Returning to BJJ after an injury took me a few months and changed how I train. My biggest injury was a knee: many small tears in the meniscus. This is what happened, what I did while I was off the mat, and what I changed when I came back.
This is my own experience. For your own injury, see a doctor.
How it happened
It was around 2021, and as far as I remember I was a purple belt. During sparring my partner caught my leg in a lockdown, the half guard position that Eddie Bravo gave its name.
One of us jerked the leg. I no longer remember if it was me or my partner. Something may have clicked in the knee. After that it started to hurt a lot.
Getting a real answer
First I went to a physiotherapist. I did not get a clear answer there.
So I went to an orthopaedic centre, to a good surgeon who was recommended to me. He sent me for an MRI. The scan showed many small tears in the meniscus.
The surgeon told me he would not operate. If he went in, he could make it worse. He proposed letting the knee heal on its own.
A few months off the mat
The knee took a few months to heal. I did not train, and I did not go to the gym to watch classes either.
I took Osteo Bi-Flex, and I believe it helped me a lot. That is my own experience, not advice.
Someone also recommended a YouTube channel with exercises for this kind of injury. I did those exercises a few times.
Training in my head
While I was off the mat, I went through movements in my head. Many successful athletes train this way.
Research backs part of this. A review of 75 brain-imaging studies found that imagining a movement uses many of the same brain regions as doing it. In one study, people with a wrist in a cast for four weeks lost about half as much strength when they imagined strong contractions five days a week.
Those studies did not look at jiu-jitsu or at knees. For me, it was a way to stay in the sport while the knee healed.
Coming back
When I came back I had no fear. I was not worried about losing my form, and I did not feel that everyone had moved ahead of me. I just came in and started training, a little more each time.
For the first sessions I wore a hinged knee brace from McDavid and trained in it. It helped me a lot.
What I changed
I became much more careful about who I train with.
I also rebuilt my game so the knee takes less load. I try to stay out of half guard positions where my leg can end up locked.
The knee healed without a trace.
If you are injured now
Do not rush. Get checked and listen to your body. You may need an X-ray. You may need an MRI.
Jiu-jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint.
A few months off the mat feel long while you are in them. Against years of training, they are a short break.
Write down how your body feels after every session. A BJJ training journal shows you when to push and when to rest.
Read next: Blue Belt Blues, and How to Keep a BJJ Training Journal That You Actually Use.
