The soreness, the bruises, the aches, rash-wounds and the recovery

I am starting to write this blog the day before my 45th. I mentioned starting because I am not sure if I will finish this blog tonight. I want to make sure that I cover all what is the pain, the bruises and the soreness that I have gone through, go through, and will be going through due to practising the amazing sport which is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)

I honestly belief that no one was able to prepare me for this, and I have done full contact sports in the past as I have stated in previous blogs. This blog will give you an insight on what I have gone through, am going through and probably will go through while practising BJJ. The reason I am doing this is because I do belief that this subject is not covered often or enough and I am only able to speak about myself and not in general.

The Soreness

I started training BJJ back in the summer of 2018. The day after my first training I could not belief how sore my whole body was. Yes, my WHOLE body. I was sore in places where I didn’t know that you are able to get sore. Do you know what soreness means? Ok, you know what it feels like, but have you looked up soreness in a dictionary or even googled soreness? (dictionary, do they still exist?)

I started training BJJ ones a week so after that first training, my body was sore for the entire week. The weird thing is that I feel the soreness before or after the training and not during. Then I started to train twice a week, the soreness was still there but manageable. Then i increased the frequency to three times a week, and the soreness weirdly enough almost went away as my body got used to my training schedule. But, the soreness never went completely away.

The bruises

Ok this is still weird for me since I do not bruise easily. I wake up in he morning with bruises in places where I have no idea how I got bruised in that area of my body. They usually go away within 2 to 3 days. When I’m getting dressed or changing clothes and my wife happens to be in the same room she freaks out over the bruises and she keeps asking me the following questions; “what are you doing to yourself?” and “why do you keep training BJJ?”. I look at her every time and smile. I usually have bruises on my; forearms, shoulders, chest, upper-leg, shins.

The aches

Ok, let’s talk about the aches / pains since these lasts days and in some cases weeks. The funny thing is that the aches are not in a particular place, but rather my whole body, After a good training where I get roughed up during sparring, my body will ache for days.

Funny thing is that during training I do not feel the aching. It is always after training or during the days that I do not train BJJ. My body has gotten used to the aches, but this does not mean that the aches are less. In the beginning the aches stiffened me up limiting my movements. The worst is my lower back after I sit for a long period of time and I want to get up. I look like an elderly trying to get up and walk. I am lucky that at work I am able to raise my desk so I am able to stand behind it. This reliefs the back aches a lot.

This next one might sound funny but it’s not. Not being able to sneeze properly. Because your body is aching the sneezing reflex increases the ache of my chest. The aches is sharp and sudden - it stops my from sneezing all out. It’s like a half sneeze with pain.

The rash-wounds

Auw - these hurt and sting the most under the shower. Depending on the type of exercise that you are learning, drilling I get these. I do not belief that these will ever go away. I get rash-wounds on parts of my feet. Mostly the toes and joint areas.

The recovery

Once a week I go to the gym. I have a strengthening training that lasts 45 mins. I have downloaded the fitness app of my gym and found great strengthening training that I want to try out. After the strengthening training I stretch 15 to 20 min. When done with stretching I sit for 1 or 2 sessions in the Sauna. I need this to help my muscles recover from all the rolling I do during BJJ training.

I also go to a masseur 4 times a year. This helps me a lot when dealing with all the aches and soreness.

Updates

Between my last blog and now we had an AWESOME seminar for professor Sergio Benini. If you do not know who Sergio Benini is within the BJJ world, you are able to read about his main achievements HERE .

Professor Sergio Benini and Me @ GRACIE BARRA MAASTRICHT during his seminar

Also during our Christmas gathering Sensei Jordy promoted my by giving me my 3rd stripe on my white belt.

Sensei Jordy Peute and me during Chtistmas gathering 2019

If you are asking yourself why am I still training BJJ, I would like to invite you to read my blog on that subject by clicking HERE .