Kicked in the face

[Sam]

Tonight a brown belt did a hook kick to my right cheek beneath my eye, causing the worst headache thus far of my life.

The first 5 seconds of my reaction I could not control. I yelped, spun around so my back was to my opponent, and doubled over with my hands over my face. Rob (who usually has great control and has never kicked me in the face nor used too much power before tonight) immediately asked if I was okay. I said yes, and that round of fighting was over. At this point I was trying very hard to stay steady, not cry, not sit down, not lean on the wall... because I know from experience that there is no worse feeling than seeing someone else in pain because of something you have done. I know he did not mean it, and when asked if I was dizzy, had blurry vision, needed an icepack, I ignored the questions and smiled and told them really, I was fine.

Apparently I played the part too well; I was told to fight again two minutes later, and I didn't want to say no after all my "I'm fine's". How do you balance not making the other person feel bad with not being told to do something you're not ready for? I certainly didnt feel up to fighting again, but I did. What should I have done differently so the person who accidentally kicked me didnt feel terrible but have it clear to the instructor that I'm done for the night?

My head hurts soooo badly. its unfreakinreal

[Lisa]

Your reaction of not wanting to hurt the other person's feeling was natural. But remember a kick to the head can cause serious problems for you. ALWAYS take some time out to assess things. Sit down, keep smiling if you can but make sure you are okay before you go on. Are you swelling, Sam? Can you see clearly? You have to really be careful with facial and head injuries. Please see a doctor if you have any problems and the headache doesn't clear by tomorrow.:)

[Jonathan Randall]

First off, I'm sorry you were hurt. Secondly, see a doctor if there is any possibility that you sustained a head injury of any type.

I hate to say this, but the bad feeling they get from injuring a partner is a good, if unpleasant, reminder to control their techniques and nothing for YOU to feel bad about - although I do understand your sentiments and admire your self-discipline.

One idea is to simply say that, while ok, you need a breather before continuing to another round.

[shesulsa]

Sam, as to your question, what you do is say, "I'm fine, Sir, but I would like to sit this one out, please."

Try to talk to your instructor privately about the injury so the other student doesn't get that complex you're talking about.

I echo Lisa's advice and recommend you see a doctor - SOON.

[Jonathan Randall]

Your reaction of not wanting to hurt the other person's feeling was natural. But remember a kick to the head can cause serious problems for you. ALWAYS take some time out to assess things. Sit down, keep smiling if you can but make sure you are okay before you go on. Are you swelling, Sam? Can you see clearly? You have to really be careful with facial and head injuries. Please see a doctor if you have any problems and the headache doesn't clear by tomorrow.:)

Looks like our posts crossed! I am glad, however, that both of our first instincts were to suggest medical care. Seriously, Sam, this is SO important that I will post again. See a doctor if you are dizzy, feel injured, have trouble seeing, concentrating, whatever. Head injuries are SERIOUS stuff.

[jdinca]

Ditto all the way across, especially about the medical care. Sounds like you've got a concussion.

It was nice of you to downplay the injury but by agreeing to fight again, you risked a much more severe one, had you taken another blow to the head. You've gotta take care of yourself. Sorry to hear you were hurt.

[cali_tkdbruin]

Ditto all the way across, especially about the medical care. Sounds like you've got a concussion.

It was nice of you to downplay the injury but by agreeing to fight again, you risked a much more severe one, had you taken another blow to the head. You've gotta take care of yourself. Sorry to hear you were hurt.
Yeah, with a head shot like the one described in this thread there's always a strong possibility of a concussion. This is where the master instructor always has to be aware during full contact sparring. Even if the student is being brave and wants to continue scrapping, the instructor has to assess the student's condition and not let the student continue if necessary. In situations like this I believe that it's really up to the instructor to shut it down for his injured student so that he/she doesn't get maimed... :mst:

[Jagermeister]

There's no point in acting tough. It's sparring, not competition, and if you're hurt, you need to be responsible and honest, and take a break for a while. This is not a "no pain, no gain" moment.

