Sport
Martial arts share a mat but not their injuries. The grappling arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and judo, throw, pin, choke and lock joints, so knees, shoulders, elbows and fingers take the strain. The striking arts, karate and taekwondo, aim kicks and punches, so heads and feet do. Mixed martial arts (MMA) combines both with full-contact strikes, and has the highest injury rates in competition. Most training injuries happen in sparring, and the rules, how well you fall and how early you tap all matter.
This guide sets out what differs between the five, the injuries each brings, concussion under each governing body's rules and the UK guidelines, what's known about chokes and neck injuries, falling technique and the warm-ups that have been tested, weight cutting, skin infections and ears, and the strength and interval training that helps. There are two workouts with 3D demos: a strength workout for martial artists and a warm-up with breakfalls. We're not connected with any martial arts federation, club or brand.
Grappling with throws, chokes and joint locks (BJJ and judo), striking with kicks and punches (karate and taekwondo), and both, with strikes on the ground (MMA). The injuries follow the contact: knees, shoulders, elbows and fingers in grappling; heads, faces and feet in striking; head injuries most of all in MMA.
Per 1,000 athlete-exposures (one athlete in one bout): MMA 228.7, karate 88.3 and taekwondo 79.3. BJJ tournaments recorded 9.2 per 1,000 match participations, and 1.1% of judo competitors in France over 21 seasons were injured. These are different measures, so compare them with care.
British Judo, British Taekwondo and the World Karate Federation (WKF) each set their own return to sport after a concussion. Members follow their governing body's current rules, and everyone else the UK grassroots guidelines: if in doubt, sit them out.
British Judo says a choke can cause unconsciousness in 6 to 15 seconds. Most chokes leave no harm that studies have measured, but rare torn neck arteries and strokes have followed them. British Judo treats being choked unconscious as a brain injury: out for the event, then a graduated return.
Good breakfalls keep the head off the mat. In Japan, 90% of catastrophic judo head injuries were in people under 20, mostly while being thrown.
Judo's IPPON warm-up didn't significantly reduce injuries in 269 recreational judoka, and taekwondo's Get Set warm-up made no difference to injuries overall in 362 elite athletes.
The Compendium of Physical Activities rates martial arts at a moderate pace, including judo, jujitsu, karate, kickboxing and taekwondo, at 10.3 METs (multiples of your resting energy use).
Practice at a slower pace by novices is rated at 5.3 METs, so a beginners' class is moderate to vigorous exercise. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) lists martial arts among vigorous activities.
In BJJ, maximal, isometric and endurance strength go with success. In judo, lower-body strength separates elite from recreational players. In taekwondo, leg power and flexibility stand out, and in karate, speed, agility and hamstring flexibility. These are associations from athletes' profiles.
In grappling, knees twist in guard, takedowns and leg locks; elbows are forced straight in armbars; shoulders take falls and shoulder locks; fingers take gripping the jacket (gi); and the neck takes chokes, cranks and head-first falls. In striking, the head and face take blows, and the feet, shins and hands take kicking and blocking.
Studies count injuries per 1,000 athlete-exposures (one athlete in one bout), per 1,000 hours, or as the share of athletes injured, and competition and training differ. Read each line on its own.
In MMA there were 14.7 to 16.1 concussions per 100 athlete-exposures. Of 778 US BJJ players, a quarter reported a BJJ concussion (43% of the women), and 30% of them went back to training the same day. Karate and taekwondo bring head and face injuries, and judo's most serious head injuries happen when people are thrown. Our concussion guide covers the return to sport.
In Japan from 2003 to 2010 there were 19 catastrophic neck injuries in judo, mostly in experienced players attacking, and 7 people were left completely paralysed. Diving head-first to defend a throw was a risk in professional judo. Our neck pain and pinched nerve in the neck guides cover everyday neck problems.
The knee takes a quarter of BJJ injuries, most often the meniscus and the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments (ACL and MCL). In brown and black belt BJJ competition, athletes exposed to heel hooks had 26.5 knee injuries per 1,000 matches, against 2.2 in those who weren't. In judo, an ACL rupture was the most severe injury, and 5% of those who had one stopped judo. Our ACL, MCL, LCL (lateral collateral ligament) and meniscus tear guides cover them.
