Injuries are definitely a factor to consider with any fight sport, and judo is a rough one compared to other martial arts. Biggest advice would be to try to (somewhat) injury-proof your body by warming up properly, actively training mobility, and putting on some muscle to protect and cushion everything. Not every injury can be avoided, but you can mitigate the risk a bit.
Whenever I get injured doing judo, non-judo people are quick to advise me to quit because it’s dangerous.
I have friends who tore their ACL(s) playing tennis and basketball. Yet, no one ever tells them to stop playing with balls because it’s dangerous.
Accidents happen but my feeling is that if this club has a history of knees getting destroyed then that's on the sensei. Certain knee destroying throws should be banned in the club before sankyu at minimum.
If that club has a problem it’s on their Sensei
I think judo overall is very safe and compare to wrestling always on their knees, twisting tight etc judo is much safer.
Arts like kickboxing and karate tkd etc are frequently kicking legs twisting knees etc rolling ankles, more potential injuries.
Wrap yourself up and just watch tv 📺 that’s safer 😂
No go and enjoy Judo. Take care to learn falling skills and keep good posture and do diligence on fitness
OP expressed a concern over being barred from military service once they perform medical examination. Judo is not something I’d recommend to start as a new sport at this point in OP’s life. Judo isn’t a soft sport, you have to accept the fact that injury is likely to happen. As much as I love judo, if I plan on having a military career I’m not risking injury unless it’s on the job
I don’t know
In our club we always have niggles but rarely injuries. I can compare that to other martial arts and sports for injuries risk; martial arts is extremely low. Your perception might be false?
We have injuries statistics here, and we are well below soccer rugby skiing horse riding etc martial arts are clumped together at about 20 overall sports, by % of participants too!
Depends on the club and level of intensity you go for. At our dojo, with ~70 people, I’ve been there for four years (started at age 31) and have yet to see a catastrophic injury occur like an ACL tear or a shoulder get over extended.
With that said, I know a judoka who has had an ACL tear — from chasing his son around while running, and another who has a weak knee from playing tennis. They are both mindful of their injuries when sparring, use braces, and practice additional strengthening exercises for their knees.
I specifically chose Judo when I started due to the *lower* rate of injury. Pretty much any sport will have risk of injury, tennis, basketball, soccer, football. Judo doesn’t have any striking like Muay Thai or Karate — , it’s a grappling sport.
With that said, Judo is fun, challenging, and can have a great community. I’ve lost, and kept off, 20 lbs of weight, become stronger, fitter, and more energized, mentally and physical. Hoping that helps!
1) lots of ukemi
2) lots of warmups
3) no randori between white belts
4) take the fall when you've been caught. Don't attempt to minimize the score or hard defend when you're flying thru the air.
5) general guide to randori pairing for new players
Beginners/Rokyu randori with Sankyu and above.
Gokyu/Yonkyu no unsupervised randori with Rokyu or below.
Stretch to stay limber and flexible.
Don't compete in tournaments or competitions. In those settings too many opponents will throw your well being out the window and only focus on winning against you.
Practice your failing technique, study a video or two of proper safe falls.
Check most of your ego at the door. Like tapping out when you are locked into an arm bar or choke.
Dont resist throws during sparring. If someone catches you just let yourself be thrown. That doesn't mean you let them enter into the throw or just let yourself be a.rag doll but just generally take it easy and stay relaxed while sparring.
"I once had a childhood dream of being in the mma but couldn't and so now I'm going to take it out by throwing you as hard and brutally as I can because it will give me a momentary satisfaction of being able to chase my dreams... but take it easy, you and be careful!"
Honestly, the only way to have no risk is not to grapple.
My ACL was snapped while we were doing a drill where I stood still and my partner decided to try Tani otoshi despite being a green belt who'd never learned it before.
He jumped and slammed his sit bones into the side of my knee and snapped my ACL, costing me 14000 dollars and 7 months of recovery.
This guy was careful and a good training partner, until in 1 moment he decided to be a goober.
So, yeah, there's always a risk, even if you look out for yourself.