[Sin]

Well...That'll clear the sinuses(sp)...

Anyways, I've been kicked in the face as well in about the same place, and it really hurts, but don't let it discourage you, at least you know you can survive...and you won't be as afraid next time when kicks are flying past your head...

On the medical side, if your head ache persists, even after taking a couple Motrin etc...Seek Medical attention asap...Other than that...you'll be fine...just wanna make sure you don't have a concusion or anything.

[rutherford]

At this point I was trying very hard to stay steady, not cry, not sit down, not lean on the wall... because I know from experience that there is no worse feeling than seeing someone else in pain because of something you have done. I know he did not mean it, and when asked if I was dizzy, had blurry vision, needed an icepack, I ignored the questions and smiled and told them really, I was fine.


Huh.

Sam, what you describe is completely foreign to my thought processes.

I guess I'm just a sado-masochist.

But if I throw a kick at your head, I'm gonna mean for you to get hurt. Possibly I won't mean for you to be injured, but I'd be crazy not to be aware of and accept the possibility.

Don't worry about how the other person feels, especially if you're putting yourself in danger - which you were by sparring again and not telling your training partner that you weren't ready.

Do try to stay on your feet next time.

[Bigshadow]

Huh.

Sam, what you describe is completely foreign to my thought processes.

I guess I'm just a sado-masochist.

But if I throw a kick at your head, I'm gonna mean for you to get hurt. Possibly I won't mean for you to be injured, but I'd be crazy not to be aware of and accept the possibility.

Don't worry about how the other person feels, especially if you're putting yourself in danger - which you were by sparring again and not telling your training partner that you weren't ready.

Do try to stay on your feet next time.

I agree with all parts except the sado-masochist part. :D Oh wait.... I sort of agree with that too! LOL

With all due respect, I understand it was shocking and it hurt, but things like this happen from time to time in our training (where someone gets hurt -not injured). However, the way we train, if I get hit or kicked, I didn't move. So it would be somewhat positive feedback for us... Also, a person should be able to recieve the shock of an attack like this. If this were to occur on the street, how would someone react...?


Although, I do hope that everything is OK now. I was once knocked out in training (not long after I started). I fell backwards and hit my head and I was out for brief amount of time. Talk about a sinus drainer. WHEW! It was lights out. I probably should have went to the emergency room to be checked out. But I didn't. I had no problems with sitting out of training for about 15 minutes.

There is nothing wrong with sitting out if you are hurt bad enough that it keeps you from learning. In all fairness, there is a certain amount of danger that comes along with training.

I hope all is well now.

[Flatlander]

There's no point in acting tough. It's sparring, not competition, and if you're hurt, you need to be responsible and honest, and take a break for a while. This is not a "no pain, no gain" moment.I fully agree with this, and here's why:

- Honesty with your partner in training is paramount. Your partner deserves to have accurate and honest feedback regarding the effect of this strike on you.

- Honesty with your teacher in training is paramount. He/she is responsible for your health and well being while training with them, and they're not able to effectively assess the situation and take appropriate action if you're too busy protecting your own ego.

- Honesty with yourself at all times, is the key to self respect and health, both mental and physical. What if you have a concussion, or some other physical injury? Are you too tough to get it treated? This isn't the path of personal responsibility.

[qizmoduis]

I got kicked in the face a couple of years ago in class. I was holding a kicking bag for a guy doing crossover rear kicks. Unfortunately, I'm a bit on the short side, and he was an ex-TKD guy, and a little bit more flexible the we both expected, and his foot popped right up over the edge of the bag and klonked me right on the cheekbone. That was the hardest hit I've ever taken in my life and made me collapse like a rag doll. Needless to say, I sat out the rest of the class. Oddly, I only got a mild bruise.

