Hi everyone,
Does anyone here get light head-aches after sparring full contact and if so have you noticed any long-term damage?
It doesn’t feel right and I don’t intend doing it regularly but does anyone have any good advice?
Cheers,
NPM
I’ve never had a headache after sparring full contact. I imagine it can happen if you get clocked hard enough. How ofter do you spar full contact? you don’t want to do it too much - no more than once a week, if that.
headaches
If you take full contact shots to the head, even with protective gear, headaches are normal. So is brain dammage after too many of those (try to hold an intelligent conversation with a boxer :)) I took a moderate contact kick to the head last evening and I was up all night at the pill bottle.
If the headaches aren’t from getting hit, try some relaxation techniques before you go at it(Tai Chi or chigong, or some other meditation if you do that).
Also, you might get one of those double mouthguards. Get the good quality type that are specifically designed to reduce stress and shock of impact to the Temporomandibular joint.
If they persist I’d suggest seeing a doctor. There are a lot of conditions that could easily be aggrivated by even light trauma or shock to the head, and none of them are minor affairs.
“try having intellegent converstions with a Boxer”
I have. A professional one.
Not that I don’t belive it dosen’t cause damage.
I got rocked once, my legs quivered and my head felt bad for a week. I hope to avoid that in the future. I can take a regular hit, but no more knockout punches, please. Because I’d like to spar for many many years, till I’m 40 like my sifu. And still have longevity and my brain power.
I took a few shots to the head when I was boxing and full contact fighting.
I get dizzy, loss of direction and balance, sick to the stomic.
I don’t go full contact anymore(The doc says I can’t if I wanna save my brain).Plus 7 stitches under my eye isn’t any fun.
Sleep is the best medicine for those head shots.
What dnc101 said is a smart idea, have a mouth piece if your going to go full contact.
How’s your breath control, NPMantis?
Light sparring in and of itself shouldn’t hurt anybody.
Doing breath control while fighting helps a person release his jing as well as take hits from the opponent.
Without breath control, even shadowboxing can be a real headache.
Headaches???
Are you wearing a head Guard?
Do you wear a mouth piece?
seems like simple questions , but not everyone spars with these simple devices.
“duh” I know form experience 
But it could be a lot of things not just hard shots you’ve taken.Be safe not “SORRY” check with a doctor anyway.
You never really know? not trying to scare you ,but keep you aware. we usually wait until symptoms get real bad before we seek help.
I wish Bruce Lee would have went to a doctor when his headache started he would still be here.
just my .02 sents though:)
jmd161:)
If you get hit in the head expect head aches!!!
In terms of long term damage i understand that while any real head contact will damage a certain amount of brain cells real damage is done when prior blows have been tacken.
So if your sparing and take a hard one …feel even slightly concused then stop.
I also belive that you should spar within your ability and fitness as if you spar past the point that you can defend your head (i.e rais your arms to guard) you should stop.
I have been looking in to this alot as we sparr full contact ofton and i rely on my brain for a living (lend me a tenner guv)
Sadly my training is not always reflected by the statments i have made above!!
Jmd161
Good advise,
Welcome to the K.F.O. forum.
21 years in the martial arts, thats cool, I 'm sure you have a lot to offer.
but I think Bruce Lee died from an allergic reaction from some medication he was taking at the time.
Thank you very much.
logic,
Thanks for the welcome to the boards.
Yes Bruce Lee did die from an allergic reaction ,but from what i heard he complained of a headache before he took the pills to go relax.
I hope i can give some good advice or at least different points of view sometimes.
jmd161:)
Is your neck sore for a day or so too? If so, you might not be holding your head correctly. Been there, done that
Since WD mentioned the neck - It could also be a neck strength issue. The neck acts as a shock absorber when you take shots to the dome.
Hi,
Thanks a lot for all your replies. You pretty much said what I thought anyway. I don’t really like taking hits to the head, I was wearing a head guard and the other guy has 10 oz gloves on but after a dozen (medium power) shots to the head it started to hurt a little. I exercise my neck anyway, I wouldn’t say it was really powerful but it’s certainly not weak.
I think I’m just going to avoid it, I don’t mind hits to the body (we usually spar with no gloves and take medium power hits to the body) but not to the head.
Thanks again for al your help, really appreciate it!
Take care,
NPM
Here’s my input on the subject:
- Think defense, not offense while sparring full-contact
- Always think of balance, e.g. don’t lean back
- Do boxer neck-exercises, even if you get hit you don’t get your head snapped back(or sideways)
- Try to see the punch coming, even if you get clocked you can roll with the punch (the KOs are often never seen)
/Cheers
10 oz gloves? Well, there’s your answer right there. I don’t like getting hit with wet bags of concrete either
i’ve never had a headache after full contact sparring and i hope i never do
You have to train with someone you trust, and you have to know when to stop for a minute or stop completely, so you don’t get hurt. A dozen medium-power shots is too many.
Headgear and gloves are not always helpful in preventing hits that move the head a lot. After all, your head is bigger with gear, and may get hit more often, and the gloves make the striking surface larger, which spreads the force, sure, but it makes it so that what would normally miss the hid now does hit, and so the head can be moved more, at least in theory.
That being said, I’m not against head gear, I just don’t put any confidence in its ability to protect me when I have it on. Either I’m covering my head, or I’m taking unnecessary risks.
BE CAREFUL.
Can’t stress enough training with someone you trust to hold back when they know they really have you – no need to follow through with that tight crooss when your hands are locked up. Break a lot, make it seem excessive and unneccessary. Better safe then sorry.
Well, I know telling a dedicated MA not to fight is pointless. So:
I never experinced headaches after fighting, but use to get them all the time when I played football. I use to take two advil before hitting the field. I don;t know if it was mental or not, but it worked for the time being. No stopping next day pain after a game at nose tackle. One just learnes to live with it.
Funny thing now, when I was learning S Mantis, every class was taught with gloves and headgear, every once in a while no headgear and just body shots but things slip.
Now that I study internal, I’ve been doing less fighting and more self study of where I get the power. But I think its important to go through that stage of fighting to see what’s real. To learn about momentum and how to greet force. There’s no substitute. JUST BE CAREFUL!