Athlete Update : Ruben Alvarez

Ruben Alvarez was one of the first people I interviewed on my blog. He’s a 19 year old purple belt from Fight Sports South beach who has worked his way up, and has competed and placed in the top tournaments. Unfortunately Ruben had a pretty unfortunate injury happen to him this past summer and he has been working hard to get back into the sport he loves.

Injuries happen in our sport and some of them can be really bad. Because Ruben is a friend I wanted to make sure I featured him, and kept tabs on his recovery. From a few weeks after the injury happened to getting back to practice, and hopefully his first tournament back.

When were you injured?

I was injured July 18th

Describe what happened to you.

I broke my leg in two places competing against Hector Lombard, Bellator MMA champion.

What is the extent of your injury?

the tibia and fibula were broken

How long did the doctor say you would be out?

One year

How long were you out?

I was out 4 months, But I am waiting to get the screws and plates out.

What did you do to aid in your recovery?

I did lots of physical rehab.

How did you work your jiu jitsu while injured?

I watched lots of videos of many different grapplers I like.

When Was your first practice back?

October 21st, a few days before the Miami Open

How was your first day back to class?

It was Amazing, I almost cried. Just to see my instructor smiling was the best feeling.

What has your training been like since you got back onto the mats?

It’s been ok. I’m still getting used to what I can and cannot do.

Do you have your eyes set on an upcoming tournament?

Hopefully,ADCC trials in March and Mundials in June, if God lets me.

Do you have any advice for other people going through a rough recovery?

Man try to stay positive. It’s hard trust me. I had my ups and downs. I owe all my recovery to friends and family.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I would like to thank my brother Hard Core for all he did, he was a major impact. My great instructor Cyborg, who helped me keep a focused mind and positive thoughts. He is my hero, if it was not for him I would not be there. My father and mother, I love them so much and I would not have made it without them. Enrico Cocco for always coming by and checking on me, and giving me positive feedback. He helped me a lot and is a great person. And all of my teammates from Avengers, Fight Sports, Deninho Fight Team, and Zen BJJ, thank you all for the calls and wishes, much love to all of them