He spent the next half-dozen classes apologizing. I finally convinced him that just one apology was more than enough. Stuff happens.

[Sam]

wow, awful lot of responses in a short time, thanks guys.

The headache went away, I've got a lovely bruise under my eye. I am not in a hurry to repeat that experience. I'll think twice about jamming him again, that's for sure. :)

[Andrew Green]

We all get rocked from a knock to the head once and a while, it's an unfortunate part of the game.

The on paper answer is to sit out a couple rounds and go see a doctor if it persists. Chances are you'll be fine, but better safe then sorry.

We, as martial artists, tend to be a bunch of hypocrites though...

[Sarah]

We all get rocked from a knock to the head once and a while, it's an unfortunate part of the game.

The on paper answer is to sit out a couple rounds and go see a doctor if it persists. Chances are you'll be fine, but better safe then sorry.

We, as martial artists, tend to be a bunch of hypocrites though...

Agreed....

But it is important that you are honest with your training partners and your instructor at all times, your instructor is responsible for your safety while you are there, and if he doesn’t have all the facts you could be putting yourself in real danger! There is no real advantage to your training to act tough.

[Flatlander]

We all get rocked from a knock to the head once and a while, it's an unfortunate part of the game.Most of mine are self inflicted! ROFL! I am regularly smoking myself in the head with a stick in the back yard. What my neighbours must think of me.....

[Sam]

Most of mine are self inflicted! ROFL! I am regularly smoking myself in the head with a stick in the back yard. What my neighbours must think of me.....

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

[Kacey]

Here's my theory: if I throw it, it is my responsibility to control it. If I hit you, and you tell me it was less forceful than it was, I have no opportunity to adjust my focus/force for the next time. So while it was very thoughtful of you to try to spare your opponent's feelings, in the long run, you're not helping him to improve his focus, because he has no way of knowing how hard he hit you unless you tell him.

That being said - if you have any signs of concussion - dizziness, double vision, headache that won't go away, feeling sleepy when you ordinarily wouldn't, trouble staying awake - GO SEE A DOCTOR. If there is any chance you have a concussion, you should get checked. Another student I know was clocked in the face, and the bruises came up on the eye socket on the other side, because he was hit hard enough to make his brain slosh, and break some blood vessels (the cause of bruising) around his other eye (so, punched on the left side of the face, but massive bruising on the right side). You may not know about that type of injury unless you see a doctor. Sure, it's annoying, it's time-consuming, there's some cost (depending on your insurance) - but this is your BRAIN we're talking about here. Please take care of yourself.

[tshadowchaser]

Sam,
what happened to you by acident is what happens in the real worls in a fight. Pain happens and all the rank and belts inthe world are useless if you can't deal with it when it happens.
No one (well not everyone) likes to get hit hard in the face when they practice but it happens and the best thinkg you can do is to continue sparring as soon as possible. Learning to deal with getting hit was part of what the martial arts was about at one time

[Sarah]

Sam,
what happened to you by acident is what happens in the real worls in a fight. Pain happens and all the rank and belts inthe world are useless if you can't deal with it when it happens.
No one (well not everyone) likes to get hit hard in the face when they practice but it happens and the best thinkg you can do is to continue sparring as soon as possible. Learning to deal with getting hit was part of what the martial arts was about at one time

It depends on why you train....not everyone trains just so they can defend themselves in 'real life' situations. I never started MA for self defense so why would I wont to act all tough when I have been hurt, Ive got nothing to 'prove' to anyone.

Sure if you are training purely for self defense reasons learning to take a hit is part of it, but kicks to the head can be very serious and if you don’t take the necessary precautions in training when you are kicked you could well not live to see a 'real fight'.