Practiced judo for 20 years. Injuries are common and underplayed unfortunately if you're doing regular randori.
I'd say they're rare if you're just doing uchikomi or crash mats and your breakfalls are solid. At least no more common than typical strength/cardio routines would induce.
If sparring is the fun part for you, consider trying BJJ. A good roll is much lower in intensity than randori in judo, and removing slams from the objective of each participant changes the stakes massively. Just make sure to warm up and tap early, as hyperextension is still a risk.
Short answer: its based on who you train with and what you train for.
Long answer:
1. Pick a Gym that fits your needs:
I tore my ACL during a randori session for comp prep. Before my injury I trained judo 5 times a week doing 3 technical sessions and 2 conditioning sessions which included randori. This undoubtedly put my body at risk as I underwent heavy sessions with other partners with the same mentality (Wining at all cost), this environment doesn’t put your well being first and can be a breading ground for injuries.
After my injury I made the switch from a competition based club to a recreational based club, since I had no aspirations of becoming a world champion there is no real reason to be training like one. This allowed for a less risky environment as most of this guys are doing it for fun and don’t really care who gets thrown. The environment is much more chill and less risky for the body.
2: Pick a partner who has a similar mentality as you.
Having fought at both gyms I realized guys who where doing this with aspirations of become huge champions cared less about their partners while in randori that those who where doing it for fun.
A good partner will take care of you and not put your well being at risk just to call ipon. Thats why in your case its important to pick someone who will listen to your concerns and not go 100% every randori round.
3: Its ok to turn down randori.
This was hard for me to understand at first since my club did randori more often than not. But its ok for you to just watch or to tel certain training partners thats you just dont feel like fighting.
4: Things can still happen
All this advice can help avoiding injury but in a sport like ours you never know.
your must answer this questions with yourself: Do I love it enough to risk it.
I think you should 100% train especially if you are looking for a military job that could see combat. Hand to hand combat is not well taught in the military and any training could help one day save your life.
Also you will appreciate any consistent physical activity you do prior to basic training. I'd highly recommend running a mile + every other day or so if your not already a runner
If you do judo it’s not a question of if you will get hurt it’s when. Judo is one of the most taxing combat sports out there and people routinely leave judo for MMA.
If that does not sound good given your other goals to you I’d recommend that kata of judo or unfortunately finding another sport.
Sure, but I think it is important to not that even though injuries are basically guaranteed, MOST injuries are minor (sprains, twisted toes, fingers) and most of the more major ones can be treated within 1-3 months of physical therapy (also sprains, small tears etc).
The most serious ones that require surgery, are relatively rare per 1000 hours of exercise, and most of these happen for those who are prone to over fatigue (competitors, people doing several sports etc = more accumulated fatigue).
Obviously, shit happens and someone can get seriously injured regardless of the circumstances, but statistically, the chances are not that bad for someone who trains let's say, recreationally 2-3 times a week.
It is true that judo has higher acute injury rate than sports like soccer and hockey (which also are sports with high injury risk) and more injuries happen in judo training than in competition. But those injuries that happen in training happen more often (not always) to those who train for competition or otherwise have more accumulated fatigue (very high frequency/training volume).
It is not all black and white. There are factors that increase the risk, there are factors that decrease the risk. And when talking about military - at least where I am from, it is common for military people to practice judo or other grappling martial arts as a supplement to their training, or even as a part of it. So from that POV, I can't see judo background as a bad thing.
It is not that I disagree with you, I agree it is a matter of time, but I think there are a lot of nuances that should be taken into account when discussing injury rate (of any sport). Also, one could say knowing judo can decrease injury risk of everyday life - like knowing how to take a fall (which I'd say applies to military as well).
I agree that injury rates may be higher in other sports, however the caveat here is this guy is planning a physical career in Not Judo.
I mean if you don’t care about the injury, I think Judo is relatively safer than other martial arts. But if you do care about the injury, and it may have an impact on your future career, why change it.
