The importance of knee health in the martial arts cannot be over stated. Far too many martial artists train much less than they would like to because of the level of pain and stiffness they feel in their knees. This is NOT to mention their ability to defend themselves in a confrontational situation because their knees just would hold up in a fight.
In the beginning
My first serious knee injury happened during a Judo practice in 1999 when I was in my late 20s. This resulted in ACL reconstructive surgery and has affected the trajectory of my life ever since.
This injury impacted my life in so many ways other than physically. Mentally and emotionally, the knee injury pushed me to look beyond the surface of what hurt. I found depths and connections to this injury in my body that has taught me lessons I still learn to this day.
Depression, anger, sadness, grief, ego, and pride all came up…
My identity both as a man and a competitive Judo Black Belt were challenged and it was all tied to only one knee joint. I found that incredible!
All the down time I had that was previously spent running, biking, lifting and going to Judo practice, was now spent recovering and reflecting on my life…
I asked myself lots of questions
How could I protect myself?
How could I protect those I loved?
What if I needed to run away?
What if I needed to fight?
How would my knee hold up?
After Knee Surgery and Physical Therapy
Then, upon returning to Judo after the surgery and months of physical therapy, I discovered my ability to kneel was severely compromised! I now knelt like one of the “old” black belts in the class with my knee “cocked out” to the side in order to bow in and out of class.
Judo, unfortunately, offered no solutions for the healing of my knee, nor for the health and longevity of my knee joint.
Knee health is crucial to your general state of health, to your outlook on life, and of course, your knees are integral to your training in martial arts.
With this in mind, I began my search for non-medical solutions since my surgeon told me there was nothing more he could do. The possibility of swelling, limited range of motion and compromised movement in my body for the rest of my life wasn’t an option.
I share this personal story because so many martial artists end up in a similar category. They have a knee injury and believe “sucking it up and pushing through the pain” is the way to go.
This approach may work for a while, especially in our youth, but as the injuries pile up and the years of training go by, one can no longer ignore the pain, limited range of motion, and stiffness in the knees.
Many martial artists I know end up with joint replacements in the knee, hip and/or shoulder. On top of that they are greatly disillusioned by the promises from their surgeon of a better outcome once the joint is replaced.
I remember attending a Systema seminar in Florida several years ago and overheard a Systema instructor sharing the story of his recent knee replacement surgery. He was quite upset to find out he’s now only able to squat to 90 degrees. A “minor” point his doctor neglected to share with him before undergoing surgery.
Any Systema instructor worth their “salt” knows, for both health of the joint and the body, the ability to squat fully is essential! Perhaps if he’d known the truth from his doctor, or even if he’d known of another way to deal with his knee pain, he wouldn’t have opted for total knee replacement in the first place…
In case the doctors DON’T tell you, ALL joint replacement surgery limits the body’s ability to regain full mobility of that joint and is definitely NOT the answer.
A Few More Facts About Knee Replacement Surgery
Here are a few more facts about knee replacement you might want to know:
- The range of motion in the knee joint will always be limited to around 90 degrees after knee replacement surgery due to the design of the synthetic joint.
- The ligaments in the joint are removed so there will be no way to strengthen a bone to bone connection of the joint again.
- The body has to deal with the trauma not only from surgery, but having your bone sawed off to insert the synthetic joint.
- The joint has been replaced so there is a part of your body you’ll NOT be able to feel again. Stated another way, this shuts down the neurology of the knee giving you less feedback from that part of the body.
- The original issue in the joint is never brought to your conscious awareness for the body to shift and heal that pattern.
Back to my story, and why I’m sharing this information… During those next few years after my knee surgery, I discovered and began simultaneously studying both Systema, and an Osteopathic style of bodywork founded by a British Osteopath who was also a Judo instructor, called “Ortho-Bionomy®.”
Even though Systema was coming from a martial art perspective and Ortho-Bionomy® was coming from a therapeutic bodywork perspective, the knowledge of these two modalities gave me an unparalleled insight and understanding of the body. More specifically, I gained an intimate understanding of the role the nervous system plays in healing the body when given the proper conditions to do so.
In Systema we find comfort through movement, breathing and relaxation…
In Ortho-Bionomy®, we find comfort through comfortable body positioning…
When an injury happens in the knee, the rest of your body must compensate for that injury. Your movement, breath, tension patterns, and the ability of your body to relax on a deeper level is compromised.
If these injuries, accidents, and traumas go unaddressed over time, the joint loses its ability to fully hydrate, while the knee joint loses mobility, functioning and its ability to heal. Over time, this chronic pain, tension and stress can negatively affect our mental and emotional health as well.
But back to the knees.
Here’s a fun fact you’ll be interested in.
All diagnoses of arthritis is “DEHYDRATED JOINT.” The concept of pushing through the pain of an injury when the integrity of the joint has been compromised, further dehydrates the joint causing it to wear faster.
This is NOT to say the joint doesn’t need to be moved and pushed, however we just must be aware of utilizing strategic recovery of the joint after an injury, and as a maintenance protocol for the longevity of our martial arts practice. That means – SLOW DOWN and SELF CARE!
Systema’s motto is perfect here – “Ponsnai Sebia” (Know Thyself). When we are in pain, especially chronic pain, the resulting stress and tension patterns will prevent us from reaching those deeper levels of relaxation. This usually results in us disconnecting with our conscious awareness of our body simply as a coping mechanism for the discomfort. This is where more pain, more injuries and more perceived stress comes from, and, to be honest, a lot of depression, anxiety and lack of motivation will arise from this place of pain as well.
In Conclusion
I’ve found it incredibly beneficial to be able to incorporate the principles of Systema and Ortho-Bionomy® together in a way that allows the body to heal injuries faster. This method makes a great recovery strategy for the health and longevity of the knee joint.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Taking proactive steps now to keep your knee joint healthy and mobile will pay off in the long run allowing you to train Systema as the years go by.
For the Co taught seminar with Vlad
5 exercises that will reset the neurology of the knee joint, allow the knee to be lined up correctly, and gain full range of motion in the knee without pain.
- Rotation
- Forward and Back
- Meniscus
- Side to Side
- Whole Leg Rotation
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