[FearlessFreep]

"You can't pray for a place
In heaven's un-earthly estate"

[Marginal]

On the other side of the coin, I was sparring a kid about 13 years old once. He dropped his hands, and I went to tap him in the face. Would've been fine, but he'd dropped his hands while he was concentrating on rushing me. So he hit my fist at full tilt at about the same time I was hitting full extension. His head snapped sideways. He said he was ok, but I figured that he felt it more than he was letting on. I didn't feel great about slugging a kid even if he outranked me, but we both understood that there were risks involved in sparring. I've taken the occasional lump as well. It happens.

[FearlessFreep]

I've been hit twice by my instructor in the face, that I can recall

Once was on a spinning hook kick, except he shortened it and hit me with the ball of the foot rather than the heel, so it was more a hard slap than a thud, this was intnetional to remind me to keep my guard up

Then there was the roundhouse kick that was aimed for my chest but for some reason I ducked into; the old 'secret face block' technique. That one hurt quite a bit more : )

[Jonathan Randall]

Sam,
what happened to you by acident is what happens in the real worls in a fight. Pain happens and all the rank and belts inthe world are useless if you can't deal with it when it happens.
No one (well not everyone) likes to get hit hard in the face when they practice but it happens and the best thinkg you can do is to continue sparring as soon as possible. Learning to deal with getting hit was part of what the martial arts was about at one time

Judging from her original post, she did quite well at continuing after being hit. It was the other forum members, myself included, who recommended that she seek medical care and that continuing (if she has a concussion) may put her health in jeopardy. I've continued after getting seriously bruised ribs (after a breather and I did not know the extent of how badly I was hit) and this was GREAT training for me. I've also continued after getting knocked by a near full power side kick in the solar plexus. Again, this was great training. However, a head injury is quite different and she has her whole life ahead of her so I personally would like to see her stop and get checked out when this happens. I get your point, though, and it is well taken.

[Ceicei]

Well, last year I watched a sparring match when a 17 year old brown belt got kicked in the face by another brown belt. She dropped immediately to the floor and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. She not only got a concussion, she also had severe whiplash to her neck.

I also saw another sparring match where one was doing a ridgehand to the head. Unfortunately, the opponent turned his face into it (the blocking hand missed the ridgehand) and got the cheekbone fractured. He didn't know it was fractured at first and tried to continue sparring, saying he is ok and everything's fine. He eventually had to stop as his head started really hurting badly. He then confessed to his instructor he really didn't feel well. He was taken to the hospital shortly thereafter by his instructor.

Things can and do happen. Be upfront with your partners and your instructor(s) if you get hurt. Just simply saying you're okay when you're not does a disservice to everyone.

- Ceicei

[Adept]

Then there was the roundhouse kick that was aimed for my chest but for some reason I ducked into; the old 'secret face block' technique. That one hurt quite a bit more : )

Ooh, I've done exactly the same thing. Busted my nose up good. How'd you come out of it?

[FearlessFreep]

Ooh, I've done exactly the same thing. Busted my nose up good. How'd you come out of it?

Actually I came out okay. He wasnt going for full contact, so I got a bloody nose and was stunned for a bit but no lasting effect and nothing broken. It *did* hurt quite a bit, but after a few minutes to clean the blood and clear my head, I was able to go on. It *was* quite embarrasing, too

[jdinca]

I've been lucky just to have received pretty bruises from sparring. I do remember dummying for a mass attack where I was supposed to take a spinning reverse crescent to the head. Here he comes, my hand comes up to the side of my head in preparation, and the next thing I know I'm flying across the mat from a spinning rear thrust to the gut. The first beer was on him. :drinkbeer

[SAVAGE]

How do you balance not making the other person feel bad with not being told to do something you're not ready for?

Learn to duck!!!!!

Seriuously..I would say go get a scan...better safe then sorry. I hope that by the time I post this you are well and fighting fit again.

I think wanting to put someones feelings before your physical wellbeing is not the right thing to do...make sure you are all right, his feelings can be repaired a busted head may take a little longer IMHO!

Sam take care of yourself first next time...then reassure him that you are fine and that accidents dio happen all the time!