N00b down!

**Gary Busey** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 1:17am

So my second BJJ class was tonight. We were drilling and my partner landed on me and I was positioned awkwardly. I felt one of my floating ribs POP! I sat out for a little and then went back in to see how it felt. It was sore but i could compensate by protecting it with my arms. I did end up sitting out more than half the class though. It is now some what sore (basically a little annoying) but not terribly so. My question is what do I do? Should I attend class and just watch? Try to participate and see how it goes? I know the best advice is to rest it with ice on it and maybe some anti-inflammatory meds. I also know rib injuries are common in BJJ but on the second day really? come on that just isn't fair. (1.5 classes epic fail!)

**Tonfa** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 6:11am

That sucks, sorry to hear about it. Attend and watch primarily. If the warm ups feel fine, then try light rolling or skill work. If it still hurts or twinges, sit back and enjoy watching your brothers hurt eachother :-).

Could be worse... Know a guy who threw out his knee his first class in Krav Maga. Old injury and he literally stepped wrong, no one had even touched him.

**judokarl** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 10:25am

I am assuming you have heath insurance, because very few people are brave/dumb enough to practice a martial art without it. Ice it and give it a few days to see if it feels better.In the mean time just sit in class and watch. There was a large chuck of my yellow belt days in judo where I worked on just foot work because of a broken arm. If it doesn't get better go see a doctor. One of my friends messed up his shoulder then kept doing class anyways and now he has to have surgery. There is no reason to risk aggravating it further when you can take the slow and steady way to recovery.

**downtime** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 1:35pm

Take it slow. I cracked three ribs as well as sublimated one or 2 when some executed a Judo throw on me super hard. I took about 2 weeks off and got X-rays just to make sure I wasn't super destroyed. When I went back to training I was very clear with my training partners that I didn't want to go full bore during rolling sessions. I also firmly believe in Chiro's it's possible you just sublimated it and an adjustment may make you feel way better. This combination actually allowed me to compete at NAGA only a month after my injury and I felt pretty good, I healed up quick.

**nils** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 2:39pm

Last time I cracked a rib -12 years of martial arts never really injured me, but 2 hours of soccer and it happened - the doctor prescribed me a kind of half-corset (hard to describe, but your physician will know). With it, I could keep on training two days afterwards.
On the other hand, I do kickboxing (and off course didn´t spar hard until it healed) and could imagine that such a device would be awkward in BJJ.

I´d still recommend getting one, as long as your insurance pays for it.

**Petter** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 3:06pm

Originally Posted by downtime

Take it slow. I cracked three ribs as well as sublimated one or 2 when some executed a Judo throw on me super hard.

Er, sublimation? Or sublimation? That doesn’t seem to make sense. I doubt your ribs turned into gas.

I took about 2 weeks off and got X-rays just to make sure I wasn't super destroyed.

Rest time and seeing a good doctor = good ideas. X-rays may not be necessary; if your doctor doesn’t suggest it, you probably shouldn’t. Many injuries can be diagnosed by other means (like description and palpation), and overuse of medical scans are a pretty big problem. Most of the time, it’s extra money, a small risk of unnecessary interventions, and a teeny-tiny risk of cancer, all for no benefit.

I also firmly believe in Chiro's it's possible you just sublimated it and an adjustment may make you feel way better.

Do you mean subluxation? (Not the same thing as the imaginary spinal subluxations that chiropractors focus on.) I understand physiotherapists can deal with those.

**Gary Busey** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 6:18pm

How bad is Muay Thai on the ribs when just starting? My gym offers it, and I was going to cross train BJJ and MT after a few months of BJJ. Since I will not be able to do BJJ for a while, would it be smart to try to do something else? I just do not want to be on the couch for weeks.

**downtime** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 6:22pm

I meant subluxation. (sorry I should have paid more attention to what I was typing) Where the ribs move and get displaced slightly. The Xray was ordered by my primary care then given to the chiro. (which ultimately showed the fractures) originally I just thought I had bruised myself. Funny you mentioned the corset, I almost forgot about that. My primary mentioned it to I believe it's called a "rib belt" he mentioned it but then said that due to the fact that I was breathing ok he didnt think it was needed. (he said there's pros and cons to it.) My fractures were on my back side though not the front like most rib injuries (right below my left should blade)

I can tell you though that I went to go back and train maybe sooner than I should have (before I knew they were fractured) and I had a training partner much "smarter" than me say ok then let me take side control and if it doesnt bother you then train if it does agree to go to the Dr. So we made the agreement, he then laid on me I gasped, then got up and skipped class that day and made the call to my primary. (good training partner, I can be a bit dense when it comes to taking it easy with an injury) Oh incidentally said "smart" training partner was the same one that actually threw me causing the fractures LOL ah well s*&t happens.

**downtime** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 6:27pm

Originally Posted by Gary Busey

How bad is Muay Thai on the ribs when just starting? My gym offers it, and I was going to cross train BJJ and MT after a few months of BJJ. Since I will not be able to do BJJ for a while, would it be smart to try to do something else? I just do not want to be on the couch for weeks.

Well it depends on your Muay Thai coaches doesnt it. We've been working kicks all month so lots of Thai kicks to the legs/body and some knees. Even with a belly pad these can be pretty brutal to that area of the body. we do strength and cardio as well to include core exercises, so I would imagine sit ups and such would suck. I would talk to your instructors and let them know how your feeling and if they can think of things to participate in at a level of activity that you feel you can do. If you do a lot of handstikes with mits and bags while you recoup I think you wouldnt kill yourself.

**elipson** · Posted On: 4/05/2012 10:45pm

Sit out and watch next class. Ice it lots.

If it still hurts in a week, go see a Chiropractor.

If it currently hurts like hell to breathe, go see a doctor cuz it may be broken.