Sparring and Health

[Jay]

Im just interested in whether you all think sparring is safe. Ie Full contact

I was reading something on muhammed ali and maybe it has got me a little paranoid but what are the chances of you becoming 'punch drunk' ie getting serious head trauma from full contact sparring. Okay we wear protective gear but how much does it really stop long term injury.

[pittbullJudoka]

Becoming punch drunk wouldn't be my main worry on this topic. I would worry more about being knocked out multipule times without the proper recovery time in between. If your cardio is good you'll be able to recover from being punch drunk fairly quickly without any lasting effects. But to help aviod injury to the brain you need some quality equipment. Start with a good mouth piece, quality gloves, and boxing style head gear.

Learning proper defence techniques will also help in avioding punch drunk conditions. Shoulders up, jaw closed ect.

I have been punch drunk numerous times and don't feel that I have suffered any perminated damage from it. Now if you get knocked out that's it for the night.

I believe if you wear good gear you'll stop the effects of long term head truama. But no matter what gear you use you always run the risk of some type of long term injury in a contact sport such as martial arts.

[yingampyang]

I think it is very safe if both oppoents have respect for each other.

[tori]

I think with any sport there is a risk. Full contact Martial Arts has just as much risk for serious injury as boxing. I would like to think that most people would be respectful of there opponent, but just go to youtube and look at some full contact matches. Crazy!

[cross]

A few things come into play here.

Firstly, getting hit hard in the head alot is not good for you.... common sense.

Secondly, a pro boxer is likely to get hit ALOT harder and more often than the average person sparring with 16oz gloves and headgear.

Thirdly, dehydration is a big concern. Most of the damage is done in the later rounds of boxing matches due to the fact most fighters are suffering some level of dehydration at that point, which means less fluid to protect the brain, and more likelyhood of doing serious damage.

Is sparring safe? It certainly can be, depending on how safe you and your partners make it. Usually common sense will prevail and getting hit in the head for the sake of getting hit in the head shouldnt be your reason for undertaking the sparring in the first place.

[bushido_man96]

There are some good points here. Full contact with some protective gear should not have any long-lasting effects, I think. Ali is just one case; there are a lot of other professional fighters out there that don't have the same problem. Like Pittbull says, if you do suffer a concussion, you need to stop for the night, and then see a doctor to follow up.

[ps1]

It's as safe as can be expected with two people kicking and punching as hard and fast as possible with the intent of knocking each other out.

[sabro]

Repeated concussions are associated with serious and lasting damage, including memory loss, cognitive disibilities, sleep and attention problems, pain, loss of movement and what many old boxers and football players have- boxer's parkinsons. The follow up may speed your short term recovery, but the damage adds up over time. If you get stunned, or knocked out more than a few times, it is time to hang it up while you can still walk and feed yourself.

[NightOwl]

As 'martial arts' assumes an activity associated with combat in some manner, a degree of risk is to be assumed. However, the likelihood of getting 'punch drunk' is not very high. Many boxers who receive constant punches almost exclusively to the head don't end up with it, and there are much more common things to worry about.

Like ringworm