Shoulders take 13% of BJJ injuries. In French judo competitions, shoulder dislocations were commoner in men, sprains at the point of the shoulder at ages 18 to 20, and broken collarbones at 10 to 14. In BJJ competition the elbow was injured most often, from armbars, and elbows took 14% of injuries at Europe's top judo events. Our shoulder dislocation, AC joint pain, broken collarbone and elbow pain guides cover them.
Judo's long-term injuries include finger joints, BJJ brings finger sprains, and the wrist and hand take 6 to 12% of MMA injuries. Taekwondo injures the legs, especially the feet, and BJJ competition brings rib and rib cartilage injuries. Our broken finger, mallet finger, broken hand, wrist pain, foot pain, ankle sprain, rib injury and costochondritis guides cover them.
In judo, a slipped disc was the second most severe injury, and experienced BJJ players reported more low back injuries. Our back pain and herniated disc guides cover them.
In BJJ, competing, older age, a higher belt, more training days and teaching went with more injuries, and heel hooks with many more knee injuries. In MMA, losing, fights ending in knockouts, older age, a previous knockout and heavier weight classes went with more. In judo, young people were hurt being thrown and experienced players while attacking. In taekwondo, men, heavier athletes and weight-loss periods, and in karate, senior and male competitors, had more injuries. All of these are associations.
In 224 professional fighters (131 in MMA and 93 boxers), more fights and more years of fighting went with smaller volumes of two deep brain structures, the thalamus and caudate, and slower processing speed. That's an association in professionals, and our boxing page reports the same study.
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British Judo's contest rules don't allow chokes (shime-waza) or armlocks (kansetsu-waza) in any category only for athletes under 16. Under-18s may not use the head to throw or to defend a throw, and less experienced judoka may not grip around the neck or use turnovers that "crank the neck". Any athlete who loses consciousness "for any period of time, no matter how brief, as a result of a strangulation or for any other reason" can't continue for the rest of the event.
The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) bans some techniques outright and restricts others, such as heel hooks, by age and belt. Check its current rules for your division.
At three World Taekwondo Championships, injury rates fell from 13.5 to 6.4 and then 8.6 per 100 athlete-exposures as rules, scoring and match formats changed, with fewer head, neck and severe injuries. In brown and black belt BJJ competition, heel hooks went with 12 times the knee injuries, which supports keeping them for experienced adults. These studies observed changes rather than testing them.
IPPON is "a trainer-based warm-up programme with dynamic exercises focusing on the shoulder, knee and ankle". Each session starts with running and breakfalls (ukemi-waza), then 12 exercises, 4 from each of three groups: flexibility and agility, balance and coordination, and strength and stability. Trainers choose them from 36, each rated easy, moderate or difficult, with partner exercises last. Each exercise takes about a minute, and the programme takes about 10 minutes, twice a week; in its 4-week pilot it never took more than 15.
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In the Netherlands, judo schools were randomised to the trainer-supervised IPPON warm-up or their usual warm-up, and 269 recreational judoka aged 12 and over were followed for 16 to 26 weeks (cut short by COVID-19). On average 23% were injured at any time with IPPON, against 28% with the usual warm-up, a difference that could be chance, and severe injuries didn't differ significantly either.
All trainers and 70% of athletes saw it as a success, and the authors suggest it as an alternative to a usual judo warm-up. They report high adherence, but the figures weren't in the abstract, so we couldn't check how often clubs did it.
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In 362 elite adolescent and young adult taekwondo athletes aged 16 and over at South Korean training centres, randomised by group, the "Get Set-Train Smarter" warm-up made no difference to injuries overall. The abstract also reports results for severe injuries, but in a way we couldn't read clearly, and it doesn't describe the warm-up's content, how often it was done, or how many athletes kept to it.
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A pilot of the MASS-12 warm-up in one recreational jiu-jitsu club, with a coach and 7 athletes over 2 weeks, improved a knee-alignment measure and hop height, but measured no injuries. Two other judo programmes have been published but never tested.
No warm-up programme has clearly cut injuries overall, BJJ players taught to break-fall weren't injured less often in a survey, and neck training hasn't been shown to prevent concussion.
Across 20 studies of 504 athletes in judo, boxing, karate, wrestling and fencing, strength training improved maximal and isometric strength, power, flexibility and balance, and sport-specific actions in judo and karate. In BJJ, maximal, isometric and endurance strength go with competitive success.
Across 20 studies in Olympic combat sports, high-intensity interval training, running or sport-specific, raised VO2 max (the most oxygen your body can use) more than comparison training, with a large effect, and improved average and peak power. An earlier review of 9 studies found VO2 max gains of 4.4 to 23%.
