Did the unthinkable (my Aikido journey)
- Thread starter TDWoj
- Start date
tenshinaikidoka
Martial Art Student
TD, you will succeed, why? Because you have determination. That is what matters. I stumbled across this today, follow the link and read it. It is an inspiration to say the least. http://www.aikidojournal.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7946
My words may or may not have come across to you as perhaps, negative? It was not intended that way. I hope n one truly takes what I say as negative, I just want to give you food for thought. If you would ever want to talk about things, and not on the public arena, please, pm me and I would be happy to talk about anything that may be bothering you with training, or life for that matter!!!! Keep training and keep a positive outlook, things WILL get better, no matter what anyone else says or does!!!!
My words may or may not have come across to you as perhaps, negative? It was not intended that way. I hope n one truly takes what I say as negative, I just want to give you food for thought. If you would ever want to talk about things, and not on the public arena, please, pm me and I would be happy to talk about anything that may be bothering you with training, or life for that matter!!!! Keep training and keep a positive outlook, things WILL get better, no matter what anyone else says or does!!!!
tenshinaikidoka said:
Thank you, tenshin. I'll take you up on that, as soon as I get my thoughts together. They've been a bit all over the place, lately...
A short report on progress. I'm still struggling with forward ukemi, but I finally stepped up and asked for help. I'm working with the raw beginners now at every basics class. One improvement is that my right arm no longer collapses when I try to do a forward roll on the right side. Except, now I've gone back to mashing my knee into the mat! One step forward, one step back.
We had line practice involving a standing kokyo throw on Saturday. I only stepped out of a throw once, though the falls on the right side were pretty awkward. Still, I am working hard trying to get used to the feeling of being thrown, and I hope, over time and with practice, the hesitation will go away.
I am not being asked to test for 5th kyu this December. I haven't got enough practice days (in spite of having 3 times as many practice days as necessary for my 6th kyu test). I'm disappointed, of course, but I lost nearly two weeks' worth of practice because of work and a bout of the flu, and there are only so many days in the week.
I'm still plugging away at it. We'll see what comes of it.
Thanks, Aikilove.
The really, really bad news is, I might have to give up aikido altogether. Turns out I've got sciatica. Today the pain was so bad I was actually whimpering (it takes a lot of pain before I make noise), I could barely walk, and my left leg was nearly paralysed, I could just barely drag it as I walked down to the corner store.
I switched office chairs, then switched back when I realised it was the office chair that made it worse.
Riding my bicycle and going to aikido classes actually helps, especially the stretching exercises. The problem is, I don't know what's causing the sciatica, and there's very little chance of getting an MRI to see if it's a herniated disc or tumour that's causing the problem. Recommended treatment is to cease physical activity forthwith.
I am so totally bummed out, you can't know.
The really, really bad news is, I might have to give up aikido altogether. Turns out I've got sciatica. Today the pain was so bad I was actually whimpering (it takes a lot of pain before I make noise), I could barely walk, and my left leg was nearly paralysed, I could just barely drag it as I walked down to the corner store.
I switched office chairs, then switched back when I realised it was the office chair that made it worse.
Riding my bicycle and going to aikido classes actually helps, especially the stretching exercises. The problem is, I don't know what's causing the sciatica, and there's very little chance of getting an MRI to see if it's a herniated disc or tumour that's causing the problem. Recommended treatment is to cease physical activity forthwith.
I am so totally bummed out, you can't know.
I wonder if the best treatment is infact to cease physical activity? I would think that it's the physical activity that makes your body not stiffening up all together.
A common treatment is physical therapy combined with chiropractor (bone setter).
Try this (if you dare): Put your arms with puls towards your nose/forehead, elbows down. Have someone quite strong come from behind and do a bear hug kind of embrace over your lower arms/elbows (locking them towards your body). Now you inhale and when you exhale you relax completely (like passing out) and at the same time the person squeeze tight and lift up.
This usually relaxes the muscles around the lower and upper back around the spine. One can usually hear that the spine is relaxing too (distinct sounds). It really takes one to exhale and relax completely simultaniously as the other person lifts up.
Sometimes this releves the stress around the Sciatic nerv. (It is not dangerous!)
(But you should of curse follow the doc's recomendations...)
/J
A common treatment is physical therapy combined with chiropractor (bone setter).
Try this (if you dare): Put your arms with puls towards your nose/forehead, elbows down. Have someone quite strong come from behind and do a bear hug kind of embrace over your lower arms/elbows (locking them towards your body). Now you inhale and when you exhale you relax completely (like passing out) and at the same time the person squeeze tight and lift up.
This usually relaxes the muscles around the lower and upper back around the spine. One can usually hear that the spine is relaxing too (distinct sounds). It really takes one to exhale and relax completely simultaniously as the other person lifts up.
Sometimes this releves the stress around the Sciatic nerv. (It is not dangerous!)
(But you should of curse follow the doc's recomendations...)
/J
Pandora
Member
Ouch TD!!!! I get that too. I keep the area warm - a good hot soak helps, but keep walking even though it is very painful at first, it eases it after a while. Sitting down for any length of time can make it worse. At bedtime, I put a hotwater bottle on the site too. Mind you, painkillers help!!!
Love,
Pandora
Love,
Pandora
I woke up this morning with a tingling left leg. I decided to go for a walk to see if it helped - the pain, though bad, was not as excruciating as it was yesterday, as long as I walked with good posture and didn't slouch.
I got rid of my office chair today, and have gone back to sitting on my hard seated, hard-backed dining chair.
I made an appointment with the sports physician I saw earlier this year about my torn muscle (the sports physician will at least work with me so that I can keep on doing aikido, whereas my family doctor would just recommend I cease going altogether). I'll be seeing him tomorrow.
