if done properly strengthens the ribcaage, muscles around the abdomen and lower back, the diaphragm, and improves circulation of the digestive organs, plus others.
Each person needs to learn his own limits and play by the rules his body sets up for him. Injuries are a fact of life and those who have never been injured probably have never lived.
I know I have written about it and kid around a lot, sometimes serious and sometimes half-serious with the meaning aimed at those who’ve had martial arts injuries. For all the things I’ve done in my life I do not consider the times I’ve been injured excessive.
For most of my 56 years, I’ve fought and played hard and have had my share of injuries from: laying a bike down, to car accidents, to getting thrown on the rocks in heavy surf while scuba diving, bitten by a few unfriendly creatures, shin splints from running, falling down stairs after stepping on a bottle, baseball injuries, football injuries, and also karate injuries. I once had almost a perfect split and had muscle tears to go along with it. There’s probably others but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
The only injury I ever had that had big-time permanent effects was when I was run over by a pickup truck and dragged 100 feet down the road. But that’s exceptional and I’ll briefly write about everything else in a nutshell.
The only other injury that has permanent ramifications was when I got a finger kicked off and it was re-sewn on. It looks normal and is normal most of the time except when I put a lot of pressure on it for sustained periods of time like playing the guitar and bending the strings all the time.
All the results of my training have paid off handsomly in dividends as far as health is concerned.
Martial arts. Well… I’ve seen people injured far worse than me on the mat and even doing simple stuff. A lot of TKD people have bad knees. I attribute that one to not learning how to kick properly but NOT to stretching and NOT to a lot of kicking, just improper kicking.
Boxers who get hit in the head a lot have problems. Stay away from places that put you in the position of getting hit in the head all the time.
I do the TC Uechi, which means I do many of the movements will all my might including whipping the joints right out there; do it right and no damage. I’ve seen others dislocate their shoulders from such violence. Either they were doing it wrong, tried to advance themselves too fast for their body, or had an imperfection or weakness that may have gone unnoticed until they put their ultimate into it. Those cases are rare but do happen.
People hurt their elbows by hyper extending them when they extend their fist improperly or have problem straightening their elbows fully from years of pulling their punches.
All these things can lead to serious permanent painful injuries.
It’s NOT the practice but the improper practice that can lead to serious permanent painful injuries.
And when one does get hurt it’s NOT macho to lick your own wounds and not see a doctor, just plain stupidity, ignorance, or other negative attribute no matter how small the injury may seem.
But when we get older we do not heal as fast nor as well sometimes as when we did when we were younger. Bones become more brittle, a bruise can become serious, we’re just not as tough as we used to be and, at least my take on it is for survival’s sake we must slow down a little as we age.
Strenuous breathing -- TC Uechi, TKD, years of fast long-distance running. A couple of years ago I had my heart checked with an ultra sound machine [coffee, not exercise gave me pains] The prognosis was a very strong heart and valves, etc., like those of a much younger man fairly physically fit.
The heart and the lungs are big-time system units in the body and if you want to make them strong you have to work out hard and breathe hard. Forced breathing, in my opinion, if done properly strengthens the ribcaage, muscles around the abdomen and lower back, the diaphragm, and improves circulation of the digestive organs, plus others.
Each person needs to learn his own limits and play by the rules his body sets up for him. Injuries are a fact of life and those who have never been injured probably have never lived.
Always with an even keel.
-- Allen
-- Allen
Fear of injury was for (too) many years my excuse for not beginning training. After all, I make my living with my hands as a musician and technician, working on tiny parts all day.
And I have had some finger and toe injuries, along with countless bruises from improper blocking and elbow pain from punching the air improperly.
However, these could mostly have been avoided, and I've had worse injuries working on my car, stubbing my toe, or crashing on the mountain bike.
Unlike Karate, I derived no lasting benefit from those activities, and got injured anyway.
In the case of Karate, the benefits far outweigh the risks or occasional pain which is temporary mostly; the benefits longer lasting.
I will say however, that deliberately injuring a partner does him/her a disservice, interrupting their training and setting them back some, to prove what?
...and so it is the responsibility of the senior (in rank) partner in drills and kumite to see that the junior is not injured, in my view.
NM
And I have had some finger and toe injuries, along with countless bruises from improper blocking and elbow pain from punching the air improperly.
However, these could mostly have been avoided, and I've had worse injuries working on my car, stubbing my toe, or crashing on the mountain bike.
Unlike Karate, I derived no lasting benefit from those activities, and got injured anyway.
In the case of Karate, the benefits far outweigh the risks or occasional pain which is temporary mostly; the benefits longer lasting.
I will say however, that deliberately injuring a partner does him/her a disservice, interrupting their training and setting them back some, to prove what?
...and so it is the responsibility of the senior (in rank) partner in drills and kumite to see that the junior is not injured, in my view.
NM
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paul giella
- Posts: 315
- Joined: Sun Sep 27, 1998 6:01 am
Some injuries do have long term and cumulative effects. And no one anticipates them. The scratched cornea from an accidental thumb across the eye in sparring... the deviated septum from the busted nose that leads to a snoring problem, poor sleep... the repeatedly sprained toes or fingers that lead to an unconscious flinch... the arthritis that can develop from excessive makiwara training... the chipped teeth. And what about the mild, subclinical injuries that detract from overall quality of life?...walking around sore all the time from overstrecthing, bruises, etc... remember the scene in the first Indiana Jones movie where the woman couldn't find an uninjured spot on the hero's body to kiss? Cute, but too close to home for some of us!
