Probability Accidents Martial Arts?

Question

Is it possible for someone to punch you in the face so you face moves like 180 and you break your neck? What is the chance of breaking a bone or muscle from compression locks and joint locks. The holds where they like pull your arm all the way back, but practicing and not real?

Answer 1

Well, I would think that it would be somewhat impossible for somebody to punch your head 180 degrees. Even though it seems impossible it really is just improbable. Boxers have died in the ring due to broken necks but their heads didn't turn half way around. It was a whiplash effect.

The chances of breaking bones and or tearing soft tissue is pretty good for people who have no self control. Upping the levels of resistance will always increase the possibilities for this as well.

It is real, but watch out for the frauds.

Answer 2

Accidents happen in nearly any kind of activity and are really no more likely in martial arts with a good instructor than they are in anything else that requires physical exertion.

The chances of having your neck broke from a punch or a kick to the head are so far out there that I wouldn't even want to guess at it, and again with a good instructor things are not going to be allowed to get that far out of hand. You will go unconscious well before the neck comes anywhere near breaking. Your chances are better for falling getting out of the shower and breaking your neck than from a punch or kick in a class.

Most of the damage that you could potentially receive from joint locking techniques are primarily hyper extensions, which are minor tearing of ligament and muscle fibers. To have a bone broken would require that one you not have enough good sense to just tap out and two that you have a training partner that doesn't have proper control over their technique. Again with a qualified instructor this should not occur.

Accidents will happen and sometimes you will move one way when you should have moved the other and that's generally when injuries occur. In 32 years of training and teaching the worst injury I have had in a class was when I was doing Judo and I tried to escape a head and arm throw and I tried to come out the wrong way. The guy hit me with the throw and I was trying to escape the wrong way and got my shoulder dislocated. I've had as bad if not worse in other sports activities.

Good luck!!

Answer 3

With the natural flexibility of the body and elasticity a 180 degree head spin off a punch is very unlikely. Outside of cartoons, and "KungFu Hustle" I've never seen or heard of such an occurrence. The body is in between 60 and 75% water, and if you've ever looked at a  bottle of water, no matter how hard you swing it, once it hits one edge of the bottle it bounces back. Same thing here, once your neck reaches point of maximum rotation, it bounces back. It is possible to twist a persons neck 180 degrees by adding constant force.

As far as breaking bone or muscle off of joint locks, this is very probable. It comes down to the amount of force being applied, by the amount of strength and flexibility the object has. Drink more water, and eat right, and your body will have greater strength and flexibility. That being said, you must know your limit, just because you know now that you can be hurt doesn't mean you should shy away from it. If you are being pushed at class, accept it, and know how far you can go and don't quit before you reach the edge. If you do, you'll make yourself weakerker, as well as those you train with.

Answer 4

It depends on how hard you practice, how your shape is, and I think the most important your teacher.

The right teacher can make martial arts safer