Got this idea from my "crybaby" thread (it was a fair call Oldman!).

Are full contact, or high contact, martial arts detrimental to your health? By high contact I mean martial arts that may not be considered full contact, but still involve quite a bit of contact e.g. Semi-Contact Kickboxing.

I have heard of a Judoka who competed incessantly at high levels. He had arthritis by the time he was 38. Don't know if it was entirely Judos fault, but I am sure it didn't help the guy.

What about pro boxers or pro MMAists who are left with permanent damage after they stop fighting? It's their choice, and they know what they are doing (well, they should!), but its fair to say a lot of them are doing it in spite of the health risks.

On the other hand, are the physically demanding rigours usually associated with these kinds of arts the very thing that can keep people active and healthy? People who would otherwise not do that much excercise where it not for martial arts, for instance.

Included a Poll with this one. Please fill it in. Please also feel free to express an opinion on the matter:

Hard to say. MA skills will only really come about through resistance, and the threat of injury is real and persistent in such practice. No point in practicing so hard that you are too injured to use it for real, although I don't think anyone with a brain would intend to do so.

Tough call. The benefits outweigh the costs, IMHO. But my practice is not particularly aggressive.

Here's a tip: when conducting a poll, never include a choice like "it depends." An overwhelming number of people who answer are likely to choose that, and you will end up knowing nothing about what people believe.

Well the question will hopefully elicit some sort of response further from the poll, hence the "..." I put it in hoping to draw a more substantial response from a forum member.

If they don't want to comment further, then so be it. There choice. As you say though, it won't really tell people much overall.

I appreciate the suggestion though. Will bear it in mind if I Poll again. Without wanting to seem rude, if anyone else has any suggestions for how they think a poll could be improved, could they PM me please? I would rather not distract attention from the Poll itself.

Many thanks.

I voted Yes.

Without a doubt I have injuries in my knee, shoulder and hip that wont ever heal. And I can recall exactly when & where full contact training caused the issue. Im only 25.

Honestly, I believe the root cause was control on both parties involved, including myself. Better control in a full contact enviroment might wield different results. But if we were not going full on, we would of kept control.

Its a paradox really, its needed or your training is potentially ineffective. I can only imagine what long term practice does, even when I see BJJ veterans, they all seem to have had surgery at one point to fix something that got messed up while rolling.

This is a great poll, I think sometimes people forget even though were training, we are still training to do things to people that are not meant to happen otherwise.


Question though, in context of this thread does full contact training include solo practices that are HARD contact? Like makiwara, wooden dummy, or bone conditioning drills as done in various karate & kung fu methods?

I think it does depend, on time.

Most, maybe all, of the long time full contact martial artists I know have permanent injuries. Usually shoulders and knees and not enough to deter them from continuing, yet it does seem to be a matter of time...

I chose "It Depends". The reason I chose this is some people can works as intense as they can and nothing happens to them while others who work less intense see more injuries. HOWEVER for the majority I believe that working at higher levels most certainly can see more injuries especially some that could effect one when they get older.

I weight lift and have for over 10 years and while there are so many benefits with many that I will be able to carry over to my older years, the stress I'm putting on my body for the weights I am moving no doubt have taken their toll even at the age of almost 40.

Sport I played when younger such as football where I broke my collar bone have seen aches at this age.

Martial arts such as TKD and BJJ have left me with injuries far above just broken toes and fingers. Crushed vertebrae, reconstructed ACL and others.

When I play I play hard and I'm one it seems gets injured. I know others such as my Instructor who can boast the same thing. His involvement in the MMA world also has shown this for guys even younger then us in their 20's and early 30's that have aches and pains daily. And of course in my case, accidents can happen. Bumps, bruises, broken bones, torn ligaments ... all can happen when resistance is used.

I said yes because my first teachers had several operations on their bodies specifically if I remember right various shoulder, back, and knee/hip work. The thing I can't figure out is if it is over-training, over-competing, or not enough rest in between? I want to do MA till the day I die and while I want to start more physically active arts, I don't want to wreck my body to succeed at it.

'Will fighting injure you?'

The answer is obvious.

'Will you be left with permanent injuries?'

There is a risk, if not a likelihood. I fractured a vertebra in the middle of my back in 1990 and in 1983 I had my right knee twisted inwards (via a caught leg) almost 180 degrees - so I limped for a year. Both injuries haunt me today. Years of taking ungloved full-power blows to the chest have damaged the joints in my breastbone, which are arthritic. I have a bone sticking half an inch out the back of my right hand from fighting in 1989 (don't try stopping a front kick with your hand)...

Injuries - fighting. They go together like like a horse and carriage.