Imagine your head being hit by a wooden cane with a speed of 20, 30 or even 40 MPH, without any form of protection. Would you risk it?
This is the average speed of a kick that a person who engages in martial arts must anticipate during each training, not to mention the bones and muscles that will hit you with every strike, that your head will deal with every time a sparring opponent aims to hit you.
The training session is not the actual fight, so wearing headgear proves to have tremendous benefits as a fighter prepares for the fight itself. Here are three reasons why you should wear protective gears during training:
Protection! Protection! Protection!
This is an obvious one, yet it’s still worth highlighting because so many students of the sport seem to diminish its significance.
Yearly, thousands of athletes in the United States that sign themselves up in contact sports experience concussions and injuries. Martial Arts is one of those sports that involve a whole lot of physical contact between fighters and using one’s strength to put an opponent down is part of the objective.
Obviously, wearing a helmet during training proves to be useful for protecting the head from punches and kicks that can later result in serious injury. Study shows that the brain is surrounded by fluid to protect it from sitting at the bottom of the skull.
Any strong blow in the head can result in traumatic brain injury. Wearing headgear can minimize the risk of head and brain injuries by reducing and absorbing the force of an impact. Although there are still some risks involved despite wearing one, it will lower the chances of having serious damage.
Improves Confidence Even While Getting Hit
No matter how tough you are, there is still some apprehension in getting hit, especially for those who are still beginners in combat sports.
Unless you are a fighter who is accustomed to being punched in the face a hundred times and have already developed your neck and facial muscles to withstand such a strike, consider owning headgear that improves your confidence in getting hit as you train. T
he feeling of having enough cushion in your head mentally prepares you for the approaching blows while training. You can focus more on your offense and defense rather than facing the punches that can stun you while in combat.
Confidence in a fight can separate winners from losers. Get headgear now and improve your confidence before and during the fight.
Longer Workout Sessions
It’s easy for you to quit a workout session after being seriously hit in the face.
A lot of fighters often pause and later stop their workout after receiving a blow that can cause extreme pain and concussions that can often lead to headaches or loss of balance.
Doing so lessens the student’s opportunity to practice martial arts skills and develop endurance that can be achieved during longer workouts.
Remember, longer workouts can develop one’s physical and mental strength that produces endurance during a fight. Why aim simply for comfort during practice if you can push further to become a better fighter?
Ultimately, a martial artist should prioritize safety, and protecting the head is a non-negotiable matter when sparring against an opponent or partner.
You’ll surely reap the rewards of gaining more skills and experience while keeping a good head on your shoulders.