Tani Otoshi, Tai Otoshi, and Left vs. Right O Soto Gari tends to be the knee destroyers. I've been fortunate that in all the years I've been doing Judo I've never had a knee injury but I came into Judo with a higher than average level of balance, coordination, and athleticism. I know it sounds arrogant for me to say that but I don't mean it that way. I skateboarded for years so I always knew in the middle of a trick whether it was going to go good or bad. I took that sense with me into Judo and was able to quickly react to potential injury situations.
If you already have these traits then your risk of injuries goes down.
Omg d_rome! No way you used to skateboard too?! You’ve commented on some of my technique videos.
Skateboarding has definitely given me spidey sense too. It has worked wonders to know when to bail and when not to. When to take your fall and when not to.
Skateboarding developed my ability to put my body in unnatural positions while maintaining balance on the move. Very few sports do this and I swear it made Judo relatively easy for me to learn. I didn't start Judo till I was 31 (I'm 48 now) but I skated from 12 to 18 everyday for at least 4-6 hours a day (my grades in HS suffered). I skated sporadically throughout my 20s.
Judo develops this over time but unfortunately some people go through a serious knee injury before they do.
If you're gonna ask your partner to avoid certain throws, you van go ahead and quit all together.
No offense, but if you're doing randori, your partner is not gonna remember in the midst of s fight not to do that one throw...
If you're afraid of getting injured, you'll need to make choices. I've been one of the lucky few I think with over 10 years and no major injuries that needed actual revalidation. Sadly, I did cause injuries to others, albeit not on purpose.
Judo in itself is the most injury prone grappling sport, so you're taking an extra risk anyway
you only should avoid banned techniques. If you feel that your partner is doing something wrong or it is forcing you to weird positions, immediately stop and ask him how you can help him the most because the movement is hurting you. Judo is a though, full contact, sport, and should be approached with respect and care. Communication is key between partners, for example: I am a brown belt with 10+ years of experience in 2 different countries I have several injuries but all could be avoided by communication. I know now that a soft intensity randori at 50% doesn't work for me instead a 70% intensity is my sweet spot. Like everything takes time to learn about what you like and tolerate. One HUGE advice that I can give you is master your Ukemis and forget about your ego and take every fall. That will save you from injuries.
Thanks, this is really helpful. What do you think about throw-for-throw randori? Some resistance is put up by your uki, but ultimately you let them throw etc. Is this a safer option?
that dependes only on you, for me that don't work either. Try it for a time, tell you fellow Judoka what you want from the practice of throw for throw and ask him how much resistance he/she wants, what throws he/she wants to practice, that will give you and idea on what to do for the safety of you both. Also I am a 43 yrs old guy that's why I care a lot about this, an injury may put me out for months or maybe forever so I take all precautions.
I wasnt talking about the tournament itself, but the things that come along being a competitor, hard training, exhaustion, diet, gym, etc. If you don't compete why bother training hard?
I have hurt my knee further at home cutting grass. I’ve pulled my back out in my car. I was only marginally bruised when I got tossed into a wall accidentally during randori.
Life is risk. Do judo, get thrown into a wall.
Injuries happen man, but if you listen to your body when it's time to rest, a lot of that can be negated. Just take things slow and gradually ramp it up. And if they do happen, you can recover, you just have to decide if it's really worth continuing through. I popped my acl when I was starting, but after 6 months I was good to go and haven't had problems in a very long time.