Judo: upper-body anaerobic power and lower-body strength. Taekwondo: leg power and flexibility. Karate: speed and agility, with aerobic fitness possibly crucial in sparring. MMA: not yet known. These come from athletes' profiles, so they're associations.
Neck strength can be trained, as our rugby page shows, but across 8 team-sport studies the link between neck strength and fewer concussions was small, not significant and very uncertain. We found no martial arts study, and the link between neck strength and better breakfalls is weak too.
Our suggestion: two strength sessions a week on days without hard sparring or randori, power before strength in each; one or two interval sessions a week in 4- to 8-week blocks before competitions; easy aerobic work on other days and one full rest day; and no heavy leg sessions or hard intervals in the 48 hours before a competition or grading (editorial). If lifting and a hard mat session fall on the same day, keep them at least 3 hours apart: explosive gains suffered most when strength and endurance work shared a session.
The UK grassroots guidelines: anyone with a suspected concussion stops at once and doesn't return that day, doesn't train or play for at least 24 hours, and is assessed by a healthcare professional or through NHS 111 within 24 hours; call 999 for any red flag. Then comes relative rest for 24 to 48 hours and a graduated return, with training that risks head impacts only after 14 days free of symptoms at rest, and no competition before day 21. See a GP if symptoms last more than 28 days.
Members of a governing body follow its current rules; everyone else follows these guidelines. Our concussion guide sets out each stage.
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British Judo's concussion and strangulation protocol: immediate removal and assessment by a healthcare professional; 24 to 48 hours of initial rest; 14 days of relative rest, free of symptoms by the end; then light aerobic exercise, judo-specific exercise without head impact, non-contact technical training (back at work or education first, with a healthcare professional's clearance before the next stage), full-contact technical training, and a return to randori. Each of those stages lasts at least 24 hours at 19 and over and 48 hours under 19.
British Judo sets a minimum total of 19 to 20 days at 19 and over and 23 to 24 days under 19, and a 7-day route only for World Class Programme athletes under direct medical supervision. Being choked unconscious follows the same protocol.
British Taekwondo: "IF IN DOUBT, SIT THEM OUT". After a head injury or concussion it sets a suspension of 30 days at 17 and over, 40 days at 15 and 16, and 50 days at 14 and under, in line with World Taekwondo, with a graded return over the last 8 days.
The WKF's international medical rules: no competition for at least 2 weeks over 18, or 3 weeks under 17, after a concussion or a contest stopped for hard blows to the head; longer after repeated concussions; and a neurologist must certify fitness before competing again.
BJJ, MMA, kickboxing and other clubs without their own protocol follow the UK grassroots guidelines. England Boxing members who compete in other combat sports carry their boxing sanctions with them: "any medical sanction i.e., no sparring for 30 days, should apply to all combat sports and not just boxing".
In 24 police officers, a neck restraint that cut blood flow through the carotid arteries brought the first sign of losing consciousness at about 9.5 seconds. British Judo says unconsciousness "commonly occurs quickly", in 6 to 15 seconds, and that brain injury or death can follow within 3 to 5 minutes, so referees and coaches must stop the contest at once. A 1987 review put it at 10 to 20 seconds.
In an online survey of 4,307 people, 28% had been choked unconscious at some point and 0.05% reported lasting symptoms, though they were self-selected. Reaction-time and reading tests didn't change after choke submissions compared with other submissions in 62 BJJ players, and 20 grapplers who had each been choked more than 500 times had neck arteries and blood markers of brain injury no different from a comparison group's. In the UFC, 11% of 904 fight-ending chokes caused loss of consciousness.
A review found 40 reported cases of torn or blocked neck arteries in martial arts, in people aged 7 to 66, 53% after chokes and 18 in BJJ. A series of 10 sport-choke cases had 8 torn neck arteries and 2 strokes without a tear; 9 survived. These are case reports, so no one knows the rate. British Judo lists voice box fractures, airway swelling and strokes among the risks, and says "strangulation does represent a hypoxic brain injury, no matter how brief, and the brain therefore needs time to recover".
Tap early and clearly, and release at once when your partner taps or goes limp. Don't choke anyone with a known neck, artery or heart condition: British Judo says narrowed carotid arteries make a stroke "significantly higher". Judo doesn't allow chokes in competitions only for under-16s, and the IBJJF restricts submissions by age and belt. Anyone choked unconscious stops for the day and follows the concussion protocol, as British Judo requires.
