As a general rule everyone who practices the gentle art experiences at least once an injury of some sort. This is not only the jiu jitsu reality. In fact, this is true of athletes of all sports. Dealing with pain and disappointment is difficult but it is even worse if it happens right before a tournament.

Physiotherapy, ice patches and surgery are the three things all sports enthusiasts fear. The time it takes to recover is by far the worst phase. You constantly have to withhold your need to train and pace yourself. A guy who’s lived through all of this is very familiar with the whole process – André Campos ( 27 ), a GB black belt from Joinville.

In 2011, the then black belt André underwent knee surgery that would cost him a long time away from the mats. It took him what seemed like an eternity to recover. When the day to put on the kimono came once again he realized there was still a long way of recovery ahead of him. He had to acknowledge and respect his limitations as the slightest oversight could cost him practicing Jiu Jitsu altogether.

With this in mind Andre thought he would never be able to train like he used to. He was aware of the risks , but some of the principles learned while practicing the gentle art encouraged him to persevere with his goal. “What jiu – jitsu taught me was to have a lot of patience, to not ever give up and always believe in my dreams,” he says at the São Paulo school.

Patience,  persistence and perseverance, these were the pillars of Andre’s return to competing. Even with less regular training sessions the champion succeeded in gaining back his combat form and remain focused on his end goal. “At the time I wanted to compete at the European championship but my operation was on the 10th of December. Despite of that I was back on the mats in January and suffered through a very painful month of training”

His desire to participate in the European 2011 championship motivated him. Many people doubted his ability to compete so quickly after receiving surgery, which discouraged the fighter at times. When he came in second, however, he viewed this as a much anticipated victory rather than defeat. “I was runner-up but was not disappointed at all. I knew just how much it had cost me to get there; all the sacrifices and commitment on the road to recovery, “said André Campos.

“Pain and fatigue pass by, but honor and glory are here to stay ” is one of the phrases left to us by the father of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Grand Master Carlos Gracie. Once in a lifetime or sometimes even more often we all face a predicament, either inside or outside the dojo. There is pain, but the day of victory will repay everything that you faced throughout your journey.

Respect your limits . Maintain your mental health with positive thoughts and understand that no matter how difficult an obstacle may seem, you are able to win. Make it happen by being the first to believe in your victory.

Oss!