Question of the day

[Black Dragon]

Can you still practice Kung Fu with a toren ACL? What about after surgery?

[bung bo]

i'm not sure about practicing when you have it torn. but hey, all those old school chinese opera and wushu people used to train with severe injuries all the time. i think my sushiung tore his once a couple or three years ago and had it operated on. he seems to be able to move pretty good now. if you absolutely have to train, work on hand work, i suggst.

[yu shan]

Joe had to take a year off after his surgery. It is bionic now. BD, I wouldn`t recommend training on a bum knee, have you been to a sports Doc yet?

[wall]

My sifu's son 8 years ago, age 27, tore an ACL during sparring. He rested it a few weeks and then begun a strenuous strenghtening routine to try to avoid surgery (scared of it). Well, saw him in july for the first time in 4 years, and at 35 now did a form which included, I kid you not: butterfly twist to splits, tornado 540, various spinning kicks, kip-up to head flips, as well as a host of low stances.
Hasn't had surgery yet!
Tells me it never troubles him, although when the leg is relaxed he can do a pretty scary "party trick" by pulling his lower leg sideways with his hands in a very weird way! When the (hugely strong) leg muscles are in action however I guess they hold it all together through the most extreme of motions.
Amazing stuff.

W

[fa_jing]

My dad has a torn ACL, he tore it in TKD class. He had arthroscopic surgery to clean out debris, but not the ligament replacement surgery, he decided against it. But he continued to practice TKD for a few years more, the only thing was that during sparring, he only kicked with the good leg. He eventually had to quit after a car accident, due to damage to his neck.

Interesting story, Wall. I didn't think such a thing would be possible.