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Touchline • Issue 17 • 17
Many people involved in the martial arts see protection –such
as padding or mouth guards- as antithetical to the code they
support, which further opens the door to pain.
Minor injuries can be defined as injuries that do not cause the
competitor to stay out of the ring for a significant period of
time. All manner of strains, cuts and bruising come hand-in-
hand with martial arts. They are part of the experience. Some
of the most common injuries are:
Blistered fingers from grappling
Bruising from striking
Lacerations from fingernails
Sprains, particularly to the ankles and wrists in the
striking arts
Mid-Range Injuries will put you in hospital for a short period
and out of competition for much longer. All of these injuries
are treatable, naturally, but should be handled very seriously.
You should never rush back from them: recent research
into concussion shows that long-term brain damage can be
sustained should the activity be rushed back into.
Concussion
Fractures
Dislocation
Tendon ruptures
Life-threatening Injuries are rare in martial arts but not
unheard of. Utmost care should be taken during training and
competitions to reduce the risk of deaths. No injury should be
brushed aside, as some very dangerous conditions can take
time to manifest.
Rib fractures can puncture lungs and lead to severe
danger as air escapes from the lung, or internal
bleeding floods them
Head injuries: internal carotid artery dissection,
stroke, aphasia, hemiplegia and ophthalmic trauma
are all risks associated with blows to the head. Inter-
cranial bleeding is dangerous in the extreme
Beyond these risks, there are other health issues connected
to martial arts. Cauliflower Ears, a disfigurement prevalent in
rugby, often affects martial artists. This develops when friction
or repeated blows rupture blood vessels between the skin and
cartilage of the ear.
Karate, with its emphasis on hitting both objects and people
hard, can lead to a condition known as Karate Kid Finger.
Because of the repeated hitting, contusions can occur around
the base of the little finger.
The neck is one area placed under risk in martial arts. Often
holds are centred on the neck – even judo has a choke hold
designed to immobilize the opponent by cutting off the air
supply - and a blow to the head can cause whiplash in the
neck. Hitting the mat can also lead to hyper-flexion. At its
most extreme, this can cause paralysis.
Regardless of the statistics, it would seem that you are going
to get hurt if you take up a martial art. Interestingly, adult
males are more likely to get injured than females and children,
according to a 2005 study.
But even though it will eventually happen, there are a few
precautious, that, if taken, might just save you some pain and
time off work.
Choose the right martial art. In the same study, it
was found that you are three times more likely to
be injured in taekwondo than in karate and kung fu.
This is because over 80% of blows in taekwondo are
delivered in the form of high kicks. Karate, on the
other hand, focuses on “pulling” the blows before they
land.
Warm up and cool down. This will make your body
more supple, preventing strains and tears, if not
making you more able to swing out of the way of
blows
Always bow out if something isn’t right. If you feel
a twinge or pain, it could be a sign of something
worse. For example, a sore arm may be a sign of
Paget-Schroetter syndrome: a condition suffered by
those who repeat a sudden action with their arm.
Martial arts are just that: martial. They are designed to hurt,
maim and even kill. If you want to avoid danger, best avoid
these sports. But if you enjoy a touch of risk, they are definitely
worth pursuing.