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Protecting the Head and Neck
Taking martial art classes means that you're probably going to do some sparring, self-defense practice, and you may occasionally participate in a tournament. Because you are learning a combative art, much of your training requires will require you to interact with other classmates to practice your fighting skills.
While many martial art schools prohibit punches to the head and some are even "no contact" schools, the reality is that the individual you're interacting with, whether it's a classmate or tournament opponent, may not have the self-control necessary to avoid hitting you in the head. All the "no head contact" rules in the world won't help once that adrenaline gets pumping. Even more troubling is that fact that some people may even intent to give you one good shot for whatever reason!
On the streets, that attacker could care less about trying not to cause you an injury. As a matter of fact, he will probably try his best to hurt you as much as possible! So whether it's in class or on the streets, protecting the head and neck from injuries is essential and a skill that must be developed right along with your kicks, blocks and punches.
Head and neck injuries are serious and can lead to concussions, intracranial bleeding, stroke, loss of speech and vision, cervical neck injury and neurological damage. In worst case scenarios, head injuries can lead to death. On June 13, 2008, the website Shanghai reported that first year college student, Wu Jiaquin, died after a kick to the head during karate class which caused his skull to fracture and brain to hemorrhage. The article also reported that there were absolutely no safety measures taken at the karate school.
During my early karate days in the Dominican Republic, there was no such things as mouth guards, boxing gloves or headgear. The men I trained with thought nothing of taking strikes to the head and unfortunately, I saw my fair share of concussions. I noticed however, that many of these shots to the head were preventable as they were the result of poor blocking skills, lack of flexibility and poor overall physical conditioning.
One should decided to pay close attention to protecting the head and neck during class. Develop head movement exercises that can be passed on to students. Require them to practice these drills until they become automatic, because you never know when or where one of your students will be attacked or who'll be throwing that punch.
So whether you are a veteran or novice to the martial arts, it's time to start paying attention to protecting your head and neck. Headgear, mouthpieces and gloves are good, but I believe that they create a false sense of security. I recommend practicing evasion exercises, developing neck flexibility, keeping the hands in proper position and overall good physical fitness training. Remember, there is no protective equipment on the street and there is nothing honorable about putting yourself at risk for serious injuries.
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