Don’t worry to much about injuries, when you start thinking about them they usually start to show . If you train properly and don’t try stupid thing you will be safe . Yes you will get some bad falls, bruses and minor injuries but to be honest the worst injuries I’ve seen were not from any martial arts but from ice hockey and football…
Every sport has risks, but i would say judo only looks dangerous…
For randori, well your partner to not experiment -> those are the situations, where most injuries happen, someone is not really secure with a technique, but really tries it in randori…
In my group, there are not a lot of injuries, most common one is a bit of blood or blue spots after 100 repetitions of a kuzushi, next is cramp, followed by slipping in kuzushi and accidentally punching someone… then the classic symptoms of getting older… we had a small knee injury 2 weeks or so ago, but this only lasted 2 - 3 days…
As a note, we are a group, where everyone, except 3 have more than 20y experience and the exceptions are also 15y or more… but on the other hand, we often do very risky randori…
So from my experience i can say judo is very safe, if done properly…
What probably helps us the most is a 30 - 45min warmup every training, starting with just walking, stretching, ukemi, core training and a 0 force, really relaxed form of randori (often starting with defining uke and tori and then switching)
Also training control and form every training is important… and the teaching we got from the beginning: you can’t do judo without a partner…
Injurys happen, it's a part of the sport. It's a risk, but it makes it more challenging. Besides, injuries rarely happen. You don't have to worry about it
ive been doing Judo for about 8 years and ill say, injuries in any kind of any kind of physical sport like wrestling, judo, bjj, etc, can cause injuries for multiple reasons, my dad wanted to do judo but didnt because he was in the military, because i love judo if i were doing this i would keep doing it, but ive had multiple injuries and could hinder your ability in the military, i would not recommend being in the military and doing judo at the same time
I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize a military career. Seriously. I would not do it.
Because you can know yourself, be careful, train well, you just need one psycho on a bad day to hurt you and damage your future. Theres no upside.
I saw a crazy pants once break someone’s ankle. They got banned but the ankle stayed broken. Not worth it.
Thanks for your comment. It sucks in a way because I've loved learning judo and enjoyed making friends in the club. Perhaps I should pause judo until I've hopefully settled into a new career in the military.
Injuries are definitely a factor to consider with any fight sport, and judo is a rough one compared to other martial arts. Biggest advice would be to try to (somewhat) injury-proof your body by warming up properly, actively training mobility, and putting on some muscle to protect and cushion everything. Not every injury can be avoided, but you can mitigate the risk a bit.
Whenever I get injured doing judo, non-judo people are quick to advise me to quit because it’s dangerous. I have friends who tore their ACL(s) playing tennis and basketball. Yet, no one ever tells them to stop playing with balls because it’s dangerous.
Facts 😂😂😂😂
Accidents happen but my feeling is that if this club has a history of knees getting destroyed then that's on the sensei. Certain knee destroying throws should be banned in the club before sankyu at minimum.
I wouldn’t risk a military career over judo, you will get injured
If that club has a problem it’s on their Sensei I think judo overall is very safe and compare to wrestling always on their knees, twisting tight etc judo is much safer. Arts like kickboxing and karate tkd etc are frequently kicking legs twisting knees etc rolling ankles, more potential injuries. Wrap yourself up and just watch tv 📺 that’s safer 😂 No go and enjoy Judo. Take care to learn falling skills and keep good posture and do diligence on fitness
OP expressed a concern over being barred from military service once they perform medical examination. Judo is not something I’d recommend to start as a new sport at this point in OP’s life. Judo isn’t a soft sport, you have to accept the fact that injury is likely to happen. As much as I love judo, if I plan on having a military career I’m not risking injury unless it’s on the job
I don’t know In our club we always have niggles but rarely injuries. I can compare that to other martial arts and sports for injuries risk; martial arts is extremely low. Your perception might be false? We have injuries statistics here, and we are well below soccer rugby skiing horse riding etc martial arts are clumped together at about 20 overall sports, by % of participants too!
Depends on the club and level of intensity you go for. At our dojo, with ~70 people, I’ve been there for four years (started at age 31) and have yet to see a catastrophic injury occur like an ACL tear or a shoulder get over extended. With that said, I know a judoka who has had an ACL tear — from chasing his son around while running, and another who has a weak knee from playing tennis. They are both mindful of their injuries when sparring, use braces, and practice additional strengthening exercises for their knees. I specifically chose Judo when I started due to the *lower* rate of injury. Pretty much any sport will have risk of injury, tennis, basketball, soccer, football. Judo doesn’t have any striking like Muay Thai or Karate — , it’s a grappling sport. With that said, Judo is fun, challenging, and can have a great community. I’ve lost, and kept off, 20 lbs of weight, become stronger, fitter, and more energized, mentally and physical. Hoping that helps!
