Martial arts have been a long-standing tradition passed on from generation to generation. More youths take an interest in it in the western hemisphere, with roughly 8 million participants in the United States alone. It’s no wonder martial arts insurance companies have become necessary with the rise of educational spaces for these physical activities. Whether you’re looking into learning Judo yourself, your kid wants to get into Karate, or you are about to open up your first Taekwondo studio, it’s best to make sure you know the common mistakes that occur in lessons.
Here are some examples of these avoidable errors:
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Overstraining
This is one of the most common mishaps that can take an individual out of commission. It can be either from overexerting beyond their capabilities, refusing to take necessary breaks, using bad technique, or taking on too much in succession. Many factors of overusing cause a major strain on the body and end up causing more long-lasting injuries than the minor ones that most instructors are readily prepared to alleviate.
Overuse injuries can range from minor to severe. Proper medical intervention is necessary, although the best way is still prevention. By overseeing students, monitoring their progress and efforts, and making sure that they don’t commit training errors, it’s doable to continue teaching them martial arts without pushing too far.
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Skipping warm-ups
This is one of the most basic steps that one can’t miss. Yet, it’s one of the most commonly overlooked practices. Often, hyped students want to get into the “good stuff” immediately, so they end up skipping their stretches and other preparatory exercises.
This is one of the biggest reasons they become more prone to getting injuries like sprains and even some bone trouble when getting trauma from external forces. Even though these consequences may fall on the student, it’s the instructor that must ensure that they are allotting enough time for warm-up and making sure that every student is participating. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) has advocated for strict compliance with both warm-up and cooldown for martial arts because of the intensive muscle strain it puts on participants.
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Using faulty gear
While it’s essential for staff and management to ensure that all provided gear is well-maintained, sometimes accidents happen and equipment breaks. That’s why it’s important to have resources mapped out in case of crucial mats and protective gear breaking down and not functioning correctly.
One of the biggest offenders, though, is from human error. Many beginners don’t wear their equipment properly or even purposely forgo the usage of such materials out of excitement or desire to advance more quickly in their training. Doing this, however, often leads to riskier injuries. Not only does the improper wear possibly create more harm than good impeding their body, but it also lessens the protection they have during these earlier stages of skill development and endurance building.
A lot of these issues can be averted or at the least quickly attended to with the right preparation, from getting the proper insurance to implementing guidelines. Take time to check if every student is doing the right practices.
