Safety
When not to train
Short, and the most important thing in this section.
2 min read
The short version
- After any head knock: stop for the day. Never return to sparring the same day.
- Back only through graduated stages, at least 24 hours each, six days minimum, cleared by a doctor.
- Fever, sharp pain, or joint pain still there the next morning: don't train.
After a head knock, stop
If you have been dropped, wobbled, or feel foggy, headachy, sick or off-balance after a shot: you are done for the day, and you see a doctor before you spar again. A second head injury before the first has healed is the one that does permanent damage.
This is not caution. It is the single rule in combat sports that is not negotiable.
The rest of the list
- Fever, or anything below the neck — chest, stomach, aching all over. Train through a head cold if you must; never through a fever.
- Sharp pain, as opposed to ache. Sharp means stop and find out why.
- Pain in a joint that is still there the next morning.
- Three nights of bad sleep in a row. Train light or not at all — you will not get anything out of it anyway.
Return-to-play staging follows standard sports concussion protocols. It is not a substitute for seeing a doctor.