MARTIAL ARTS

Preventing Injury
Source Better Health,
Vic. Gov Oct, 2007
    
Type of Martial Arts

The many different forms of martial arts include karate, kung fu, ju jitsu, kickboxing, judo and tae kwon do. Martial arts are high-energy activities that can improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, speed and flexibility.

Each sport offers the participant a range of benefits including self-defense and the opportunity to build self-discipline. Most forms of martial arts are suitable for all ages starting from five years, but check with the association of your preferred sport. The risk of injury from martial arts is low compared to other contact sports. Most injuries are to the limbs and are usually mild to moderate such as bruises or cuts.

Common injuries

Most injuries occur when the participant is struck with their opponent's hand or foot.

Common injuries include:

Skin damage - such as cuts and bruises.

Sprains - injury to ligaments (the tough bands of connective tissue that hold joints together). A common injury is plantar fasciitis, which is bruising or overstretching of the plantar fascia ligament that runs along the sole of the foot.

Strains - injury to muscle or tendon. For example, a muscle may tear from the rapid stop that occurs when you make contact with an opponent or object.

Knee injuries - caused by the bent-knee stance typical of most martial arts and the use of forceful kicks that can injure the joint if not done properly.

Dislocations and fractures - particularly of the hand, finger, foot and toe.
Overuse injuries - any part of the body can be injured by sheer repetition of movement.

Risk factors
Some of the factors that can increase your risk of injury include:

Choice of sport - karate and kickboxing account for about half of all martial arts injuries.

Poor technique - holding or moving the body incorrectly can put unnecessary strain on joints, muscles and ligaments.

Using excessive force - failing to pull a punch or kick can inflict injury on an opponent.

Inexperience - beginners are more likely to get hurt because their bodies are not used to the demands of the sport.

Overtraining - training too much and too often can lead to a wide range of overuse injuries.
General health suggestions

Suggestions include:
If you have a medical condition, are overweight, are over 40 years of age or haven't exercised regularly, see your doctor for a check-up.
If you are thinking of enrolling your child in a martial arts program, consult with your doctor first. A medical check-up can help identify any particular injury risks your child may have.

Warm up thoroughly beforehand. Most martial arts disciplines recommend sustained stretching for at least 15 minutes before any kicks or punches are thrown.

Hydration
Drink plenty of water before, during and after activity.

Cooling Off
Allow time to cool down afterwards. Stretching is an important part of your cool down routine.

Upon warming up, the SAS workout is typically broken up into 5 minute circuits with 1 minute breaks between each circuit. This is of course to mirror the professional MMA fight structure of 5 minute rounds with 1 minute rest period between each round. If you're going to compete you can try to carry out some of your SAS workout wearing your mouthguard. Not only will this get you used to the feel of wearing it and how it affects your oxygen intake, it will also help your body to cope with a reduced airflow. No doubt you have watched fights where a MMA fighter has expelled their mouthpiece in the latter rounds: training with it in will help you complete your fights with your mouth guard in properly.

Although exercises using free weights are popular and effective, there are some fighters who prefer not to use them so if you do not have access to free weights or simply would rather not use them, there are alternatives. Personally, I believe a combination of both is the best solution.
Bodyweight exercises such as press-ups, pull-ups, dips, burpees, sit-ups etc should be a core component of any MMA workout and will improve strength and conditioning.

SAS Workout will be covering the following subjects and more:

Warm ups

Start slowly and build towards faster and stronger exertion. Warm up drills can involve body weight exercises such as sprints, press ups, pull ups, dips and jumping jacks, running, exercise bikes and of course skipping/jumping rope.

Exercises improve cardio

Running and cycling are excellent for improving cardio. Many fighters start their SAS workout with a run. If you are not used to running start slowly and work towards being able to complete a 2 to 5 mile run. Circuit training should also be incorporated into your workout, hit the trails on your mountain bike!! 

Strength building using weights and body weight exercises

Unless you have a reason not to use weights in your training program, the ideal SAS workout is generally considered to be a combination of both bodyweight and weight training. And if you are using weights, work on your bodyweight exercises first.

Bag work

Practice your punches, elbows, knees and kicks on a solid/heavy target. Apart from getting used to the feeling of hitting something solid, practice setting up your harder shots with jabs. Work your combinations. If you have access to a heavy bag it is very beneficial component of your SAS workout.

Workout equipment: commercial and homemade

If you are using gym then you will have access to virtually all the equipment you will need. However, if you are training without professional/commercial equipment it is possible to get a SAS workout with household items (for example using a pair of chairs for doing dips) and also to do basic stretching.

Nutrition and health

If you are not getting the proper nutrition into your body you will not get the full benefit of your SAS workout. Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and legumes, and getting quality protein from sources such as lean meat and fish is recommended. If you are a vegetarian or vegan you will need to pay special attention to your protein and iron intake in particular, but as you may be aware UFC fighter Mac Danzig is well known to follow a vegan diet so clearly the absence of fish, meat and even dairy does not mean you cannot compete at a world class level. Also you should cut out any junk you may be eating and cut down if not out any alcohol consumption.

Psychological training

If you are actually going to be competing in MMA, you will need to look at your mental preparation to your fights. Visualization is a recognized technique used by all kinds of elite athletes before competition and is without doubt a major tool in your mental preparation to a fight.

IMPORTANT

Injuries can result from any kind of exercise program and it is essential that you consult a health professional before taking up this or any other kind of exercise.
information on this site is provided for educational purposes and should not be used without first discussing your own personal details with your Doctor or other health professional.