Tournament accidents

[GeneChing]

This is sort of random. I thought we had a thread to stick this on, but I couldn't find a decent one, so I'll forge a new one.


Garden City Games: Six kung-fu fighters land in hospital (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/garden-city-games-six-kung-fu-fighters-land-in-hospital/)
On July 6, 2011 · In Sports
By George Onah Port Harcourt

No fewer than six kungfu fighters participating in the ongoing Garden City Games 2011 in Port Harcourt , Rivers State , have been admitted for intensive treatment at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, BMH.

Vanguardsports gathered that 30 of the sportsmen have so far been referred to the BMH from the City Hall, Moscow Road, while it was learnt that the admitted kungfu men where stretched out of the arena after their bouts.

It was observed that the “Bruce Lee” men and women are usually given first aid by the medics at the venue immediately after the flying and kicking bouts before being referred to the specialist hospital.

The condition of the six athletes could not be ascertained at the BMH because the nurses there told Vanguardsports that “we have orders from above that no visitor must be allowed to see them”.

However, nurse Anagalu at the venue of the combat told the press that there were doctors “at the hospital, who are part of this team taking care of the athletes on admission and of course they would get the best of treatment”.

Another medical personnel explained that “this kungfu thing is a very dangerous game and we are always treating them here after each tournament and we don’t expect any bad situation than what we have seen anyway”.

It would be recalled that one Kungfu athlete died during the last gasmes in Kaduna.

The 17th National Sports Festival has three medical stages for athletes and officials seeking medical attention at the primary, secondary and tertiary stages, which includes mobile medical clinic at the various event centers.

[lkfmdc]

Is this sanshou/san da they are talking about?

I initially saw "garden state" and thought NJ, but apparently not?

[Brule]

It was kung fu guys/gals, so i assume it was a broken nail or jammed finger from the point sparring "fights". :p

[David Jamieson]

a lot of silk pyjamas were ripped that day...:(

[pateticorecords]

That's because they never competed before;)

:D

[GeneChing]

I love the line "this kungfu thing is a very dangerous game".

[lkfmdc]

I love the line "this kungfu thing is a very dangerous game".

If this is sanshou/san da, well, I've seen some people seriously messed up.... especially when you have professionals vs amateurs, steroid abuse, and "loose" rules about certain things

[brothernumber9]

I remember in '95 at the world wushu tournament in Baltimore, there were a number of people that had to go to the hospital, some of which were even toulu competitors. I remember one guy was practicing two man set with a a teammate and speared his buddy in the ankle gashing him open. One of my sihings was one of the "doctors" althugh he admittedly was only a chiropractor. He was just like "well I can't do anything about this, you need to go to the hospital."
I also remember at the WKF tournament during the same weekend, a guy broke a finger or two doing push hands, broke down and acted as though he got his hand blown off by Rambo. How can you look at your kids and the face and tell them you broke your finger and acted like that doing a tai chi excercise.

[SimonM]

I broke my finger once practicing with boken with my brother. Yeah... we weren't using proper safety gear or, well, any safety gear. Anyway it hurt like a motherfuc%er but I got him a good one back, pinged him off the funny bone. :D

[sanjuro_ronin]

What I have seen in my time:
Broken arm, jaw, leg and ribs.
Concussions, KO's, choke outs galore.
I have seen shattered groin cups, bones protruding, knocked out teeth, huge gashes and lacerations.
One guy being carried out with a possible broken neck ( never found out what happened).
Dislocated shoulders and fingers and even an epelictic seizure !

[Brule]

What I have seen in my time:
Broken arm, jaw, leg and ribs.
Concussions, KO's, choke outs galore.
I have seen shattered groin cups, bones protruding, knocked out teeth, huge gashes and lacerations.
One guy being carried out with a possible broken neck ( never found out what happened).
Dislocated shoulders and fingers and even an epelictic seizure !

Now why don't you tell us what you saw at the MA tourney's and not at the local Portuguese bar after the FC Porto -vs- Benfica match.

[Lucas]

How can you look at your kids and the face and tell them you broke your finger and acted like that doing a tai chi excercise.

lol!!! i remember when i was first learning staff one day my training brother and i both broke each others fingers, but we kept training until the end of class and went to get splints the next day...freakin puzzies.

just throw some jow on it! broken fingers work fine!

[sanjuro_ronin]

Now why don't you tell us what you saw at the MA tourney's and not at the local Portuguese bar after the FC Porto -vs- Benfica match.

Theres is far too much truth in that !!

[JamesC]

SR, i'm about to send you a PM. Just a heads up

[sanjuro_ronin]

SR, i'm about to send you a PM. Just a heads up

I'll make sure to duck !

