Hopefully this will heal soon. Over the past months I have been experiencing a degree of tendentious in my elbows. I attribute this tendentious to weight lifting and working with double escrima sticks to develop and train my brain to be able to execute skills on both sides of my body. I have been training with single and double escrima sticks for the past 3 1/2 years, 4-5 times a week for 40 – 50 minutes each session. Approximately a month ago I stopped training with weights and about a week ago I stopped training with single and double escrima sticks. I miss training with my sticks, but realize that in order to heal, I need to rest my elbows and the tendons that are irritated by both weight training as well as single and double stick drills.
I have also come to accept that I also need to stop drilling western boxing combinations as well as muay Thai elbow strikes, as drilling these skills also engages and irritates the tendons in my elbows. So what I am doing to stay in shape is riding the stationary bike, continuing to develop and strengthen my core and drilling kick combinations to continue to train and develop skills using both sides of my brain. To train my brain to be able to grow in my ability to execute those skills symmetrically on both sides of my body. I hope to be able to get back to engage my elbows, to start back training with single and double sticks before too long, however during the time that I am unable to engage my elbows, I will continue to adapt to develop other skills.
Background Information
Approximately 17 years ago I started to use a principle, unbeknownst to me at the time; to develop new neural pathways and brain reorganization. I started this process through a martial art style called muay Thai. At the time I started to train Thai round kicks, knees, elbows and punches. In May of 2000 I began training at a martial arts school under a Sensei, whose Sigung’s original instructor was Bruce Lee. I trained at the school for 8 years and was in the midst of a preparation cycle for earning my black belt, when I sustained several meniscus tears in my right knee. After several medical consults I made the decision to bow out of the black belt cycle to begin rehabbing my knee, which I was able to do in 9 months without surgery.
Although I elected to not put myself in a position of re-injuring the knee, by returning to train at the school, I was able to begin training on my own. During the past 7 1/2 year I have been drilling what I learned at the school, polishing skills, adding to them and developing my own style. In the process of continuing to train on my own, I have been able to accomplish things with the non-dominant side of my body that I never dreamed possible. Through engaging what I can do, I am able to adapt to what I can not change. Through adapting, to what I can not change, I create hope in my life.
Today’s Thought
In the event that you have not started a program to create new neural pathways and brain reorganization, I would encourage you to start my friend. Begin to do things, mirror your dominant side; with your non-dominant side of your body. Start out slow and keep moving, a little at a time. By doing so you will create hope in your life. In the process, you will improve your quality of life. In the process, you will accomplish dreams once thought lost.
I wrote an article to give you some guidance with this process, Neuroplasticity, Small Successes and Learning / Relearning Skill Sets. Here is a link to that article, Neuroplasticity, Small Successes and Learning / Relearning Skill Sets. As you read the article and questions come to mind, I would encourage you to send me those questions. All questions are good questions and welcomed. I will answer those questions.
You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however please attribute me as being the author of the article (s) video presentation (s), and provide a link back to the article (s) on Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you. Copyright 2007-2015.
Amazing how self-help works! You are a great example of what self-determination and common sense looks like. Having to “figure’ it out by yourself has provided you the opportunity of being an example for others to follow. We have been on the “mindfulness” path before it had a name. Thank you Craig for this story because it has a lot to offer others with brain injuries. Hope is healing!
Thank you Ken for your comment. I agree. Brain Injury awareness has to progress to brain injury acceptance, so that brain injury survivors will get into action. As Fritz Perls I believe said, “If nothing changes, it remains the same”. Unless brain injury survivors get into action, a little at a time; nothing will change. Awareness, merely turn the light on in the room. Thank you for your encouragement Sir. I am glad that I got to a point in my life where I realized that I needed to get busy to get better.
Thank you also for what you do through shedding light on how the fight or flight response and how this response impacts survivors. You are doing important work my friend. Your work encourages and motivates survivors to realize that they have a choice with how they respond or react to what happens in their lives. Through assuming responsibility, they are empowered. Through being empowered, they experience hope. We are not helpless!!!
Have a great day Ken.
Craig