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Take care of your Karate kid
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Some simple measures to prevent injuries in schoolchildren learning martial arts
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Photo: M. Karunakaran
Awesome force The power of karate has to be channelised
Millions of schoolchildren across India learn martial arts, the most popular being karate, kung-fu, judo and tae kwon do. From an anxious parent’s perspective, it is good that children only participate in school years and few go on to hardcore,
life-threatening, professional martial arts, but injuries occur nevertheless. Thankfully, life-threatening injuries are rare in children, but lesser injuries are common, and there is much that parent and coaches can do to prevent them.
Irrespective of the martial art, the commonest injuries are contusions, lacerations and sprains. The legs, arms and neck are particularly vulnerable. As children progress, the strength of blows and the momentum of falls increase.
“Karate kids” are at risk of hand and foot fractures – especially toes and fingers. The digital nerve of the little finger is vulnerable during karate chops.
The dangers
Judo and kickboxing can fracture the long bones, pelvis, and ankle. Shoulder, finger and toe dislocations can occur with violent falls and punches. More severe injuries can occur with blows to the chest, head, neck, abdomen, and genitals. The whiplash force in a violent blow to the head is comparable to the impact of a high-speed car crash. Parents should accept that injuries are inevitable, and the benefits of martial arts training outweigh the risks.
The odd bruise or contusion is no reason for stopping a kid from learning a potentially life-saving sport.
Hiring a trainer with proper credentials is the most important thing parents and schools can do to ensure safety in martial arts. The trainer should be able to recognise a serious injury, administer first aid, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, splint a broken limb, and have the sense to keep an injured cervical spine immobilised until help arrives. Parents should keep the trainer informed about any special needs, concerns or handicaps of the child.
Protective equipment is vital. Teenagers might scoff at mouth guards, helmets and gloves, but they should have no choice in the matter.
Training on a carpeted floor or on sandy ground will lessen impact. Injuries are more common with poor conditioning and inadequate warm-up.
Children should attend martial arts training regularly or not at all. The sport does not forgive irregular participation.
RAJIV. M
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
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Mangalore
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Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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