[pateticorecords]

this always happens at tournaments, there are always several injuries... I think the medical staff is over-reacting but heck... it made the news;)

[Jimbo]

At tournaments, I've seen:

A broken tibia with the bone sticking out;

Numerous K.O.s, including a few with convulsions;

Dislocated shoulders;

Broken ribs;

In a small Taiwan tournament's San Da-type match in the '80s (without headgear), one guy's nose was smashed by two stiff straight punches, and another's neck/jaw was messed up badly from a perfect, full-out, straight-leg spinning heel kick. Well, okay, these weren't accidents...

At an open tournament, I saw one of those XMA kids collapse/pass out a few moves into his form. He was out of it for some time (the only single-man form injury I've seen in a tourney). Maybe all the over-screaming/hyperventilating along with the fancy jumps?

[lkfmdc]

What I have seen in my time:
Broken arm, jaw, leg and ribs.
Concussions, KO's, choke outs galore.
I have seen shattered groin cups, bones protruding, knocked out teeth, huge gashes and lacerations.
One guy being carried out with a possible broken neck ( never found out what happened).
Dislocated shoulders and fingers and even an epelictic seizure !

and that was just the audience at a futball game

[Brule]

and that was just the audience at a futball game

Sheesh....keep up man, read the whole thread.

[GeneChing]

I almost put this in Busted Martial Artists (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48947), but then figured this new thread needs more luv. It's all about going to a tournament and ending up in a hospital.


San Jose cops: Poor loser assaulted opponent at martial arts tournament (http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18434737)
By Sean Webby swebby@mercurynews.com
Posted: 07/07/2011 04:56:02 PM PDT
Updated: 07/08/2011 06:14:09 AM PDT

In what martial arts organizers describe as one of the most vicious acts of poor sportsmanship ever witnessed, a 16-year-old Florida black belt bowed to his teenage opponent, shook his hand and then returned and kicked his victor so hard in the face that he sent him to the hospital for immediate surgery.

San Jose police booked the Miami Lakes boy, who is not being named because of his age, on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon in an incident that reportedly came after the suspect lost a closely fought taekwondo match in San Jose over the weekend.

Even though no weapon was used, police said the charge can be brought when an assault could produce serious injury or death.

Because he was neither a gang member nor considered an immediate threat, the boy was cited and released to his parents. He told investigators that he was upset with the judge's rulings that lead to his loss, police said.

Meanwhile the 16-year-old injured boy is recovering at the family's home outside of New York City, according to his father, a doctor who is also a black belt. He said he had no idea why his son was attacked.

"It goes against everything that is taught,'' he said.

National taekwondo organizers said they are considering serious sanctions, including banning the suspect from the sport for life.

"We are black belts,'' said Mark Kaufmann, USA Taekwondo's director of events. "We are supposed to hold ourselves to a higher standard of courtesy and self-control. Obviously, someone did not teach this kid these concepts.''

The attack was originally reported to the Mercury News by police as a fight between two contestants before their match.

But the newspaper later learned that the attack -- confirmed by police -- was reportedly unprovoked.

It came on Saturday afternoon after the suspect and the Long Island, N.Y., teen had fought in a featherweight quarterfinal match at the San Jose Convention Center. The winner had a chance to go on and fight in the World Class division and maybe, one day, get a chance to fight for the national team.

At the end of the match, the New Yorker was declared the winner when the Floridian lost points through deductions for fouls.

About 20 minutes later, witnesses said, the Floridian came back into the arena.

He approached the New York boy, who was sitting in a chair, had no protective headgear on and was scouting his next opponent.

Letting out a martial arts scream, the Floridian with a second-degree black belt whirled around, delivering a roundhouse kick to the face of the oblivious New Yorker, according to witnesses. Martial arts experts say this is one of the most powerful and dangerous kicks. His bare heel struck the boy just below the nose, knocking out some of his teeth, witnesses said. Doctors later told the victim's parents and coach that the foot missed by inches driving the victim's nose bone back into his skull and killing him.

J.W. Suh, the coach of the injured athlete, said he was sitting nearby and heard the loud thwack of the foot striking the teen's face. It sounded, he said, liked a foot hitting a leather target bag.

He looked up to see the teen falling to the ground and the suspect trying to run away. Suh, a former national team member and a national coach, leapt on the suspect and held him down.

"I applaud that coach for not taking a crack at the Florida kid,'' Kaufmann said.

Suh said he was just focused on not letting him escape.

"Everything happened so fast,'' Suh said. "Afterward, it didn't seem like either he or his father had any remorse.''

