When people ask me what advice I'd give someone starting out, my answer usually surprises them:
Injuries can be the biggest blessing in disguise.
Nobody wants to get hurt. But an injury can force you to change up your game and try something new, and sometimes that something new turns out to be better than what you were doing before.
How my injuries built my game
I screwed both my knees up pretty bad. My left knee went at my previous gym: I went to put on a guillotine, threw my left leg up so they couldn't jump over, and it bent the wrong way. At first I didn't think it was a big deal. Then I realized I couldn't put pressure on that knee.
Instead of stepping away from jiu jitsu, I compensated by learning to invert, so I wasn't putting any direct pressure on my knees. Hurting them forced me to play bottom and develop my guard. Playing top could lead to me spiking my knees on the ground, which I needed to avoid.
Learning to invert was awkward and fun. It became a big focus of mine during COVID, when I was stuck at home training. I drilled lots of Granby rolls around Josh and worked on my Imanari roll.
The turning point was subtle, but I realized I could invert faster to meet my partner's body than I could rotationally turn. That's when I realized there was a whole other half of my body I wasn't using, and it was so much stronger than trying to out-muscle the men with my arms.
Honestly, most of it initially just helped my ability to retain guard. Then I started hitting the Imanari roll, which became my favorite sweep. My entire guard game wouldn't have developed the way it did with healthy knees. Inverted guard is mine now.
Then I injured my left arm pole dancing. I was trying an advanced inverted move and pushed it too hard. That led me to focus even more on utilizing my legs. Pole has a lot of correlations with jiu jitsu in terms of attachment, and I even learned a warm-up move there that gets me out of 75% of the leg locks I get put in. It's a leg-opening move where you bend your foot back toward your butt and scoop it to open your hips.
I've also injured my rib. A man I was rolling with wasn't accustomed to the weight he had put on, and I remember feeling everything shift when he put too much pressure on that spot. My rib had always stuck out naturally, but this changed things, and there's no good solution to fixing it. So my priority is always to protect it, first and foremost.
I still largely train around all of it. I still get frustrated that a lot of my injuries haven't healed, but every injury has forced me to explore a new part of my game, and I love that I've developed a unique game that works for me.
My style is a little unorthodox, with an emphasis on dynamic movement. I find a roll to be successful when I get myself in a position I've never been in before.
How I decide what to train
It really depends on the injury. If it's a rib thing, I definitely take it more seriously. If it's a new injury where something is tweaked, I'll give it a day to see how it's feeling. And remember, our coaches aren't doctors: if something pops, swells or just doesn't feel right, get it checked.
Tell your partner before you roll. I tell new people I want to flow roll and stress that I have a few injuries. That said, different people have different definitions of what a flow roll is. Don't be afraid to tell them you need to slow things down if it's harder than what your body can handle.
Watch out for adrenaline. I've trained through things I shouldn't have. When your adrenaline is up during a long rolling session, you often think it's not a big deal. Then your body settles and you realize you should have stopped. Be sure to check in with your body and keep that in mind.
Build strength around it. I've been doing strength training to build some muscle, and I should be focusing on stabilizing exercises too.
When your body won't cooperate
This is something I'm continuously working on. It's tough when you know what you should be doing, but your body can't shift that direction because it would put too much pressure on your rib, or you can't finish the triangle because of the pressure on your knee. I try to shift my focus to the things I can do and explore.
I've never thought about quitting. There's always so much to learn in jiu jitsu.
Let it change your game
The point isn't to push through pain. It's to get curious. When one door closes, look for the position you've never tried, the movement you've been avoiding, or the part of your game you've been relying on someone else's strength to cover up.
That's a big part of what we explore in our Creativity in Jiujitsu class on Wednesdays: moving in non-traditional ways and finding new paths through a roll.
Want to try inverting?
Inverting can be safe for beginners if you learn to stay off your neck. You should be on your shoulders, not your head. The most common mistake I see is people not tucking their heads.
Just start by practicing Granby rolls and get comfortable being up on your shoulders.
Injured? You're still welcome on the mats
My injuries have made me a better coach. They taught me how to adapt to bodies that can't do certain things, and to take the time to find creative solutions.
At White Lotus, everyone is always invited on the mats. If you're injured, you don't need to sit on the side of the mat. Sit in with a group and get the experience. Then we adjust accordingly. Your arm can't do that variation right now? Let's figure out what adjustment we need to make to make it happen.
If you're training with someone who's injured, be cognizant of it. If they have a bad arm, go for the other one.
Coming back after an injury
Take it slow and ease your way into things. You may need to do some things differently, and that's okay.
Would I trade them?
No. My injuries have been such a defining set of events, and they developed me into the distinct grappler I am today.
Jiu jitsu has taught me that my body can do incredible things, and that it's much stronger than I ever realized.
Train with us
New to jiu jitsu, or coming back after an injury? Read our guide to starting BJJ, or come try a class. Your first week is free.
