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Thread: ACL and Iaido/Aikido/etc.

  1. #1
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    Default ACL and Iaido/Aikido/etc.

    Anyone here have experience doing Iaido or other trad. JSA after ACL reconstructive surgery? How long was it before you were training, what kind of surgery, etc. Is seiza or other knee-work impossible for you?

    Thanks in advance. If no bites, I'll ask on another forum so you might see this somewhere else.


    added: I should say MA did not do this to me...just cowboying around.
    J. Nicolaysen
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    "I value the opinion much more of a grand master then I do some English professor, anyways." Well really, who wouldn't?

    We're all of us just bozos on the budo bus and there's no point in looking to us for answers regarding all the deep and important issues.--M. Skoss.

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    I can give you two examples, Nicojo. I have a Teflon left kneecap from a nasty accident on ice 30 years ago where the doctor had to completely slice open my leg. It took six months of heavy physical therapy, but neither of my senseis (MJER & SMR) have any complaint about my mobility. My only limitation is that I can't get into tatehiza because my leg just won't bend that way any more. I don't let my judo students throw me around any more, either.

    The second example is my wife, who had laparoscopic surgery last Thursday when she blew out her lateral meniscus. Her leg is already back to 125 degrees of bend - granted that it doesn't feel very good as yet - & her surgeon says she should be back in seiza & sonkyo (MJER, SMR, & kendo) within two months. Our SMR senior student had almost the same surgery three weeks before that, & he's already back training with us.

    The first trick is to find a sports medicine surgeon to handle your surgery, & the second is to bloody ignore the pain & get rid of 90% of the scar tissue within the first week. If you can't hear the "popcorn popping" while you're working on recovery, you have a major mobility problem on the way! Exercise bike, leg weights, & lots of ice packs are in order.

    Good luck!
    Ken Goldstein
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    Judo Kodansha/MJER Iaido Kodansha/Jodo Oku-iri
    Fencing Master/NRA Instructor

    "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it'll annoy enough people to be worth the effort."

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    Theres quite a lot of information online about physical therapy after ACL reconstruction, (the best search seems to be ''ACL reconstruction squats'') but its always best to run anything past your sports medicine specialist.
    Paul Greaves
    ''Skill is aquired via sweat equity''

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    I had ACL reconstruction several years ago, train regularly in koryu, have for many years. Not very happy in seiza, knee does quite bend all the way, but hey, if it was easy, anyone could do it.

    Dave
    Dave Drawdy
    "the artist formerly known as Sergeant Major"

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    Thanks for the replies, everyone. It certainly seems like strong and aggressive physical therapy is very important for this type of injury. Luckily there is a good sports medicine and P/T clinic here.

    I'm mostly worried about the ne-waza and suwari-waza in the arts I'm trying to study. But both have a lot of other techniques as well. I'll just have to get to where I can I suppose.

    Well, thanks again for the encouragement.
    J. Nicolaysen
    -------
    "I value the opinion much more of a grand master then I do some English professor, anyways." Well really, who wouldn't?

    We're all of us just bozos on the budo bus and there's no point in looking to us for answers regarding all the deep and important issues.--M. Skoss.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nicojo View Post
    Thanks for the replies, everyone. It certainly seems like strong and aggressive physical therapy is very important for this type of injury. Luckily there is a good sports medicine and P/T clinic here.

    I'm mostly worried about the ne-waza and suwari-waza in the arts I'm trying to study. But both have a lot of other techniques as well. I'll just have to get to where I can I suppose.

    Well, thanks again for the encouragement.
    I recently came across this and thought sections of it may help:

    http://www.grapplearts.com/ACL-Injury-FAQ.htm
    Paul Greaves
    ''Skill is aquired via sweat equity''

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    Good article. It's a bit more specific to martial arts than most info I've gotten from elsewhere. Thanks. Surgery went well, one month of PT down...
    J. Nicolaysen
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    "I value the opinion much more of a grand master then I do some English professor, anyways." Well really, who wouldn't?

    We're all of us just bozos on the budo bus and there's no point in looking to us for answers regarding all the deep and important issues.--M. Skoss.

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    I've had a complete knee replacement. Its been four years now and I still practice MJER almost every day. I can't go into seiza but I do all the kata standing up. I had the surgery on December 5th and was back in the dojo in mid-February. Of course the key to healing is to do the exercises that you get in physical therapy as if your life depended on it. It became a religion for me. Since then I had surgery on the other knee - not quite as severe and a complete re-build of my right shoulder. Do the rehab should be your mantra.
    My doctor said I was the poster boy for rehab - I was 57 at the time of my knee replacement - great age to be a poster boy!!

    Dan
    Dan Keding
    Storyteller - Author - Musician
    Iaidoka MJER

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    My good buddy John Green trains with two replacement knees from seiza. After a day or two of a seminar lasting 8 hours or so each day, he still seems ok. Terry has a replacement hip, but because of his age (70 odd!) prefers to do his MJER 'standing only' nowadays!
    Tim Hamilton

    Why are you reading this instead of being out training? No excuses accepted...

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    Tim,

    I'm glad that your friend can still go into seiza with two knee replacements. I wish I could go into seiza but my other knee is so arthritic it just can't bend that way any more. Maybe after I have that one replaced I'll be able to go into seiza. I figure that at 61 I'm doing fine just doing everything from standing. I wish I would have started iaido at a younger age but life is full of wishes and if you dwell on the wishes nothing ever comes true.

    Dan
    Dan Keding
    Storyteller - Author - Musician
    Iaidoka MJER

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    Thank you both for your comments. They are encouraging to read.
    J. Nicolaysen
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    "I value the opinion much more of a grand master then I do some English professor, anyways." Well really, who wouldn't?

    We're all of us just bozos on the budo bus and there's no point in looking to us for answers regarding all the deep and important issues.--M. Skoss.

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