Signs of a stroke, such as a drooping face, arm weakness or slurred speech, even hours or days after a choke, mean calling 999.
British Judo bans turnovers that crank the neck for less experienced judoka, and using the head to throw or defend under 18. In Japan, experienced judoka's catastrophic neck injuries happened while attacking, and diving head-first to avoid being thrown was a risk in professional judo.
Across 16 biomechanics studies, breakfalls (ukemi) kept head movement below injury thresholds, novices fell differently from experienced judoka, and tiredness made breakfalls worse. When an expert was thrown with osoto-gari and broke the fall, peak head acceleration was lower than in a dummy whose head hit the mat.
In Japan from 2003 to 2010, 27 of 30 catastrophic judo head injuries were in people under 20, mostly while being thrown; 94% were bleeds between the brain and its covering (acute subdural haematomas), and 15 people died.
In a BJJ survey, people who had been taught to break-fall weren't injured less often, and no trial has tested breakfall teaching against injuries.
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Our suggestion: learn breakfalls on mats before you're thrown with force, and practise them at the start of every session, as IPPON does; tuck your chin so your head never touches the mat; beginners and children should be thrown only by partners who control the throw; and stop throwing when you're tired (editorial). A proposed judo return-to-competition protocol after concussion brings breakfalls back step by step before partner drills and randori, though it hasn't been tested.
Across 26 surveys of 3,994 athletes in 14 combat sports, losing weight before competing was "highly prevalent", often started in the teenage years, and was usually under 5% of body weight over 7 to 14 days, mostly through more exercise and gradual dieting, though "in some special cases" extreme. Rapid weight loss is typically 2 to 10% in the last 2 to 3 days, by starving, restricting fluids and sweating, and some researchers argue it should be banned.
An elite MMA fighter lost 18% of his body weight over 8 weeks, including 9% in the final 24 hours by dehydration, and developed high blood sodium and acute kidney injury, with signs of relative energy deficiency. In elite taekwondo athletes, injury rates were 6.88 per 1,000 hours during weight-loss periods, against 3.66 in normal training, with more severe injuries. Some studies link weight cycling with judo injuries.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2025 position stand gives target losses, up to 4.4% of body weight in the 24 hours before a weigh-in with supervision, and says the long-term effects are unknown. The society declares funding from supplement companies.
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Compete at a weight you can make with ordinary eating and training, and no dehydration methods for young people (editorial, as on our boxing page). Low energy intake harms bone and health in women and men, so see a GP if your periods stop or you keep getting stress injuries.
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"Close quarters and skin trauma from contact sports can lead to outbreaks among teams", and good equipment care and personal hygiene reduce the spread; governing bodies set return-to-play rules for rashes. The NHS says ringworm spreads by close contact and shared towels: treat it early, don't share towels, and see a GP if it doesn't improve.
Our suggestion: shower soon after training, wash your gi or kit after every session, clean the mats daily, don't train with an untreated rash, and tell the club (editorial).
A blow to the ear can collect blood under its skin (an auricular haematoma); "Combat sports like wrestling and boxing are the usual causes". Prompt drainage prevents infection and cauliflower ear, and pressure on the ear for 5 to 7 days afterwards stops it coming back. Our suggestion: get a swollen ear seen the same day (editorial). We found no study of ear guards.
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Built on the structure of judo's IPPON warm-up: running, breakfalls, then exercises for flexibility and agility, balance and coordination, and strength and stability, about 10 minutes, twice a week. It's the only martial arts warm-up tested in a full trial, where it didn't significantly reduce injuries. Its own 36 exercises are in the programme's materials; the moves here are our choices within its structure (editorial). Breakfalls have no 3D demo yet.
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The movement on the figure: Single-leg hop and stick
Each has a 3D demo. Breakfalls, sprawls, hip escapes and kicks aren't on the figure yet.
3D demoCopenhagen plankAdvanced · A bench or box
3D demoSingle-leg Romanian deadliftAdvanced · A dumbbell
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoJump squatIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoKettlebell swingIntermediate · A kettlebell
3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar
3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoBar hangIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step
3D demoIsometric neck holds (four-way)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoHalf-kneeling Pallof pressBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoSingle-leg hop and stickIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBear crawlIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoFront-to-back leg swingsBeginner · A wallThe first two are new: a strength workout for martial artists and a warm-up with breakfalls. The boxing sessions suit strikers, and the light exercise session is stage 3 of the return after a concussion.