Suh said he went up to the father and said, "He almost killed my student. Is this what you teach your son?"

Police separated them.

Suh said the injured teen had been his student for seven years. His father, mother and sister are also martial arts students with him at Suh's High Performance Taekwondo Performance Center in New York.

"He is a great kid, a leader and a great role model for my other students. That's what makes this so sad," Suh said. "What we teach is deadly. It's supposed to help people who aren't strong. You have this power to hurt people if it's taught the wrong way.''
Man, San Jose, our own backyard. I know many people who attended this event.

[SimonM]

I almost put this in Busted Martial Artists (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48947), but then figured this new thread needs more luv. It's all about going to a tournament and ending up in a hospital.


Man, San Jose, our own backyard. I know many people who attended this event.

What was his dojo? Cobra Kai?

[Yum Cha]

What I have seen in my time:
Broken arm, jaw, leg and ribs.
Concussions, KO's, choke outs galore.
I have seen shattered groin cups, bones protruding, knocked out teeth, huge gashes and lacerations.
One guy being carried out with a possible broken neck ( never found out what happened).
Dislocated shoulders and fingers and even an epelictic seizure !

Yea, I knew a girl like that once too...

[Jimbo]

Gene:
In that article, it says the doctors mentioned about the kick missing by inches driving his nose bone back into his skull. The nose is cartilage; there is no "nose bone" to drive into the skull, though such a kick could have been a potentially fatal blow.

It sounds like they're describing a spinning hook kick rather than a roundhouse kick, if his bare heel was the striking point.

Freaking disgusting behavior, nonetheless.

[David Jamieson]

Gene:
In that article, it says the doctors mentioned about the kick missing by inches driving his nose bone back into his skull. The nose is cartilage; there is no "nose bone" to drive into the skull, though such a kick could have been a potentially fatal blow.

It sounds like they're describing a spinning hook kick rather than a roundhouse kick, if his bare heel was the striking point.

Freaking disgusting behavior, nonetheless.

Actually Jimbo, it's time to brush up on your anatomy. :)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Gray852.png/250px-Gray852.png

[omarthefish]

Having held an actual human skull in my hand during college anatomy, the "nosebone" may exist but the idea of driving it into "the skull" is patently comical.

1. The nasal bone is part of the skull so you can't really drive it into it's self.

2. Behind that nasal bone is layer upon layer of sinuses. It's like the crumple zone in the front of a car. Driving the nasal bone into the brain (the only thing back there with potential for a fatal injury) would be like throwing a piece of chewing gum through a keyhole of a locked door.

It's just not possible.

[Jimbo]

Actually Jimbo, it's time to brush up on your anatomy. :)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Gray852.png/250px-Gray852.png

I stand corrected... :)

Nonetheless, as omarthefish said, it cannot be driven into the skull. I'm surprised the medical doctors would say something like that, as the old "drive the nose bone into the brain with a palm-heel strike" thing was disproven decades ago.

[JamesC]

I stand corrected... :)

Nonetheless, as omarthefish said, it cannot be driven into the skull. I'm surprised the medical doctors would say something like that, as the old "drive the nose bone into the brain with a palm-heel strike" thing was disproven decades ago.

Wait...

You mean Con Air was WRONG!?

How dare you sir. How dare you.

[Jimbo]

Wait...

You mean Con Air was WRONG!?

How dare you sir. How dare you.

What can I say?

I'm an Xtreme risk-taker. :p

[sanjuro_ronin]

I stand corrected... :)

Nonetheless, as omarthefish said, it cannot be driven into the skull. I'm surprised the medical doctors would say something like that, as the old "drive the nose bone into the brain with a palm-heel strike" thing was disproven decades ago.

yeah, the old "nose bone' tends to be what people refer to as the nasal cartiladge and not the nose bone proper.
I good shot to the nose bone CAN break it, but all that will do is cause the nasal bones to be "loose" in the sinus cavities.
The danger of the "nose bone' strike in an upward angle comes from the very real danger of the whiplash effect on the back of the neck.

[David Jamieson]

A solid punch across the bridge of the nose is devastating.
It can literally suck the will to fight out of a man when he receives one of those.

for one thing, he can't see, his face feels like it is exploding with pain and lack of seeing is also disorienting.

It's a great place to punch someone if you wanna sit em down.

It's also a great reason for keeping your hands up and learn to slip, bob and weave instead of skip, jump and leave. lol

[sanjuro_ronin]

A solid punch across the bridge of the nose is devastating.
It can literally suck the will to fight out of a man when he receives one of those.

for one thing, he can't see, his face feels like it is exploding with pain and lack of seeing is also disorienting.