I tell you, this is the story of my life. As soon as I find something I enjoy and become reasonably good at, something happens to prevent me from continuing with it.
Bummed.
I got rid of my office chair today, and have gone back to sitting on my hard seated, hard-backed dining chair.
I made an appointment with the sports physician I saw earlier this year about my torn muscle (the sports physician will at least work with me so that I can keep on doing aikido, whereas my family doctor would just recommend I cease going altogether). I'll be seeing him tomorrow.
I tell you, this is the story of my life. As soon as I find something I enjoy and become reasonably good at, something happens to prevent me from continuing with it.
Bummed.
Abhi said:
Tuesday.
I went to the doctor today - the sports medicine doctor, not my family doctor. I figured he would have a better idea of what my problems and issues are, since he fixed my torn muscle with the right treatment where my family doctor didn't.
The bad news is, I do have a herniated disc, which is pressing on my sciatic nerve, causing the pain, tingling and paralysis down my left leg. Wait: there's more bad news. I also have degenerative disc disease. There's practically no disc pad left between 2/3 of my vertebrae. Did I mention there was bad news? Well, there's more: one of my vertebrae in my tail bone is completely out of position, jutting out about 1/2 centimetre from the curve of my spine. Oh, and in case you didn't realise it, there's even more bad news: my spine has developed an "S" curve sideways from the muscle spasms caused by the pressure on the sciatic nerve. Did I mention there was bad news? Oh, I forgot: I'm going to be in pain for the rest of my life.
I have to go for physiotherapy, which I can't afford, but will have to find the money for somehow, as the condition can be helped by physiotherapy (at this point I don't need surgery). Maybe in January, if the big project materialises. In the meantime, I have to start doing pilates to strengthen my abdominal muscles.
Oh, yes: at the end of the litany of bad news the doctor gave me, I stood waiting for the other shoe to drop, the ultimate bad news: what happens to my aikido?
I can continue with it.
(T does a happy - wiggle.)
Turns out the next best thing to physiotherapy is martial arts. The only thing I have to take care about, though, is how I fall backwards, and not to land too hard on my butt if at all possible. I don't know what that means in terms of learning breakfalls; I'll have to ask him at my next appointment. I may not be able to do breakfalls, at the risk of doing serious, irreversible damage.
The only thing the doctor has expressly forbidden me to do is any heavy lifting. And I do have to continue to lose weight.
So, for the time being, I can continue with aikido.
I'm happy now.
oh my dear friend its really bad news I am so sorry you know I have a a little different problem then you from my neck to my right arm... And pain always continous.. May be physiotherapy can be good..
but please don't think of any opeartion...You said this to me..
Take care my friend and I love you sooooooooo muchhhh...
suzi
but please don't think of any opeartion...You said this to me..
Take care my friend and I love you sooooooooo muchhhh...
suzi
Thank you, my dear friend! See, the pain I have I've always had, it's just a little worse now that it was before (okay, a lot worse), but as long as I can do aikido, I can live with the pain, and still be happy!
And now, I am going to put a little heat on my back, and I will be ready for my class tonight!
And now, I am going to put a little heat on my back, and I will be ready for my class tonight!
Well when you do breakfalls you are not landing on your butt, but on your side. So it really shouldn't be a big problem. In all ukemi, the fall is asymmetric i.e. not straight over your back and neck, but diagonally from your right shoulder to your left side of your buttocks for mae ukemi and vice versa for ushiro ukemi. Be carefull and learn to relax (#1 helper in ukemi) and breath out doing ukemi.
I don't know you for someone who feels sorry for yourself (easy for me to say, I know) but someone who live your life to the fullest whatever happends. I'm happy to read that you still love aikido and keep doing it.
/J
I don't know you for someone who feels sorry for yourself (easy for me to say, I know) but someone who live your life to the fullest whatever happends. I'm happy to read that you still love aikido and keep doing it.
/J
It's the twisting in order to land on your side that's the problem. Twisting like that is not a good thing when you have a slipped disc, apparently. I was worried it would affect my aikido practice because of the importance of turning your hara, but when I worked out the dynamics of it, I realised I wasn't twisting from the waist, but turning my hips, which brought my whole upper body with it.
I was very stiff last night, though; it was too cold to ride my bike, and I'm realising I've been able to get through class the past few weeks even with a slipped disc because the bicycle ride put it right before I got there.
It's the story of my life - every time I find something I love doing and become reasonably good at, something happens to prevent me from carrying on with it. However, this time, I have somehow managed to find a way to continue with it, and I hope that I get enough money to get the physiotherapy I need so that I can continue with it.
I was very stiff last night, though; it was too cold to ride my bike, and I'm realising I've been able to get through class the past few weeks even with a slipped disc because the bicycle ride put it right before I got there.
It's the story of my life - every time I find something I love doing and become reasonably good at, something happens to prevent me from carrying on with it. However, this time, I have somehow managed to find a way to continue with it, and I hope that I get enough money to get the physiotherapy I need so that I can continue with it.
I've been telling each instructor at each class, so they know. I know my limits, and I don't exceed them. Right now, though, with having to change the ergonomics of my work area, my lower back is feeling incredibly stiff. I also need a new pair of shoes, as that is also forcing my back out of alignment. In other words, I have more money I have to spend.... phooey.
My friend finally got his camera downloaded. I have it on a dvd now, except I don't know what to do with it electronically so that I can maybe upload it somewhere.
If I do, I'll have to post a warning: beware of big butt! (sigh).
It was quite funny seeing me give my partner hints on what to do next, though...
If I do, I'll have to post a warning: beware of big butt! (sigh).
It was quite funny seeing me give my partner hints on what to do next, though...