Blog | Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu | Renzo Gracie NH

How To Prevent A Martial Arts Injury

In our last blog, we shared three of the most common martial arts injuries that we feel all martial arts students (karate students, Jiu Jitsu students and more) should know a little something about. Today, the good news that we’d like to share is that although injuries are a natural part of martial arts training, they can be prevented so long as you know what to do. Read on to learn how martial arts students can be proactive and help keep themselves healthy and in good standing:

Get a Physical

Before starting any kind of physical activity, athletes should make an appointment with their doctor for a physical exam. By getting the proper screening, athletes can confirm whether or not their body is ready to take on such vigorous training.

Warm Up

Muscles that aren’t warmed up before activity are more likely to experience an injury, so martial arts students should always stretch and perform the warm up routine their instructor suggests. Even when the first part of a class is dedicated to warming up, it never hurts for athletes to do a little warming up before they arrive at the gym. Bonus tip: don’t forget to cool down after activity too!

Stay Hydrated

When our bodies aren’t hydrated, athletic performance can be compromised – naturally this can cause an injury. That said, students should always drink enough water before, during AND after class so that their body knows how to properly react to the activity it’s experiencing.

In addition to the above, martial arts students should always make sure they are wearing the proper safety equipment (ask your instructor if you aren’t sure what that is!), and should always practice under the right supervision.

Have additional questions about martial arts injuries and how you can work to keep yourself safe? Contact the team here at Renzo Gracie NH! Our students’ safety is one of our main priorities, so we would be happy to discuss some safety tips with you. To reach our team, please call (603) 777-2775.

April 29, 2016/by Renzo Gracie NH

Three Of The Most Common Martial Arts Injuries

Defend

Although martial arts offers a ton of benefits to athletes who train in it, just like any other sport, there is also the risk of sustaining an injury when practicing or competing. Since this is so, we believe it is important for our students and all other martial arts students to be aware of some of the most common injuries! Below are three we’d like to emphasize:

Skin Damage

The potential for skin damage is high in contact sports, with cuts and bruises being some of the most common. Even when they are minor, it’s important for students to take the proper precautions (such as covering a cut with a bandaid and cleaning it regularly) to prevent an infection.

Strains

Martial arts requires the use of a lot of muscles – muscles that can easily be strained due to a lack of stretching or by being used incorrectly. Should a student experience pain in their muscles or tendons, it’s important that they give their body enough time to rest to prevent even further damage.

Concussions

One of the most serious injuries that can result from martial arts training is a concussion, so all students must be aware of the warning signs. Generally speaking, the symptoms of a concussion include headache, nausea and dizziness, but they can even go so far as the inability to concentrate, balance problems or difficulty remembering. Students who experience any of these symptoms should let their instructor know immediately and be evaluated by their doctor or other medical professional.

Should a student experience an injury, the best thing they can do is stop activity right away, speak with their instructor, and get the proper treatment. And although it can be tempting to jump back into training, students must also give themselves enough time to truly recover so that they don’t wind up getting hurt again!

Here at Renzo Gracie NH, the safety of our students is our number one priority, which is why we’ve designed our self defense training facilities using only the best equipment and mats. For more information on martial arts injuries, such as how to prevent them, be sure to check back to our blog later this week!

April 27, 2016/by Renzo Gracie NH

Everything You Need To Know Before Training In Jiu Jitsu

Defend

If you’ve been thinking about signing up for a Jiu Jitsu class, then there is no better time to start than now! By starting your training as soon as you can, you’ll not only learn some of the most important self defense skills, but you’ll also get the physical activity you need to live a happy and healthy life – it’s a win, win!

Before you head to your training academy for the first time, though, there are a few important things that we think you should know:

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Students often shy away from speaking up in fear of looking like they don’t know something, but if you don’t ask, you won’t! You’re there to learn, so always keep communication open with your instructor, other students in your class, and even those more advanced students you see throughout the gym.
Be prepared to trust others. You’ll likely be working closely with other students in your class, so you’ll need to be prepared to put your trust in them. On the other hand, you should also make an effort to show your fellow classmates that they can trust you! Don’t worry if this seems hard to do at first – it will get easier as you get more comfortable with those around you.
Know that practice makes perfect. As a first time Jiu Jitsu student, it can be easy to get frustrated if you have trouble with a technique or two. But, you have to remember that practice makes perfect! After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same idea applies for anyone training in Jiu Jitsu!
Listen closely. It’s one thing to just follow along with what your instructor is telling you, but the key to success is really listening and understanding what they say. Each time you enter the gym, be ready to make a mental note of everything you hear so that you can remember it in the future – every tip and piece of advice will come in handy!

As a Jiu Jitsu training academy led by martial arts experts, the fifth and most important thing we want to remind new students about is to have fun. Here at Renzo Gracie NH, we invite students to train with some of the best regardless of how much experience they have – all ages and levels are welcome!

To learn more about the Jiu Jitsu programs we offer, please give us a call at (603) 777-2775. You can also sign up for a FREE introductory lesson at our academy here!

April 19, 2016/by Renzo Gracie NH