Postmortem Of A Wrong Jump - Beyond Technicalities

Ever since my right ankle got injured, I felt that it’s a serious time for me to get back to the incident and analyze it historically. Kyaa kare…Once an analyst…Alwaaaays an analyst…he he he…research then becomes religion.

It’s a time for me to introspect as to what went wrong? And how can I avoid it in future?

I already mentioned in my previous blogs that my technique went wrong. But simply blaming the technique is not just sufficient. Of course, it forms the primary reason for my ankle injury. But there are other secondary factors too, which resulted in this miss-happening.

I have also mentioned earlier that my entire weight of 61 Kgs came on my right ankle while I landed on the slanting surface of the ground. It’s too much of a weight on an ankle which is made up of bones, muscles and ligaments, which are not strong enough presently to bear the shock. Oh yes! Shock should be the exact word which caused me an ankle injury.

The historical visualization of the incident revealed that my bulkiness (overweight), weaker bones & muscles, poor concentration, the lack of ankle sleeves and the absence of appropriate shock absorbing shoes are the secondary factors which attributed towards a plaster on my right leg. I seriously need to work on each of them…before I get back to action…

I was already on a weight reduction mode prior to this injury. To be in the range of an ideal Body Mass Index (BMI), I must weigh around 52 Kgs. I must work hard to shed those extra kilos of weight on my body so that elevation and landing becomes easier for me. Reduced weight will not apply too much of pressure on my Tibia & Fibula bones, my calf muscles and my ankle ligaments.

I spent countless number of hours doing research on how to make my knees and ankles stronger than what I currently have. YouTube proved to be a useful site citing best of the best videos through which I now know, how to make my lower body parts stronger.

Intake of proteins and calcium is very essential for me to build stronger muscles and bones. So I had to increase the quantity of Soya food and Skimmed Milk as a part of my daily meals. A liter of skimmed milk and two plates of soya food now form an integral part of my daily diet. Personally I don’t really support consuming protein powders and calcium pills. So my research on foods containing proteins and calcium in an adequate quantity is still continued…

Martial Art is all about concentration. That’s what my Sensai Virendra Lautkar used to preach me during my childhood. Somehow, I lost my grip on this aspect also. I now understand its true requirement as a martial artist. I did not waste even a single day to start Anapanasati, a technique that forms an integral part of Buddha’s Vipasyana way of Zen meditation. May be later on in life, I would attend a ten day camp of Vipasyana at Igatpuri, MP to understand its nitty-gritty’s.

I already possess shin guard with me. But my search for ankle, elbow and knee guards and sleeves is still in progress…may be once I get rid of this plaster thing, I would extend my boundaries from Gurgaon to Delhi searching them. After all proper security and precautionary measures are very important, especially when one indulges himself into extreme sports like Parkour. Real life situation would be entirely different. I will not wear these things when an application of Parkour would be required in a practical scenario…however, during practice sessions, I must not ignore them simply considering myself an undefeatable hero. We must not forget to respect the importance of taking precautions…

After seeing the above promo of Adidas Bounce series, featuring Parkour techniques, you must have been convinced about owning a proper shock absorbing shoe, especially when you are a traceur (Parkour practitioners). My online research on shock absorbing shoes revealed that XUVIA from Puma is the best Parkour shoe. However, it’s non-availability in the Indian markets disappointed me a lot. I spoke to three different Puma dealers about it, but none of them could manage to get it for me. Then I moved on to other sports brands like Nike, Adidas, Converse, Spaulding and Speedo…Fortunately, I managed to learn about Nike Shox…a technologically fit shoe for absorbing ankle shocks. I ended up searching and then buying “Nike Shox R4 Espionage” from a Nike Store near my place.

I found it very comfortable, especially on the rear side of my foot…where the ankle is located…but still, I felt something missing in my shoe…may be a heavy grip…so I continued with my research on appropriate Parkour shoes…

While watching a video on YouTube, I learnt that shocks would not only be generated on my ankle, but also on my toes…Most of the times, as a correct technique I would be using my toes to land on the ground…so quite often, my toes would also be exposed to shocks. Unfortunately, my shoe from Nike Shox R4 Espionage series can not provide me enough protection on my toes…so my search for a good grip along with toe & ankle protection continued. Again, countless number of hours were spent online to search an appropriate shoe…I successfully managed to narrow down my option of getting Adidas Bounce Series. Although, I was not so very satisfied with its gripping aspect, I had no other options but to settle for it, especially in a country which is completely ignorant to Parkour and its accessories. I carefully picked up Adidas Microbounce FH 08 series from an Adidas Store situated in a nearby mall.

Of course both the shoes costed me a hell on my pocket, but in the name of precaution, I am even ready to flip down my wallet on my martial art needs. Must tell you…my search for Puma XUVIA is still on…he he he…

I already mentioned earlier…right? Once an analyst…Alwaaaays an analyst…he he he…research then becomes religion.