TRAINING TIPS 3

Safety Tips For Martial Arts Training

An orthopaedic surgeon provides the following safety recommedations:

Due to the ever increasing popularity of martial arts, and the official adoption of taekwondo as an Olympic sport in 2000, countless numbers of kids and adults alike have taken up the ancient art of defense either as a competitive sport, self defense technique, or simply for exercise and to decrease stress. While there are many different styles, such as taekwondo, hapkido, and karate, there is still potential for injury. In 2003, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 70,000 injuries related to martial arts were treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and emergency rooms.

Though some styles of martial arts may be considered as much of a contact sport as football, for example, the training is very different. Unlike other sports where weightlifting to build muscle mass and strength is very important, success in martial arts is built on strategy, technique, mental discipline, endurance and flexibility.

“Training with your own body weight used as resistance or working with light weights are preferred methods of preparation,” says Sherwin Ho, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and associate professor of surgery, Section of Orthopaedics at the University of Chicago. “Exercises that serve to develop strength, balance and flexibility are integral to martial arts training and help prevent injury,” Dr. Ho added.

Sprains, strains and contusions or bruising are some of the more common injuries associated with practicing martial arts. Strains can occur in both muscles and tendons and are caused by a sudden and extreme force that is greater than that area’s ability to handle. Bruising is another common injury seen in martial arts, occurring both in soft tissue areas, and also to bones.

When someone is struck on a bony surface, there may not be any discoloration, or swelling, but the impact may cause small fractures in the outer layers of the bone, which may take weeks to heal completely.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these tips for martial arts participants to train and compete safely:

Consult with a physician before beginning your conditioning to establish your readiness.

Train under the direction of a martial arts instructor who focuses on form and technique, rather than competitive strategy.

Wear the appropriate protective gear for your type of activity; for example, taekwondo, as a full contact sport, requires a head guard, a body protector, forearm and shin guards, and a groin guard.

Exercise to strengthen the stabilizer muscles: rotator cuff muscles and hip adductors (inner thigh muscles or groins) and abductors (muscles on the outermost part of the hip), which help to support the back and hips—critical to this activity.

Maintain proper breathing techniques when practicing martial arts to avoid injury—breathing out during the contraction portion of any stretching movement, and breathing in during the extension portion of any stretching movement.

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (http://www.aaos.org/)

What to Look For In a Good Martial Arts School

Although most Martial Arts schools are genuine, there are others who unfortunately are simply there just to make money. So just how do you spot a rogue school from a good one?

The first thing that you should look out for when searching for a Martial Arts school for your child, is whether or not they have the relevant qualifications. Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the qualifications are real, as some are made up and if you know nothing about Martial Arts you are not going to know which qualifications the schools should have. Also, on rare occasions there are people who forge their qualifications to make it look like they did pass when as a matter of fact they might not have even taken the right courses. However, that is only an extreme example and most schools do have relevant qualifications.

One way to tell if a teacher is good is whether or not they teach a class well. You should always insist on watching a class being taken at least once in order to see what their teaching style is like. Kids may not know whether the teacher is teaching them properly, but it is less easy to teach in front of adults in the wrong way without them picking up on it! You could also ask the children and other parents who attend the school just to see what their thoughts are and whether they find the classes helpful.

Another way of telling just how good a Martial Arts teacher is, is to see how they are after the lesson. Good teachers do not need to offer you special deals in order for you to take their class. Yes they would still be grateful for the extra work but they would not need to literally beg for it. So, if the teacher does try to hassle you into joining they may not be the best school to go for.

Overall it can be difficult finding a good Martial Arts school for your kids but it is possible and the best way to go about it is through word of mouth. It is easier going to a school that someone you know goes to too as that way you know the teaching style has to be good and genuine.

About Author: James Liu for more information go to www.ocjj.com

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