It's a great place to punch someone if you wanna sit em down.

It's also a great reason for keeping your hands up and learn to slip, bob and weave instead of skip, jump and leave. lol

Once saw a fellow bouncer ( karate) reverse punch a guy right between the eyes- picture perfect.
The guy was a good 6" taller and because of the upward angle, the guy was lifted off the floor.
Thing of beauty really.

[GeneChing]

Here's the verdict on our earlier post (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1112872#post1112872).

Black belt gets 8 months for brutal kick at San Jose match (http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_18768254?source=most_viewed)
By Sean Webby
swebby@mercurynews.com
Posted: 08/26/2011 08:16:11 PM PDT
Updated: 08/26/2011 10:51:47 PM PDT

After apologizing via a Skype video feed, a 16-year-old black belt who had savagely kicked a victorious martial arts opponent in the face after their match was sentenced Friday to serve up to eight months in the Santa Clara County boys' ranch.

Joshua Pena, of Florida, admitted to a felony charge of aggravated assault, according to prosecutors.

After he completes his sentence, Pena is expected to return home to Southern Florida, where the juvenile system there will supervise his probation.

"This was the best chance for this young man to get proper punishment, hopefully change his life around and produce justice for a really terrible crime he committed,'' said Chris Arriola, who supervises the Santa Clara County juvenile prosecution unit.

The victim, identified only as Dino M., spoke over the video feed from his Long Island home about the devastating and unprovoked attack. Although he is expected to recover completely, he still suffers form post-concussion headaches and doctors say he may lose all of his remaining teeth.

Reached at home, the victim's father said the family is still deeply upset. Of the sentence, he said, "We just have to rest with the decision. I don't think we are ever going to know why he did this.''

At Pena's court hearing, Arriola said, Pena tried to explain that "something inside of him snapped and that he needs to understand why that would happen and that he didn't want it to happen again.''

Friday's sentence closed a case that gained national notoriety as one of the worst incidents of bad sportsmanship within the youth arena of competitive taekwondo.

The July 2 attack came after Pena lost a closely fought match with his 16-year-old opponent in a featherweight quarterfinal match at the San Jose Convention Center. The winner had a chance to go on and fight in the World Class division and perhaps get a chance to fight for the national team.

About 20 minutes after the match, the boy was sitting down watching another match. Pena walked by, let out a martial arts yell and delivered a roundhouse kicked to Dino's mouth, shattering his teeth, smashing his jaw and sending him into surgery.

Doctors later told the victim's parents and coach that the kick could have killed him.

Adrienne Dell, Pena's lawyer, said that he was extremely remorseful.

"He and his family have been devastated about what he has done,'' Dell said. "He is aware that this boy will never be the same."

Pena was a straight-A student in a Miami-area public school heading into his junior year in high school, Dell said.

He had studied taekwondo for eight years and eventually wanted to be a doctor who specialized in sports medicine. As a result of his actions, Pena will stop practicing martial arts for at least a year and may be banned from taekwondo.

"Josh is a really unusual child and this is an unusual case,'' Dell said. "He has never had any trouble, he has lots of friends, a loving, supportive family. This is opposite to his entire character.''

[GeneChing]

Mom alleges injury at unsanctioned B.C. martial arts tournament put son in vegetative state (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mom-alleges-injury-at-unsanctioned-b-c-martial-arts-tournament-put-son-in-vegetative-state-1.7128425)
Police confirm investigation into what happened at 2023 Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship
Liam Britten · CBC News · Posted: Feb 29, 2024 5:00 AM PST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

https://i.cbc.ca/1.7128494.1709148962!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/zhenhuan-lei-and-ying-li.jpg
Zhenhuan Lei sits in a wheelchair at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster as his mother, Ying Li, holds a photo of her son before his hospitalization. Li has filed a lawsuit alleging people and groups connected to an October 2023 martial arts tournament are responsible for an injury that led to her son's vegetative state. (Liam Britten/CBC)
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Zhenhuan Lei had dreams of becoming a scientist, his mother said. He'd even conduct experiments late into the night. He once told her "life only affords a few chances."

But now Lei, a 26-year-old University of British Columbia chemistry grad student, is in a vegetative state and doctors say it is unlikely his condition will improve.

In a statement translated from Chinese and provided by her lawyer, Lei's mother Ying Li wrote she feels "as if I have experienced a death."