A 45-minute strength and power workout for BJJ, judo, karate, taekwondo and MMA: jumps, squats, single-leg work, pull-ups, carries, shoulders and trunk.
45 minIntermediate17 movesA wall, A bandA 15-minute martial arts warm-up: easy running, forward rolls and breakfall practice, leg swings, balance and hops, crawls, squats, side planks and bridges.
15 minBeginner17 movesCardio machine, A wallA 45-minute strength and power workout for boxers: jumps and chest throws, squats and single-leg hinges, push-ups, rows, rotator cuff, carries and grip.
45 minIntermediate18 movesA band, Medicine ballA 35-minute boxing workout with no sparring: a warm-up, three shadow boxing rounds, optional bag rounds, a punching finisher and core work.
35 minBeginner10 movesA band, A wallDeep neck holds and shoulder-blade strength in under 20 minutes: one of the best-supported kinds of exercise for a stiff, sore neck.
18 minBeginner11 movesA band, An anchor pointThe Nordic hamstring and Copenhagen adduction programmes from the football trials: a 10-week build, three adductor levels, then once a week in season.
15 minIntermediate6 movesA wall, An anchor pointA 15-minute hip opener: 90/90 switches, windshield wipers, CARs, Cossack squats, frog and pigeon.
15 minIntermediate8 movesA wallFront-split and middle-split days: hip flexor, hamstring and inner-thigh stretches, then strength in the stretched position. Alternate them 3 to 4 times a week.
25 minIntermediate16 movesA wall, An anchor pointA 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.
20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A bandA 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.
25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bandA 20-minute warm-up that trains your knees to track over your toes: side-hip strength, squats and lunges with alignment practice, balance and quiet landings.
20 minBeginner10 movesA wall, A bandAn advanced jump training session: pogo hops, box jumps, split squat jumps, broad jumps and depth jumps.
30 minAdvanced8 movesA bench or box, A stepThree 4-minute blocks of 20 seconds hard and 10 seconds easy, with bodyweight moves and a minute between: the timing of the Tabata study, at home.
22 minIntermediate10 movesA wallA 20-minute light session after a concussion: a symptom check, 10 to 15 minutes of easy cycling or walking, gentle bodyweight moves and a cool-down.
20 minBeginner8 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxTwo strength sessions a week fit around mat training; the two-day plan is the simplest start.
Two full-body strength sessions a week: the minimum that meets health guidelines, with every set, rep and rest, and an 8-week progression.
2 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week beginner barbell program: squat every session, alternate bench and row with press and deadlift, and add weight each time until it stalls.
3 training days50 minBeginner3 days a weekAn 8-week kettlebell plan for beginners: two strength sessions and a swing-interval day each week, with how to choose a bell and swing safely.
3 training days35 minBeginner4 days a weekA 4-day gym workout routine for men: upper and lower days, each muscle trained twice a week, with sets, reps, progression and the evidence.
4 training days50 minIntermediate3 days a weekA weekly workout plan for women: three strength days, cardio and pelvic floor training, with the evidence on periods, pregnancy and menopause.
3 training days45 minBeginnerThe NHS advises speaking to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time, or if you have medical conditions or concerns, and it counts martial arts as vigorous. The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone (PAR-Q+) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or fainting, other long-term conditions and their medicines, and bone or joint problems. A yes to any of them means checking first, and a beginners' class is the place to start.
The PAR-Q+ asks about concussion in the last 12 months. No sparring, randori or rolling until you're cleared under your governing body's protocol or the UK guidelines.
The Epilepsy Society doesn't recommend martial arts with blows to the head. Ask your doctor, tell your instructor what to do in a seizure, and see our epilepsy guide.
British Judo says narrowed carotid arteries make a stroke from a choke significantly more likely, and neck artery injuries after chokes are rare but reported. Our suggestion: no chokes or neck cranks until a doctor says otherwise (editorial).
Either is a red flag after any head injury. Our suggestion: no head contact or chokes, and ask your doctor (editorial).
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Our pregnancy guide lists contact sports, including martial arts, among those to avoid. Talk to your midwife about forms and non-contact drills.
The Ehlers-Danlos Society advises avoiding combat sports with unstable joints until you have the strength and control, as our hypermobility guide explains.
