My Grocery List of Injuries from MMA Training

In the last week and a half, I’ve gone through a number of injuries. Far more than I ever had in such a short period in my entire martial arts career. Here is the grocery list:

2 black eyes (yes, I managed to get smoked again on the other eye while grappling though not as bad), tweaked MCL in my right knee, sprained big toe and a wide forehead cut (this one happened to my sparring partner).

I complained about this recent onslaught of injuries to Mark, my MMA coach, as I iced my big toe. “I don’t know what’s going on here. Is this all just bad luck?” We had just finished the MMA sparring practice session during which I had sprained my big toe by jamming it on the mat then rolling on it.

“Lori, I can tell you exactly what’s going on here,” he explained. “You’ve improved a lot in a relatively short period of time. Your level has gone up to a higher level and you’re just not used to it yet. You’re moving faster and with more power than you ever have before and both you and your partners haven’t adjusted to it yet.”

“Does this mean that I’ll eventually get used to it and stop injuring myself?” I asked hopefully.

“Yes and no. You’ll get injured less as you get used to it, but not much less.” He paused noticing my furrowed eyebrows. “Think of it this way. People rarely get injured when they’re playing pick-up basketball. But at the pro level, they get injuries all the time. When you move that much faster and with that much more power, you’re just naturally going to get hurt more. It’s the nature of the game.”

I sighed to myself. “I better get more ice packs…”