Let’s face it…not training sucks. There are a plethora of reasons that we can’t train. Injury, vacation, family, school, work, holidays, etc. It seems like for every reason to train, we have at least two reasons not to train that day. Just because you can’t make it into the gym doesn’t mean that you can’t train. 

Sadly I haven’t been able to train for the past two weeks due to my appendix being surgically removed. I only just got back into the gym a few days ago. During that time I could have easily got fat and watched too much tv, but instead I found ways to train Jiu Jitsu without having to go into the gym. Below are four tips that I have for anyone who sadly has had their doctor or body tell them to take a break from training.

Pick up a DVD and Learn!

Since I wasn’t able to actually train, I instead decided this was a perfect opportunity to learn some new moves. I normally spend a lot of time researching and watching video for this blog and for my class that I teach, but during this two week period I watched videos all the time. Watching the videos kept me motivated and made me want to get back to training even more. Plus when I came back I had some new toys to play with.

Don’t Empty Your Gas Tank

One of the worst feelings in the world is when you don’t go to Jiu Jitsu for a few days and on your first day back you gas out during warm ups. If you can’t train you have to still keep that gas tank on full. Go for a hike….Go for a bike ride…Just get outside and move. Yes you may get a little gassed your first day back but at least you’re not running on E.

Review Your Journal

If you’re not keeping a journal you need to! Journaling about your Jiu Jitsu journey is a great way to track progress, create goals, and celebrate accomplishments. For me my journal is my blog. I tend to post about topics that I am either working on or plan to work on. I also keep a small journal in which I document what I taught, important milestones in my journey, and any notes that I took while watching instructional videos. If you don’t keep a journal already, I would really encourage you to start. Once you do you will start to see an immediate change in your game.

So that’s it for part 1! Tomorrow I’m going to reveal the biggest thing that you can do to still train Jiu Jitsu while you are injured. Hint Hint….It involves 10th Planet Van Nuys.