In April of last year, I found out I had a torn biceps tendon in my left arm. Between letting that heal and moving our family cross country, I haven’t had much opportunity to train. Last night, was the first time I had gotten back on the mats since then.

I had been scoping out a couple places in my new town and was eagerly anticipating throwing the gi back on and getting in some work. I go in, sign the waiver and start up. We do some quick warmups, and then move onto the first technique. It was a self-defense technique for if someone comes behind you, grabs your neck and starts pulling you back. The escape was to turn out, so your outside leg was blocking the attacker’s. Then you pull down and basically trip him over your leg. Fairly simple and effective.

My partner and I do a couple sets each with no problem. Then, on my next turn, I turn out, but lose my balance for a second as I’m pulling down and extend my leg. Naturally, this puts my leg right in the middle of his downward path and he falls right across my knee. A couple pops and many expletives later, I’m sitting off to the side, icing my knee for the rest of the class. Was in there about 15 minutes before this happened.

Sorry the rambling post. Just frustrated and needed to vent at the prospect of missing another year of training because I’m a klutz. This is the third major injury I’ve had in almost eight years of training, all of them within the last three years.

Good thing is, I still have my knee brace from my first big injury (torn MCL – same leg), so I’m really hoping that wearing it and taking it easy for a few days will be enough to get me healed up sooner rather than later.

TL; DR – Went to first class in over a year last night, effed up my knee about 15 minutes in and now hoping nothing is torn.