When I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. This is a condition where your large intestine is inflamed and can result in a sensation of burning and stabbing pain in your gut, blood in your stool, fatigue in everyday life and activities, and that’s with medication. At the time I didn’t think that it would be a physical condition that would affect me for the rest of my life, and I was still in the early stages of my martial arts journey. There were ups and downs as I adjusted to this new phenomenon going on in my gut, but for the most part I could still do classes and eat what I wanted. I had to make more frequent bathroom breaks, I prioritized hydration to keep my digestive system clear, and eventually I got to the point where I felt I no longer needed medication. I had this false sense of security that I had somehow overcome ulcerative colitis and that I could live a normal life with no consequence.
Some time in my late 20’s, there was a dramatic shift. I could suddenly no longer keep food down, and as if to follow suit I began to lose my appetite. Long story short, I lost 50 pounds in about a month and a half and had to go to the emergency room and receive blood transfusions. It took me a few months to fully recover physically, and this time I made sure not to miss my medication. I was a 2nd degree black belt at this time and being unable to even perform the basic techniques or forms was embarrassing and shameful for me. The recovery period forced me to slow down and appreciate the finer details, not just in martial arts but in the environment around me.
Things were going pretty smoothly until I hit my mid-30’s (at this point I am a Sam Dan), where this time it was no longer the ulcerative colitis that hit me; at this point in my life I was still eating pretty much what I wanted to, and since my medication was keeping the UC at bay I felt I didn’t have to pay too much attention to my diet beyond cutting back on my carbonated beverages. This time I got hit by gout, which is a condition that results in incredible pain in the small joints (typically toes, but I’ve had it manifest in my ankles and elbows as well). I knew this was a possibility since I have a family history of it, I just didn’t think it would hit me so soon, and also, I thought I was still in fairly good shape. The breaking point was when I went on a family trip overseas and I ended up limping everywhere due to gout, which stymied my enjoyment of the experience (although it was still pretty awesome). Once I got home, I scheduled a doctor’s appointment and got on medication to control my gout.
I say all this to show that despite how much training or experience one may have, there are physical challenges that pop up unexpectedly. While we may be able to anticipate and plan for some, there are situations which force us to adapt and change the way we train or live so we can continue to do what we love. Here are a few things I’ve learned to cope with chronic and persistent illness, and I hope they help you either now or in the future.
- Consult your doctor and take your medication! Everyone is different, so not everyone who has a certain illness will necessarily require the same treatment. As far as those who have ulcerative colitis, I have been on the fortunate side of things as I did not require any major surgery, but that could have very easily changed. Talk to your doctor and make sure they understand your situation and listen to their advice. I know that without my medication my life would become incredibly difficult, and training would be nigh impossible.
- Listen to your body! I knew there was something terribly wrong going on leading up to my hospitalization, but I felt that I could get better by sheer force of will. It wasn’t until my roommates convinced me to go to the ER that I gave in and checked myself into the hospital. During training it can be common to ignore discomfort and even some pain in order to mold our body to our will, but outside of class we need to be keenly aware of how our body is feeling. Preparing for class starts long before we step into the studio; it starts when we wake up in the morning as we feed ourselves and go to work and continues after class is over and we do our evening routine. Take stock of how your body responds and find out what helps and hinders your martial arts journey.
- Take it slow. This was definitely one of the hardest things for me to do, especially during training. I had a reputation of going fast for my forms, and slowing down in my mind felt like I was not performing with 100% of my effort. Nothing could be further from the truth! Slowing down helped me find a different rhythm in the forms, and I felt some techniques only made sense if I added a pause here or lengthened my breath there. Even if you think you do forms slowly, do them even slower! This advice isn’t limited to forms either; partner work, self-defense, and even sparring will benefit from slowing things down and breaking apart the nuances to a more granular level.
- Take breaks! This may be the hardest piece of advice for not just me, but for many dedicated martial artists out there. There was a time in my life where I was going to classes six days a week and training in multiple classes per day. I doubt I will ever have that kind of energy and drive again, but there are times when I wish I could just train and not worry about how I feel the next day. I’m still relatively young so it may seem quaint for me to say this, but there are circumstances where it would be best to take the night (or weekend, or even week) off in order to recharge not just the body, but the mind as well. One thing about chronic illnesses is that they don’t just affect an individual physically but also mentally and emotionally. A distracted or unfocused mind can often lead to a subpar class experience, and so taking some time to refresh will do wonders to one’s concentration.
- Go to class! This might seem contradictory from point 4 above, but going to class doesn’t necessarily mean working out. You don’t have to sweat to learn something; during my months of recovery, I still went to the dojang, but instead of putting on my uniform I sat on the side and watched. I was still too weak physically to participate, but I still listened to the instructor and even helped where I could if the instructor was occupied. My mind was still sharp, so I trained mentally where I could not replicate the moves with my body. Being in the studio environment also keeps you connected to everyone there too, and that will provide additional motivation to recover and get back into training shape.
I hope this helps some of you out there, whether you face a chronic illness or not. My journey is far from over, so I’m sure I’ll face other challenges both physical and mental in the future. If you have additional advice, let us know!!
