Fighters Only

Issue 116

July 2014

When it comes to avoiding long-term brain trauma in sparring, thinking smart could add years to your career – and life. FO asks the experts for their advice.

Concussions and knockouts are part and parcel of fight sports. If they weren’t then, let’s face it, fans wouldn’t pack out arenas worldwide. They love knockouts and to even think about avoiding them completely in MMA would be detrimental to the sport.

However, managing a knockout, or even a concussion – when a fighter gets rocked or dazed by a head strike – is imperative to the longevity of a career. With, on average, less than a decade to achieve all they can, it’s vital fighters make the most of their time inside the ring or Octagon.

Sparring is one aspect of fight sports in the spotlight now. Many fighters are adjusting the way in which they train in order to minimize the amount of head strikes they suffer in the gym, while others are coming round to the benefits of quality equipment and tech spar sessions, where the action is slowed and technique revised.

It can also mean making big decisions when it comes to suffering head trauma. Decisions that often should be made by a third party via an official medical officer or coach. Lee Mein, owner of Canadian Martial Arts Centre, father and trainer to top-15 ranked UFC welterweight Jordan, has big opinions on head trauma, based on a lifetime of training and almost 15 years of MMA competition.

“You only have one brain, so you have to protect it,” Mein tells FO. “We spar hard at my gym, no head gear with 16oz gloves, and we say, ‘Light to the head, hard to the body.’ But you still get rocked and I tell my guys, ‘If you get dazed, you’ve got to let me know.’

“And if it happens, I’m having you sit out, you are done, you can go grapple for two months. I want to know. If my guy goes to a fight and he gets knocked out, and the doctor says, ‘You don’t have a concussion I’m only suspending you 30 days.’

“I hear you were dazed and you had that flash knockout, and you buckled, I’m not letting you spar for 60 to 90 days once you get back to the gym, even if the doctor said you are good.

“You are not good. And that one leads to the next one. And it becomes a problem. And it doesn’t matter if you are taking someone down, you bang your head on the wall or the floor, it’s a concussion. You slip on the ice tobogganing, it’s a concussion. You only get so many in a lifetime.”

Mein admits that having the strength to say no to a fighter who may have been KO’d in the gym when he has a fight looming and a family to feed can be incredibly taxing. But health has to come first and managing the amount of head trauma an athlete subjects him or herself too is essential, he believes, to both success inside the ring and long-term future quality of life.

Mein says: “The danger of being a fighter is that you keep fighting no matter what. You keep fighting. That’s not smart. It’s not healthy. I’ve always joked I get hit in the head a lot and I can’t remember. But it is a concern. And especially for Jordan, who is so young.

“He’s taken head trauma in hockey, rugby, fighting. There’s trauma. Over time it gets weaker.

“Maybe you can grapple for three months, you can be active and still be in the sport while your brain is healing and you’re doing the right thing. I pull guys out who don’t have the control.”

It’s in sparring especially where Mein and coaches like him the world over can best manage trauma. Good quality equipment and responsible sparring sessions can literally add years on careers, although the Canadian is quick to play down the benefits of head guards in comparison to padded gloves.

“Head guards just prevent cuts from heads clashing,” he adds. “Gloves cushion the strikes but head guards don’t stop the head from being concussed. But we don’t train just head strikes. In boxing you are head hunting all the time, and that can be dangerous. But we always do full MMA sparring, never just boxing. I want my guys to be well rounded in all areas.”

The advice is clear, and it just so happens to be the same thing fighters are told before they do battle in the ring: protect yourself at all times. And that’s even if you have an important fight on the horizon, and an ego that means skipping sparring isn’t an option.

After the sound of that cheering crowd has faded, and you’ve spent your latest fight purse, you’ll just be left with you and what’s up top. Be mindful.

5 RULES TO SAFER SPARRING

A spar is not a fight

A sparring session is an opportunity to engage with an opponent in a controlled environment, where both of you can learn from one another by practicing combinations and game plans without the threat of injury. Always stay in control.

Protect yourself at all times

Regardless of the fact this is a controlled spar, it still requires total concentration at all times. Daydreaming or carelessness only leads to accidents and injuries.

Safety first

Make sure you have the right equipment for sparring, even slowed down touch sparring. Both athletes should always use a mouth guard, head guard, groin guard and good quality gloves (16oz if possible).

Supervision

Sparring should always involve a minimum of three people: two fighters and a coach or responsible figure. Intensity can elevate rapidly and a calming voice is often essential.