"A promising life of a future scientist, an ambitious young man, has now turned into lying in a hospital bed every day and staring at the ceiling," the statement read.

https://i.cbc.ca/1.7128477.1709150149!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/zhenhuan-lei.jpg
Zhenhuan Lei spent months in hospital before being flown back to China this week. Doctors have said it is unlikely he will recover. (Ying Li)

Li lays blame for her son's state at the feet of a number of people and groups involved with the Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship (WCMAC), which took place in October 2023.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, Li alleges organizers of the martial arts tournament failed to take steps to adequately protect fighters like her son.

She alleges the tournament referees and first aid attendant were unqualified and failed to keep him safe.

She also alleges the World Kickboxing and Karate Union Canada (WKUC) had no standing to sanction the event as B.C. law requires, making the event legally unsanctioned. And Simon Fraser University, the site of the tournament, did not ensure their facility was being used appropriately, the lawsuit alleges.

https://i.cbc.ca/1.7128473.1709148317!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/zhenhuan-lei.jpg
An undated photo of Zhenhuan Lei prior to his accident. Lei was a chemistry grad student at the University of British Columbia. (Ying Li)

The allegations have not yet been tested in court. No statements of defence have been filed.

Burnaby RCMP have confirmed they are investigating but would offer no further details.

Li now holds a committeeship — which allows someone to make decisions on behalf of a vulnerable person — to manage her son's affairs. She is seeking damages including the costs of her son's past and future care.

Her lawyer, Erik Magraken, says the lawsuit is seeking accountability and answers about tournament matchmaking, rules enforcement and medical response.

"We're hoping to get answers to all of those questions," Magraken said.

'Very little likelihood' of improvement

In her statement of claim, Li alleges her son fought three bouts at the October 2023 tournament at SFU.

The lawsuit says he was competing in an event called "continuous kick light." Li's lawsuit claims that, in fact, Lei was in a kickboxing tournament. Video of one of Lei's bouts shows him and his opponent wearing boxing headgear, shin guards and gloves.

The event, according to the claim, was advertised as having "light" and "controlled" contact, and athletes with prior pro fighting experience were forbidden from entering.

https://i.cbc.ca/1.7128949.1709163019!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_1180/zhenhuan-lei-fight.jpg
Zhenhuan Lei appears in a still from a YouTube video showing one of his fights at the 2023 Western Canadian Martial Arts Tournament. Lei is at left, the fighter with yellow trim and black-and-white headgear. The bout shown here is not the one that the lawsuit alleges included an ineligible opponent. The lawsuit does not allege any wrongdoing by this opponent, at right with the black and white shirt. The faces of spectators have been blurred. (Celly Entertainment/YouTube)

However, one of Lei's opponents allegedly had competed in Thailand in "what would be classified as a professional bout in British Columbia," and organizers did not stop him from taking part in the tournament.

That opponent allegedly struck Lei multiple times beyond the force allowed and referees failed to enforce the rules. The lawsuit accuses him of battering Lei. It also claims Lei displayed "signs of injury" yet organizers and promoters did not review his condition, and he was allowed to fight again.

After his final match, according to the statement, Lei showed signs of "profound" injury.

"He vomited multiple times," Li's statement reads. "He fell in and out of consciousness."

The statement of claim alleges proper medical care was not ready at the scene. It alleges organizers didn't call an ambulance quickly or communicate with the emergency dispatcher effectively and it took paramedics 90 minutes to arrive.

Lei allegedly suffered an acute subdural hematoma, a type of brain bleeding.

"Every passing minute was critical in treating this condition," Li's statement said.

Identical sworn affidavits from two doctors at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster assert "there is very little likelihood that the condition of Zhenhuan Lei will improve or that he will be able to care for himself in the future."

Defendants offer little comment

The statement of claim alleges tournament organizers tried to skirt provincial safety rules for kickboxing events as a cost-cutting measure by calling the event "continuous kick light." But it was, in fact, a kickboxing competition, the claim alleges, so the WKUC was not legally able to sanction the event.

The World Kickboxing and Karate Union Canada and several people named as operators of that organization did not respond to CBC News requests for comment.

A person named as an organizer of the Western Canadian Martial Arts Championship wrote in an email, speaking on background, "Our hearts go out to this young man and his family and understandably, as this is now a judicial matter, we are unable to comment."

SFU says it is "assessing next steps but cannot comment further as this matter is before the courts."

Li spent four months in Canada with her son in hospital. They flew home to China on a medical flight Sunday. An online fundraiser has been launched to help cover what are described as onerous medical costs, including their flight.

"Now, I have to embark on another journey, caring for him in the latter part of his life," she wrote.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Liam Britten
Digital journalist
Liam Britten is an award-winning journalist for CBC Vancouver. You can contact him at liam.britten@cbc.ca or follow him on Twitter: @liam_britten.
How absolutely tragic. :(