Questions tagged [safety]

Minimizing or evaluating risk in the practice of martial arts. Includes inherently harmful techniques like strikes to the head, as well as potentially damaging techniques like chokes, and avoiding injuries through proper technique and classroom management.

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13 answers
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What martial art should I start with?

Young male, not looking for anything specific, but I am a huge fan of MMA in general. (not just the UFC/SF) What would be a good beginner martial art for both fitness and relevancy to watching MMA/...
Matt's user avatar
  • 448
69 votes
11 answers
188k views

How dangerous is it to choke someone unconscious or to be choked unconscious?

A little background: I was practicing with my instructor one morning. It was just him and me and we were doing free training of submission grappling. At one point I managed to get him in a choke ...
Jack B Nimble's user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
603 views

To prevent injuries, how do you discourage people from using excessive force?

This is basically a question about how to encourage randori (free play) versus shiai (competition) during throwing practice. Randori is supposed to be friendly; the objective is further development of ...
mattm's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
6k views

Arm Toughening Without Losing Sensitivity

There are arm-toughening drills in many martial arts. Usually, this consists of banging various parts of your arm against a partner's arm or a tree or other immovable object. I've been concerned ...
The Wudang Kid's user avatar
14 votes
11 answers
3k views

Men hitting women too hard in martial arts

I am the only woman cross training between three different schools filled with ten or so men in each. In many of my classes, if I do not fully understand a technique, they will hit me with more and ...
Bethany's user avatar
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13 votes
5 answers
5k views

Judo mats: any certification? what characteristics should one look for?

Is there any official certification system for Judo mats? What specific characteristics should one be looking for in a Judo mat? Remember the primary purpose of the Judo mat is injury prevention. ...
chobok's user avatar
  • 451
11 votes
2 answers
802 views

Balancing control and intensity in sparring

At my taekwondo school, we have several levels of sparring - non-, light-, medium-, and full-contact. We do, however, have one over-riding rule: no matter the level of contact, we always endeavour to ...
Rophuine's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
23k views

Risk of brain damage in casual/moderate Muay Thai sparring

I have been training Muay Thai for about a year now, and am concerned about the risks I'm taking with regards to brain damage. I spar about once a week, and I really don't get hit that often or hard ...
yaboi's user avatar
  • 197
8 votes
7 answers
781 views

Is it better to start out with a light weapon?

I am thinking of starting practicing HEMA (historical European martial arts), and so I am about to buy a sword to practice with. After looking around a bit I've become curious about how heavy a weapon ...
EscalatedQuickly's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
939 views

Why were leg-locks removed from Judo?

Early judo contained (in addition to strangles and arm-locks) various types of leg-lock. At some point in the early 20th century all leg-locks were banned in both randori and competition, and removed ...
brazofuerte's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
9k views

Is stretching with a partner beneficial, dangerous, or both?

One thing I've seen practiced before are stretches involving a partner, particularly for the legs. I've seen mixed reviews of this practice in a variety of different locations, and wondered if someone ...
David H. Clements's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
158 views

When Executing Head Strikes, Does the Increased Range of a Closed Fist Outweigh the Greater Risk of Knuckle/Hand Fractures (Compared to Open Palm?)

With the possible exception of Tameshiwari (breaking) devotees, most people using closed fists during a fight run significant risk of hand/knuckle damage. Even when striking the body, it is very ...
Futilitarian's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
407 views

Are EVA foam mats good for training?

I am in the process of building some kind of martial arts room in my basement. I also want to practice on the ground (and practice some falls) and might do some fitness inside the room too. Also, I ...
QuestionMan's user avatar