Steve Maxwell, World Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Champion and Joint Mobility Trainer
Joint mobility was something I was definitely NOT naturally gifted at. One of my first exposures to joint mobility was an enlightening experience, but it certainly didn’t go the way I expected or wanted. All throughout my first class, after being taught each exercise, my body still did not know what to do. I would think to myself, “I can’t move my neck like THAT,” and at the time I really couldn’t. I had a plethora of pre-conditions, one of which is called Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) – what happens when certain muscles forget how to contract properly (or at all). It really frustrated me seeing someone else being able to enjoy the freedom of movement that I couldn’t even mimic – the coach, Steve Maxwell, being 54 years old at the time. When Steve was tilting, I was twisting; when he was bending, I was rolling. I was even used as a class example of what NOT to do!
The beginner level joint mobility exercises were excruciating. I was aghast at how something that looks so easy and is at a beginner-level could be so challenging for me. I was accustomed to performing well at fitness or athletic activities. Well, joint mobility broke me down. And I don’t even want to bring up the intermediate exercises – bad memories. Thankfully, we didn’t advance any further than the intermediate level. I already looked pretty goofy by actually trying to keep up with the rest of the class.
Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.
The only way I can describe my first joint mobility experience was that it was like wearing a straight jacket around my entire body, all wrapped up in agony and immobility.
While I had used joint mobility exercises in pieces, here and there, I had never taken an entire class before. It was a humbling experience, and I knew that I had to work on restoring my range of motion. Little did I know that I was about to unlock a door to movement mastery and lifelong benefits.
.JPG "John Sifferman")
