I started my martial arts training when I was just 8 years old. I tried a couple other sports, but karate was my favorite. I continued for many years, and when I became a black belt, I became enthusiastic about competing in tournaments. It was like what you see in the movie “Karate Kid.” In a nutshell, it’s two competitors in a ring with a referee. When the ref says go, the fight is on! You’re awarded points when you hit the front of the torso or the head, depending on if it was a kick or a punch. The referee stops the fight for a moment to award the points, and then continues the fight until the next move makes contact. What an adrenaline rush!
Now… with karate being a contact sport, there are guidelines and rules set in place for safety. For example, you cannot purposefully kick or punch below the belt or to the back. Without the rules, it’s like the scene in the “Karate Kid” where his knee gets seriously injured. There is actually a list of “out of control” moves that routinely cause injuries (called “blind techniques”). These moves are not allowed in a sparring match for the safety of both competitors. BUT once in a while, they are used, and people get injured… this is one of those stories.
How it Happened
I attended a karate tournament when I was 19 years old, and my teammate and I won our first couple fights. We were moving through the bracket, and I was getting excited. In our next fight, we started to get points rather quickly, and I could tell that the other team was getting frustrated. Usually a frustrated opponent is great because they make more mistakes–but this time, one of the mistakes my opponent made was performing one of those illegal techniques. You can watch the video below to see exactly what happened (yes, that’s a video of me), or head to the next paragraph to just get my summary if you’d rather not see the actual hit that led to the concussion.
The referee said go. As I advanced toward my opponent, he spun and hit me with an illegal technique called a “spin backfist.” As soon as he hit me, I knew something was wrong. I saw a bright white flash, and I had an instant headache. I was dizzy and disoriented. I later found out I had a concussion. But in the moment, it never even occurred to me that I might have one. I was young and stupid. I thought I was invincible. So, I “shook it off” and continued the fight. The good news: I won the fight! But, that didn’t change the fact that I had a concussion. The next few day was rough. I had headaches off and on, it was hard to concentrate, and my brain was foggy.
What I Wish I Had Known
The scary part was that I since I didn’t know I had a concussion, I continued with the tournament. This isn’t uncommon. There are other athletes that do the same thing. Either they don’t recognize that they have a concussion and continue, or they do realize they have one and keep it a secret. Why? For fear that their playing time will be cut.
This is a problem not only because they aren’t getting the care they need, they’re also more at risk of getting a worse injury later on. I wish I have known what I know now. Why? Well, when I found out I had a concussion, I was told to rest… but check out this video to find what a concussion is and this second video to find out how to treat it.
