ice ice baby
use ice it helps a great deal with those aches and pains. also soak in epson salt bath.
Epson salt, there you go. That works wonders. Ice is a given.
Last time I was sparring full contact regularly was when I was boxing 5 years ago. I’d have at least one headache a week after practice (5 days a week), but no long term effects have shown up. Of course I pee my pants now, but it must be unrelated…
Don’t ignore headaches if they last into the next day. I’ve been sparring full contact for 10 years and on the few times I have had a headache for more than a day I stopped for at least a week after the headache went away. The last time I took off three weeks because the headache lasted for five days on a off. We had a student get a concussion recently and I sat him for 6 weeks. Protect your brain.
I tell my students that if they are and amateur and get KO’ed twice they are done training with me. Pro’s can do what they want because it is their living. In over 250 fights my students have not been KO’ed in the ring but a few have gotten their bell’s rung hard enough that they were on no contact for 6 to 10 weeks. After even a small concussion you brain is susceptible to what is called “Second Impact Syndrome”, that is when a second head impact within a few weeks causes sudden brain swelling and can result in death. Many of the fighters that have died of brain injuries in the ring have been because of this.
Info:
Concussion (traumatic brain injury)
A concussion occurs when the head sustains a hard blow and the impact jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. The rapid movement interrupts the brain’s normal activities. Although there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other signs of a brain injury.
Symptoms of a concussion usually include any of the following changes in the person’s level of consciousness, such as:
Brief loss of consciousness.
Inability to remember what happened immediately before and after the injury (amnesia).
Confusion.
Asking the same question over and over.
Dizziness, vertigo, lightheadedness, or unsteadiness that prevents standing or walking.
Blurred or double vision.
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
Symptoms of concussion can be mild to severe, depending on the severity of the injury. If the injury is more serious, symptoms will usually develop within the first 24 hours after the accident. Symptoms may last for days, weeks, or even months following the injury.
Brain bruise (contusion)
Brain tissue can be bruised when the head sustains a hard blow and the impact creates a sudden movement of the brain within the skull. The brain can strike the skull with enough force to cause a bruise (contusion) in the brain tissue.
Brain tissue swells and bleeds when the brain is bruised. As the brain tissue swells and blood builds up, pressure within the skull increases and may damage brain tissue.
Bleeding within or around the brain
Bleeding within or around the brain is dangerous because there is little extra room inside the skull. As blood builds up, pressure increases inside the skull, compressing and damaging the brain tissue. The 3 most common types of bleeding are:
Subdural hematoma occurs when there is bleeding from a torn vein into the space (subdural space) between the brain and the layer of tissue (dura) that separates the brain from the skull. The bleeding can be either minor or severe, causing a slow or rapid increase in pressure within the skull. Symptoms of this type of bleeding may develop within minutes, hours, or occasionally weeks after the injury.
Intracerebral hematoma is bleeding directly into brain tissue, pushing tissues against the bones of the skull. Depending on the severity of the injury or stroke, symptoms of this type of bleeding may develop quickly or over a period of days.
Epidural hematoma occurs when there is bleeding from a torn artery into the space (epidural space) between the skull and the layer of tissue (dura) that separates the brain from the skull. The bleeding can be severe, causing a rapid increase in pressure within the skull. The victim may be unconscious at first, regain consciousness, and then lose consciousness again. (This type of injury is rare in young children.)
Never ever spar someone with 10 oz gloves…it should be 16 oz gloves! Plus…10 oz or less are used in actual boxing matches…u’re not getting paid to do this!
I used to play full contact, and when the headaches started, I stopped. Evry time I got clocked, and we’re not talking KO’d, just getting your bell rung a little, I was STUPID for the rest of the night, and the next day, I had headaches.
Headgear or no headgear, every time you take a shot to the head, your head snaps back, and your brain rocks back and slams into your cranium. Damage occurs EVERYTIME. I had a former student, who was very talented in hockey. He played in adult legues at 16, and from being slammed into the boards, and taking some head shots, he developed seizure disorder. Now, if he gets KO’d, he can die. If he gets jarred, he can go into seizure and die. If he doesn’t maintain his blood sugar levels, he can go into seizure, and die. This happened once, and he had close to a grande mal seizure. I cradled his head in my arms until it passed, got him some food and got him home. Not a good thing. Now,this kid still as far as I know studies martial arts(not with me)and he’s flirting with death. If he even holds a kicking shield for someone who can kick with decent power, he’s gonna get rocked. Not very smart. So make a choice, and depending on how much brain damage you’ve already incurred, the answer should be obvious, one way or the other.
I think SanShou Guru has a point, good post.
When I was amateur boxing (13 years ago) there where certain knockout rules. If you got KO:ed you were forced to rest from sparring and competition for 3 months, the second time 6 months and the third time for 1 year (I also think the license was under review after the third time). I can’t remember the time intervalls between the KOs.
It is important that the kwoons SiFu (SanShou Guru) takes responsibility for imposing a similar action.
/Cheers
Listen to guru. He’s been around and known his tish.
Footballer dies from brain injuries
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/steelers/2002-09-24-webster-obit_x.htm
Sparring
Thanks a lot for all your help, I am going to be a lot more careful about it from now on, I don’t think I’ll do any more sparring with gloves - kung fu is after all just a hobby for me.
Thanks again for your help, very much appreciated.
excellent information, sanshou guru.