Headaches from sparring....?

[k gledhill]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/24/law.nowinski/index.html

ANATOMY OF A CONCUSSION
A concussion occurs when the brain knocks against the inner wall of the skull, usually because of a blow to the head, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

The injury disrupts normal brain functions, and depending on the concussion's severity, an individual may experience a host of symptoms -- headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, impaired balance, amnesia or a loss of consciousness -- said Dr. Rick Kellerman, president of the American Association of Family Physicians.

"The brain has been stunned," Kellerman said

[t_niehoff]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/24/law.nowinski/index.html

ANATOMY OF A CONCUSSION
A concussion occurs when the brain knocks against the inner wall of the skull, usually because of a blow to the head, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

The injury disrupts normal brain functions, and depending on the concussion's severity, an individual may experience a host of symptoms -- headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, impaired balance, amnesia or a loss of consciousness -- said Dr. Rick Kellerman, president of the American Association of Family Physicians.

"The brain has been stunned," Kellerman said

We need to realize, first off, that WCK - fighting - is a contact activity (like boxing, like american football, like rugby, etc.). Whenever you do contact activities, there will be injuries. That's the nature of the activity. If you don't want to get tackled, don't play rugby.

If you frequent boxing gyms, judo schools, BJJ schools, MMA gyms, MT schools, etc. you'll find lots of injuries, most relatively minor but some serious (that require surgery). A judo school I go to from time to time even have a running gag about your rank being directly related to the injuries you've suffered!

That said, there are ways to minimize the chances for injury. Part of that is conditioning -- preparing your body for the rigors of fighting. Another part is using protective gear. Another part is training (fighting) at your level with proper supervision. Another part is how you structure your training. Another part is dealing with injuires. Etc.

There is no "easy, safe" way to develop good fighting skills, whether in WCK or boxing or grappling. The only people saying that there is such a way are people with no significant skills themselves who are selling a fantasy to people who want to believe the fantasy. The only way is through sparring, lots of sparring, and against better and better people.

[osprey3883]

Good post Terrence.
I tell people all the time that fighting/MA is a contact activity, and that if they don't want to ever get hit/hurt they should go play Bingo.

Matt

[TenTigers]

Dr. Rick Kellerman? Who'd a thunk it? My mom's gonna be so proud!
This is a definate chance of identity theft. Where's he live? I gotta get my hands on his wallet!
(hmmm, wonder if he's got a daughter, or a cute sister? Wouldn't have to change the monograms on the towels...)

[stricker]

any articles on brain damage and headaches caused by reading internet forums? :p

[anerlich]

It isn't possible to condition the brain to withstand concussion.

Accidents happen, but wearing your injuries as badges of honour is moronic. Having a permanently ****ed knee, ankle or shoulder really gets in the way of your training. Even temporary injuries of this nature can significantly mess up your training plans, competition goals, etc.

Especially so with concussion. Getting knocked out is bad for you and potentially life-threatening.

My instructor's father died as a direct result of a concussion he sustained during a mugging outside the hotel he was staying at. He came to afterwards, dusted himself off, went inside, put himself to bed and never woke up.

Instructors who advocated hard sparring without taking steps for safety are headed either out of business, into the courts, or both. Both my WC and my MMA/BJJ instructor have trained some successful MMA fighters, and neither of them required hard sparring all the time to do it.

Requisite for proper conditioning is adequate recovery time, and at an advanced level, periodisation.

FWIW, I have been knocked out a few times, lost teeth and have minor issues with both knees all directly resulting from MA training. Ive cracked ribs and had black eyes, damaged joints and torn muscles too numerous to mention. How that effects my legitimacy or otherwise as a martial artist is unclear.

[YungChun]

Instructors who advocated hard sparring without taking steps for safety are headed either out of business, into the courts, or both. Both my WC and my MMA/BJJ instructor have trained some successful MMA fighters, and neither of them required hard sparring all the time to do it.

Requisite for proper conditioning is adequate recovery time, and at an advanced level, periodisation.
VERY GOOD ADVICE/THOUGHTS..

[t_niehoff]

It isn't possible to condition the brain to withstand concussion..

I didn't suggest you could.



Accidents happen, but wearing your injuries as badges of honour is moronic. Having a permanently ****ed knee, ankle or shoulder really gets in the way of your training. Even temporary injuries of this nature can significantly mess up your training plans, competition goals, etc.

Especially so with concussion. Getting knocked out is bad for you and potentially life-threatening.


Again, I'm not suggesting "wearing your injuries as badges of honour" -- I'm saying that if you do a contact physical acitivity, they will occur. That is a given. The longer you do, the more intenely you do it, the more likely. That is the price of playing the game.

But, I'm saying that we should minimize that risk through doing certain things.



My instructor's father died as a direct result of a concussion he sustained during a mugging outside the hotel he was staying at. He came to afterwards, dusted himself off, went inside, put himself to bed and never woke up.


Certainly they are not to be taken lightly.



Instructors who advocated hard sparring without taking steps for safety are headed either out of business, into the courts, or both. Both my WC and my MMA/BJJ instructor have trained some successful MMA fighters, and neither of them required hard sparring all the time to do it.


Again, I advocate taking steps for safety in my post. And I never said that anyone should do "hard sparring all of the time." Just regularly and as the core of your training.



Requisite for proper conditioning is adequate recovery time, and at an advanced level, periodisation.

FWIW, I have been knocked out a few times, lost teeth and have minor issues with both knees all directly resulting from MA training. Ive cracked ribs and had black eyes, damaged joints and torn muscles too numerous to mention. How that effects my legitimacy or otherwise as a martial artist is unclear.

What? You've had all those injuries? Didn't your instructor take the steps for safety you advocate? Weren't you doing "proper conditioning"? ;) Thanks for making my point for me.

[anerlich]

I didn't suggest


Again, I'm not suggesting


But, I'm saying


Again, I advocate


And I never said


Thanks for making my point for me.

Man, what an ego. Was I addressing you exclusively?

It's probably impossible to say anything on this board without rubbing up against one of your posts, since there are so many, but I was addressing the subject at hand, not YOU. It's not all about YOU.


What? You've had all those injuries? Didn't your instructor take the steps for safety you advocate? Weren't you doing "proper conditioning"?

And I guess you still wonder why so many people here think you're an arrogant, snide, disingenous, unappealing, smarta$$, blowhard keyboard warrior whose ego is writing cheques his body can't cash.