Injury Effects of Martial Arts Strikes

The practitioner of any martial art bears a dual responsibility: to defend oneself/others, but use reasonable and necessary (but not excessive) force. This means to use physical force sufficient to control or subdue one's opponent without causing further bodily damage past the point where the attacker is controlled. In the adrenaline rush of a real threat, this becomes a difficult task to remember. In order to help the martial artist, knowledge of potential damage that can be caused by the various techniques must be understood. The approach to the following information is from a western medicine perspective and is not meant to describe the subtleties/effectiveness of eastern concepts such as chi flow or pressure-point fighting. Also, the following is meant to give the reader a solid background, but must be generalized as there are too many various martial arts styles and techniques to include examples of each strike. The following is not a complete listing of every possible type of injury or outcome, but should give the reader a sense of the powerful body damage that can occur with martial arts techniques. It is advised that every martial artist contact the American Red Cross to take their First Aid Course and to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and some schools require this of their higher ranks. The following information is not given to diagnose or treat injuries. If there is any doubt about an injury or potential injury, seek medical assistance immediately.