Master Worlds: A Surgeon’s Perspective
First things first. I recommend everyone earn their black belt so you can sit in front of the yellow barricades and actually see. No other reason than that… just kidding.
I love coaching and supporting athletes. Not just my current teammates either. My old teammates and the friends I cross train with too. It makes me so happy seeing people succeed. The amount of encouragement, hugs, and beauty I saw in people this weekend in Vegas was spectacular.
The Athlete In Me
People of all ages go out there, including several athletes over age 64, to test their skills, their mind, and their body. I saw so much heart in these competitors. They left everything on the mat.
I watched one of my buddies go against a guy who was an absolute unit. Much bigger, much stronger. My friend was stuck on bottom with his guard closed for a good two minutes, unable to move the boulder of a man on top of him. Then, to my surprise, he swept the guy… immediately being trapped in a guillotine. Shit.
But, he refused to tap. It wasn’t that tight yet. His opponent completely gassed, and my buddy ended up submitting him. I couldn't cheer because I was in shock at what had just gone down. Instead, I just grabbed his little sister's arm, while my jaw hit the floor.
And that was only the beginning of the beauty I watched this weekend.
The Surgeon In Me
I don't only watch with an athlete's eyes. The surgeon in me never clocks out.
I saw at least three poorly done jumped guards this weekend and heard about a few more. It seems to happen quite a bit in the Masters divisions, where many of us have work on Monday. When someone jumps guard with bad technique, it sends a huge force right above the knee and can create devastating injuries. Ones that need surgery and take almost a full year to return to training. That makes me sad because it is avoidable.
The athlete on the other end can do everything right and still get hurt. The only real way to protect yourself might be to pull guard first. And I know this is controversial, but unless we can guarantee people learn to jump guard properly at the hips, I think organizations need to protect athletes by banning it.
I saw plenty of other injuries too. Elbow dislocations from posting hard to avoid a sweep. Hyperextended elbows from armbars. One of those armbar hyperextensions was avoidable, and unfortunately the match wasn't stopped in time.
Final Thoughts
We play with fire in this sport, and that is part of the fun. The athlete in me was in awe of the heart people showed. The surgeon in me was quietly documenting every mechanism of injury I would recognize on Monday. Thinking of more ways to keep safe, so that we can do this sport until the day we die.
This is just a taste of my strange and beautiful brain. I know exactly what our bodies are risking out there, because I repair it for a living and I've felt it myself. Even with that, I still believe it's worth it. The trick is respecting the fire while you play with it. Train smart, choose partners wisely, tap when you need to, and protect the people across from you so we can all train on Monday.
Congratulations to everyone who stepped on those mats this weekend. You are incredible.
------------Dr. Megan Lisset Jimenez
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