"I've been training jiu jitsu for at least 4 years now, but since i started i've had to stop a couple of times due to injuries (knee) and schedule (school and work) . But i always managed to come back and get back to shape with a just a couple months in, these time i've stopped for two months due to stress to the knees, but i feel like i can't get back to the same skill level i was before i stopped, hence the question."
Answered by Mik Milman
When I take time off, in about two weeks I feel “normal” and within two months of hard training I will be at my peak regardless of where I was at. I qualify this by a few things, but mostly by how well I move and then by how well I perform (conditioning, etc.).
It's up to you to decide how to qualify your skill level, but I have a suspicion of why you do not feel you’re at the same level as before.
One of the most common mistakes people make is to compare themselves to their training partners when measuring their progress. The problem with that is that you are comparing yourself to a moving measure. In other words, your training partners are getting better too! And odds are that if you took time off, they are going to have an edge on you.
Here is a a very scientific chart to illustrate my point:
Both of you are improving. But if you compare yourself to them it just may not seem that way.
My advice? Explore new ways to gauge your progress. How present I am with the roll and how fluid my movement is are my favorites, but there are many other ways to gauge your progress. But sometimes you’re just in a slump. If that’s the case, try changing your game up. I suggest checking out an article I wrote about what to do when you feel like you’ve hit a plateau for some ideas on how to do that.
I really hope this answered your question. Feel free to follow up in the comment section!
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