The biggest lesson I learned from tearing my ACL is to appreciate the process.
The day of the tear I thought I might never compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu again. The next day I was back to normal and knew I would compete once I got better.
Training and competing is what I miss most while recovering from my ACL tear.
Not being able to do the sport that I enjoy doing is pretty crappy. Lifting weights is fun but BJJ is more fun.
I remember times I would come late to practice because I was lazy. I remember times I felt tired after a few days of hard training and didn’t feel motivated to go to practice.
I didn’t appreciate what I had. And in a way, I couldn’t appreciate it, without going through this ACL injury.
The only thought that’s in my mind right now is:
If I get the chance to train hard again, they will need some construction equipment to remove me from the gym.
Just being on the mats sweating and training is a gift. I never saw it that way until I was in a position where I couldn’t do it.
You can read all about my ACL injury here. I will have surgery on Jan 30, 2017 and will be back at Lin Martial Arts in July-August 2017.