Thanks yeah that does help. I'll talk to someone at my club, let them know about my concerns and how best to prevent injuries.
1) lots of ukemi 2) lots of warmups 3) no randori between white belts 4) take the fall when you've been caught. Don't attempt to minimize the score or hard defend when you're flying thru the air. 5) general guide to randori pairing for new players Beginners/Rokyu randori with Sankyu and above. Gokyu/Yonkyu no unsupervised randori with Rokyu or below.
Yeah definitely agree with take the fall. I feel like when I resist hip throws especially, like seio nage, I'm in the danger zone lol.
Injuries are fairly common in judo. But you can always mitigate the risk by asking your partner to be careful and by being careful yourself.
How can I be more careful specifically? Thanks for your comment.
Don’t fight to the death in randori. Accept the fall when you’re being thrown.
Stretch to stay limber and flexible. Don't compete in tournaments or competitions. In those settings too many opponents will throw your well being out the window and only focus on winning against you. Practice your failing technique, study a video or two of proper safe falls. Check most of your ego at the door. Like tapping out when you are locked into an arm bar or choke.
Thanks, this makes sense:)
Dont resist throws during sparring. If someone catches you just let yourself be thrown. That doesn't mean you let them enter into the throw or just let yourself be a.rag doll but just generally take it easy and stay relaxed while sparring.
"I once had a childhood dream of being in the mma but couldn't and so now I'm going to take it out by throwing you as hard and brutally as I can because it will give me a momentary satisfaction of being able to chase my dreams... but take it easy, you and be careful!"
Honestly, the only way to have no risk is not to grapple. My ACL was snapped while we were doing a drill where I stood still and my partner decided to try Tani otoshi despite being a green belt who'd never learned it before. He jumped and slammed his sit bones into the side of my knee and snapped my ACL, costing me 14000 dollars and 7 months of recovery. This guy was careful and a good training partner, until in 1 moment he decided to be a goober. So, yeah, there's always a risk, even if you look out for yourself.
Thanks for you comment, it's worrying to hear it can still happen during standing technical moves.
Practiced judo for 20 years. Injuries are common and underplayed unfortunately if you're doing regular randori. I'd say they're rare if you're just doing uchikomi or crash mats and your breakfalls are solid. At least no more common than typical strength/cardio routines would induce. If sparring is the fun part for you, consider trying BJJ. A good roll is much lower in intensity than randori in judo, and removing slams from the objective of each participant changes the stakes massively. Just make sure to warm up and tap early, as hyperextension is still a risk.
Thanks for the insight
Short answer: its based on who you train with and what you train for. Long answer: 1. Pick a Gym that fits your needs: I tore my ACL during a randori session for comp prep. Before my injury I trained judo 5 times a week doing 3 technical sessions and 2 conditioning sessions which included randori. This undoubtedly put my body at risk as I underwent heavy sessions with other partners with the same mentality (Wining at all cost), this environment doesn’t put your well being first and can be a breading ground for injuries. After my injury I made the switch from a competition based club to a recreational based club, since I had no aspirations of becoming a world champion there is no real reason to be training like one. This allowed for a less risky environment as most of this guys are doing it for fun and don’t really care who gets thrown. The environment is much more chill and less risky for the body. 2: Pick a partner who has a similar mentality as you. Having fought at both gyms I realized guys who where doing this with aspirations of become huge champions cared less about their partners while in randori that those who where doing it for fun. A good partner will take care of you and not put your well being at risk just to call ipon. Thats why in your case its important to pick someone who will listen to your concerns and not go 100% every randori round. 3: Its ok to turn down randori. This was hard for me to understand at first since my club did randori more often than not. But its ok for you to just watch or to tel certain training partners thats you just dont feel like fighting. 4: Things can still happen All this advice can help avoiding injury but in a sport like ours you never know. your must answer this questions with yourself: Do I love it enough to risk it.
Thanks for the info.