Choose a club that follows its governing body's youth rules: British Judo bans chokes and armlocks in under-16 categories and head-first throws under 18, the IBJJF restricts submissions by age, and British Taekwondo's suspensions after a head injury are longer for younger players. Our exercise for children guide has more.
Rapid dehydration has caused acute kidney injury. Compete at a weight you make with ordinary eating, and ask your GP (editorial).
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Finish the matching pain guide's stages before you go back on the mat: these injuries are easily repeated in grappling.
The UK guidelines call these red flags, needing urgent assessment by a healthcare professional or at A&E (accident and emergency), by ambulance if necessary.
British Judo says any of these after a strangle needs immediate assessment by a healthcare professional, or A&E.
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A face drooping on one side, an arm that can't be lifted and held, slurred or confused speech, sudden blurred or lost vision, sudden dizziness or a sudden, severe headache. The NHS says to call 999 even if the symptoms have stopped.
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Go to A&E: British Judo lists voice box and airway injuries among the risks of strangulation.
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The NHS says to get help from NHS 111 if, after a head injury, you're being sick, feel dizzy, take medicine that thins your blood, were drinking alcohol or taking drugs at the time, or have any other symptoms you're worried about. See a GP if symptoms last more than 2 weeks, and don't play contact sports for at least 3 weeks.
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An elbow that was forced straight and looks out of place, a shoulder that won't move, or a knee that locks or swells quickly needs A&E or urgent assessment. Don't try to put a joint back yourself.
Get it seen the same day, so it can be drained before it scars.
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Confusion, fainting, dark urine or passing very little urine: stop and get medical help.
Most chokes leave no measurable effect, but British Judo treats unconsciousness from a strangle as a brief brain injury needing a graduated return, and torn neck arteries and strokes have followed chokes, rarely.
A choke can black you out in 6 to 15 seconds, armbars cause the commonest BJJ competition injury, and heel hooks went with 12 times the knee injuries. Tap early.
A quarter of US BJJ players reported a BJJ concussion, and 30% of them went back the same day; judo's most serious head injuries happen when people are thrown.
Good breakfalls keep the head off the mat and cut head acceleration, though a BJJ survey found being taught to break-fall didn't go with fewer injuries.
Neck strength is trainable, but its link with fewer concussions is very uncertain.
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It's common, but rapid dehydration has caused kidney injury, and injury rates nearly doubled during weight-loss periods in elite taekwondo.
Prompt drainage prevents the deformity and infection.
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In French judo competitions, 1.1% of competitors were injured, and youth rules ban chokes, armlocks and head-first throws. The risk lies in being thrown before learning to fall.
In competition, MMA, with about 23 injuries for every 100 times a fighter competes, mostly to the head. Karate and taekwondo come next, with mostly minor injuries, and BJJ and judo have fewer, mainly to joints. Most training injuries happen in sparring.
Most BJJ injuries are sprains and strains, especially to knees and shoulders, and most happen in sparring; serious injuries are less common. Tapping early, rolling with control and keeping to your belt's technique rules lower the risk.
Usually it leaves no measurable harm, but it's a brief lack of oxygen to the brain, and rarely a choke has torn a neck artery and caused a stroke. British Judo stops anyone choked unconscious for the rest of the event and requires a graduated return.
Stop at once and get assessed within 24 hours. If you're a member of a governing body, such as British Judo or British Taekwondo, follow its current protocol; if not, follow the UK grassroots guidelines, with no competition before day 21. Our concussion guide sets out the stages.
Squats, single-leg hinges and Copenhagen planks for the legs and hips; pull-ups, carries and hangs for grip; and rotator cuff and trunk work. Strength training improved strength, power and balance in combat sport athletes.
Lower-body power from jumps and single-leg work, leg and hip mobility, and balance. Elite taekwondo athletes have high leg power and flexibility, and interval training improves fitness for bouts.
Learn breakfalls on mats before you're thrown with force, with your chin tucked so your head never touches the mat, and practise them every session. In lab studies, good breakfalls kept head movement below injury levels.
Losing a few per cent over weeks is common, but fast dehydration before a weigh-in can harm the kidneys and goes with more injuries. Compete at a weight you can make with ordinary eating.
Shower soon after training, wash your kit after every session, don't share towels, keep mats clean and don't train with an untreated rash. Ringworm spreads by close contact and shared towels, so treat it early.
Get it seen the same day. A collection of blood under the ear's skin needs draining to stop it hardening into cauliflower ear.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
