Martial Arts Injuries; damage to knee joint
Often martial arts injuries occur at the knee and these frequently occur as a result of training ignoring the structure of the knee. The knee complex prefers to function strictly as a hinge, with flexion and extension being the primary motions, although a lesser amount of medial-lateral rotation is permissible. Knee damage is not an integral part of martial arts training and need not occur if your martial arts training is sympathetic to the structure of the knee.
If your training practice works against, rather than with, the knee complex structure, debilitating damage can occur over time. Full force kicks into thin air or poor alignment of the supporting leg in round kicks can cause hyperextension at the knee of the kicking leg or excessive rotation of the supporting leg respectively, compromising joint integrity. Put simply, these practices are likely to mess your knee up. Training that works within the parameters of normal knee function allows the joint to survive and thrive. It’s common sense really.
Preventing further knee damage
From seniorjournal.com
One of the ladies who trains with us has a tough time with her knees. They have never been right from as far back as I can remember. The original knee damage was a result of being a dance student at university. Certain movements, exercises, and techniques cause her knee trouble. Recently she had been complaining about how she was experiencing knee injury pain when posting on one foot and firing strikes from that position. This seemed wrong to me, as the posting action itself should not cause her knees any trouble at all, assuming she was lined up to the target correctly.
Following our recent conversation we agreed to spend a little time analysing her technique. I noticed that after posting on her lead leg she was turning on the ball of her foot. As all of her weight was on the lead leg this turning action at the foot was transferring to the knee and causing pain in the injured joint. It was little wonder she struggling with movement and footwork.
Comparing this observed movement with my own I realised that I tend to make and extra adjustment movement before striking. Initially I shift my weight onto the lead leg but then adjust it’s position to align with the target by making a tiny step with first the back and then the front foot. These small adjustments not only line you up but act like the larger switch kick movement to prime (or load) the leg muscles plyometrically, thereby adding power to the strike thrown. One explanation and demonstration later combined with practice and things improved!
We spent a lot of time getting to grips with these movements in Primal but they are very similar, if not identical, to the minute adjustment actions good Muay Thai fighters use. These actions ensure a fighter is light-footed while allowing him/her to adjust to their position in relation to the target without causing excessive rotational force on the knee joint.
(Knee) pain without gain
No-one wants to exacerbate an existing martial arts injury and by listening to your body while getting someone to analyse your movement you can avoid this outcome. The moral of the story is to listen to your body and act on what you hear! Rather than fight through discomfort, work something out to avoid further damage to knee joint. In this case there is no gain with pain!
Originally posted 2010-10-24 20:59:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Martial Arts Injuries – Damage to Knee Joint http://epicmartialartsblog.com/martial-arts-injuries-damage-to-knee-joint/
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When it comes to martial arts injuries, damage to knee joints is probably one of the most common. I always remember looking up the line of higher grades when I was at GKR – virtually every one was sporting a fetching knee support as a result of the early days of training where students were told that they had to keep their posting foot straight when performing a round kick. They did later change the instruction but the damage was done.
I always liked the instruction to actually step out to the side before doing the kick as this ensured that the supporting foot was off at a good angle to faciliate the execution of the technique and protect the kicker from damage to that knee.
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Martial Arts Injuries – Damage to Knee Joint: Martial Arts Injuries; damage to knee joint
Often martial arts injurie http://bit.ly/9U3Zex
Yes Jo some of the less knowledgeable teachers can cause damage through poor instruction. Never is the need to listen to your body greater than in a martial arts class. This is particularly so when the instruction places importance on precise technique. Karate is an example where this form over function is emphasised, wrongly in my opinion.
Here’s a good article on the healthy status of martial arts
I think as well as listening to your own body, it can be important to have someone who knows what they are talking about critique your posture and technique. I’d picked up bad habits from an early age and it wasn’t until early adulthood that somebody pointed out mistakes in my form. It was very difficult to unlearn these habits and I wouldn’t have been able to notice them myself. Thankfully no injury resulted, but who knows if I hadn’t been corrected.
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Absolutely Jason, spot on. It is a great help to have someone point out problems, or better potential problems. Honing a technique and following advice has importance beyond being able to strike with power. The real problem comes when the form is flawed or perhaps emphasised in the wrong way – form over function or form police – this can be the case in certain circumstances.
However, good advice is good advice for many reasons and although something may feel comfortable, i.e. bad habits, it may be wrong AND could be harmful in the long run…..
Thank you for this article. It is sad to see how often incorrect kicking techniques are taught in martial arts schools in this country that end up damaging the joints over time. This seems to happen most when individuals are more concerned with the look of a kick than the power. When the focus in on power and with the right instruction you will tend to naturally find the correct way move. I remember a woman who came into my school and trained in TKD. She loved her training, but it was ruining her knees. She was dedicated to reaching her black belt, but it was sad to see her continue on a path that would only lead to more pain. With correct training, the knees grow stronger, not weaker.
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I couldn’t agree more David, there simply is no need to damage yourself in this way. Inevitably you will get injured at some point but a fast track to dodgy knees should not be on the agnenda
Good advice for reducing knee injuries while kicking. People have to watch their technique if they want to keep doing this martial arts stuff over the long term. Thanks for sharing!
Lori (Vancouver Jiu-jitsu/ Martial Arts Instructor) recently posted..How to Breakfall Naturally
Lori, I think when we’re young especially, we just don’t think of the pitfalls. It’s so easy to get into bad habits that can potentially be very damaging
Surprisingly, I never actually knew the technicalities of how an ACL injury occurred until now after reading your article. Funny enough, I actually started to get knee problems after working at Costco. I would stock the freezers and I’d sometimes have to bend my knee in a funny way to get stuff stocked. After a while I started to get knee problems! I now have to listen to my body when I train. You are definitely right when you say in this area (And others) this is pain with out gain.
Rick Saxby,