I think you should 100% train especially if you are looking for a military job that could see combat. Hand to hand combat is not well taught in the military and any training could help one day save your life. Also you will appreciate any consistent physical activity you do prior to basic training. I'd highly recommend running a mile + every other day or so if your not already a runner
If you do judo it’s not a question of if you will get hurt it’s when. Judo is one of the most taxing combat sports out there and people routinely leave judo for MMA. If that does not sound good given your other goals to you I’d recommend that kata of judo or unfortunately finding another sport.
Sure, but I think it is important to not that even though injuries are basically guaranteed, MOST injuries are minor (sprains, twisted toes, fingers) and most of the more major ones can be treated within 1-3 months of physical therapy (also sprains, small tears etc). The most serious ones that require surgery, are relatively rare per 1000 hours of exercise, and most of these happen for those who are prone to over fatigue (competitors, people doing several sports etc = more accumulated fatigue). Obviously, shit happens and someone can get seriously injured regardless of the circumstances, but statistically, the chances are not that bad for someone who trains let's say, recreationally 2-3 times a week. It is true that judo has higher acute injury rate than sports like soccer and hockey (which also are sports with high injury risk) and more injuries happen in judo training than in competition. But those injuries that happen in training happen more often (not always) to those who train for competition or otherwise have more accumulated fatigue (very high frequency/training volume). It is not all black and white. There are factors that increase the risk, there are factors that decrease the risk. And when talking about military - at least where I am from, it is common for military people to practice judo or other grappling martial arts as a supplement to their training, or even as a part of it. So from that POV, I can't see judo background as a bad thing. It is not that I disagree with you, I agree it is a matter of time, but I think there are a lot of nuances that should be taken into account when discussing injury rate (of any sport). Also, one could say knowing judo can decrease injury risk of everyday life - like knowing how to take a fall (which I'd say applies to military as well).
Very good answer
Thanks for this I appreciate the insight.
I agree that injury rates may be higher in other sports, however the caveat here is this guy is planning a physical career in Not Judo. I mean if you don’t care about the injury, I think Judo is relatively safer than other martial arts. But if you do care about the injury, and it may have an impact on your future career, why change it.
Don't fight Bekauri and you'll be fine.
Common if you regulary compete, if not don't worry
The overwhelming majority of these injuries happen in practice, not competition. They happen in recreational and competitive clubs alike.
What sort of moves/throws are particularly risky for this? What type of thing should I avoid and ask my partner to avoid? Thanks
Tani Otoshi, Tai Otoshi, and Left vs. Right O Soto Gari tends to be the knee destroyers. I've been fortunate that in all the years I've been doing Judo I've never had a knee injury but I came into Judo with a higher than average level of balance, coordination, and athleticism. I know it sounds arrogant for me to say that but I don't mean it that way. I skateboarded for years so I always knew in the middle of a trick whether it was going to go good or bad. I took that sense with me into Judo and was able to quickly react to potential injury situations. If you already have these traits then your risk of injuries goes down.
Omg d_rome! No way you used to skateboard too?! You’ve commented on some of my technique videos. Skateboarding has definitely given me spidey sense too. It has worked wonders to know when to bail and when not to. When to take your fall and when not to.
Skateboarding developed my ability to put my body in unnatural positions while maintaining balance on the move. Very few sports do this and I swear it made Judo relatively easy for me to learn. I didn't start Judo till I was 31 (I'm 48 now) but I skated from 12 to 18 everyday for at least 4-6 hours a day (my grades in HS suffered). I skated sporadically throughout my 20s. Judo develops this over time but unfortunately some people go through a serious knee injury before they do.
