Sentence:  [Blake] Beckford was diagnosed with a chronic bowel disease that left the lining of his colon covered in ulcers, cutting short any chance of his getting into the fitness industry just when he'd started working towards it. 'I was diagnosed at about 19, so I was still very much <WSD>learning the ropes</WSD>,' he says. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To learn the basics or master introductory knowledge.