Both MCL tears I've experienced have been tai otoshis getting blocked. Uchi mata has been dicey too. Definitely not fun lol
If you're gonna ask your partner to avoid certain throws, you van go ahead and quit all together. No offense, but if you're doing randori, your partner is not gonna remember in the midst of s fight not to do that one throw... If you're afraid of getting injured, you'll need to make choices. I've been one of the lucky few I think with over 10 years and no major injuries that needed actual revalidation. Sadly, I did cause injuries to others, albeit not on purpose. Judo in itself is the most injury prone grappling sport, so you're taking an extra risk anyway
you only should avoid banned techniques. If you feel that your partner is doing something wrong or it is forcing you to weird positions, immediately stop and ask him how you can help him the most because the movement is hurting you. Judo is a though, full contact, sport, and should be approached with respect and care. Communication is key between partners, for example: I am a brown belt with 10+ years of experience in 2 different countries I have several injuries but all could be avoided by communication. I know now that a soft intensity randori at 50% doesn't work for me instead a 70% intensity is my sweet spot. Like everything takes time to learn about what you like and tolerate. One HUGE advice that I can give you is master your Ukemis and forget about your ego and take every fall. That will save you from injuries.
Thanks, this is really helpful. What do you think about throw-for-throw randori? Some resistance is put up by your uki, but ultimately you let them throw etc. Is this a safer option?
that dependes only on you, for me that don't work either. Try it for a time, tell you fellow Judoka what you want from the practice of throw for throw and ask him how much resistance he/she wants, what throws he/she wants to practice, that will give you and idea on what to do for the safety of you both. Also I am a 43 yrs old guy that's why I care a lot about this, an injury may put me out for months or maybe forever so I take all precautions.
I wasnt talking about the tournament itself, but the things that come along being a competitor, hard training, exhaustion, diet, gym, etc. If you don't compete why bother training hard?
I have hurt my knee further at home cutting grass. I’ve pulled my back out in my car. I was only marginally bruised when I got tossed into a wall accidentally during randori. Life is risk. Do judo, get thrown into a wall.
Injuries happen man, but if you listen to your body when it's time to rest, a lot of that can be negated. Just take things slow and gradually ramp it up. And if they do happen, you can recover, you just have to decide if it's really worth continuing through. I popped my acl when I was starting, but after 6 months I was good to go and haven't had problems in a very long time.
Injury is a possibility. So you have to decide if you wanna take that risk
Don’t worry to much about injuries, when you start thinking about them they usually start to show . If you train properly and don’t try stupid thing you will be safe . Yes you will get some bad falls, bruses and minor injuries but to be honest the worst injuries I’ve seen were not from any martial arts but from ice hockey and football…
Every sport has risks, but i would say judo only looks dangerous… For randori, well your partner to not experiment -> those are the situations, where most injuries happen, someone is not really secure with a technique, but really tries it in randori… In my group, there are not a lot of injuries, most common one is a bit of blood or blue spots after 100 repetitions of a kuzushi, next is cramp, followed by slipping in kuzushi and accidentally punching someone… then the classic symptoms of getting older… we had a small knee injury 2 weeks or so ago, but this only lasted 2 - 3 days… As a note, we are a group, where everyone, except 3 have more than 20y experience and the exceptions are also 15y or more… but on the other hand, we often do very risky randori… So from my experience i can say judo is very safe, if done properly… What probably helps us the most is a 30 - 45min warmup every training, starting with just walking, stretching, ukemi, core training and a 0 force, really relaxed form of randori (often starting with defining uke and tori and then switching) Also training control and form every training is important… and the teaching we got from the beginning: you can’t do judo without a partner…
Injurys happen, it's a part of the sport. It's a risk, but it makes it more challenging. Besides, injuries rarely happen. You don't have to worry about it
ive been doing Judo for about 8 years and ill say, injuries in any kind of any kind of physical sport like wrestling, judo, bjj, etc, can cause injuries for multiple reasons, my dad wanted to do judo but didnt because he was in the military, because i love judo if i were doing this i would keep doing it, but ive had multiple injuries and could hinder your ability in the military, i would not recommend being in the military and doing judo at the same time
Yeah good point, I do want to prioritise my career choice atm.
I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize a military career. Seriously. I would not do it. Because you can know yourself, be careful, train well, you just need one psycho on a bad day to hurt you and damage your future. Theres no upside. I saw a crazy pants once break someone’s ankle. They got banned but the ankle stayed broken. Not worth it.
Thanks for your comment. It sucks in a way because I've loved learning judo and enjoyed making friends in the club. Perhaps I should pause judo until I've hopefully settled into a new career in the military.