Concussions and Awareness

Don’t want to scare anyone, but in my experiance I have seen a few of these happen, and experienced one myself. In Aikido concussions result from a collision of the head with a hard object, usually part of another person. I got a mild one after getting wacked with an overly enthusiastic shomenuchi. Someone got one yesterday after hitting his head on the edge of the Kamiza, and a few months ago another Aikidoka got hit in the head with someone’s knee. In her case the situation was compounded later when she got struck again outside of Aikido.

The common signs and symptoms of a concussion are:

feeling dazed or loosing consciousness for a short period of time (knocked out)

nausea or vomiting

pain at the site of impact

headache

difficulty speaking or forming sentances,(finding the right word)

confusion

not remembering a few minutes before and after the incident.

A person should be taken to the ER if symptoms of a severe concussion occur:

vomiting more than once after a concussion

severe confusion

being unconscious for more than a few minutes

persisting dizziness

being knocked out, waking up, and then becoming confused and loosing consciousness again

a severe headache or a mild headache that does not go away in 1 to 2 weeks

Awareness

Usually a concussion can be prevented by staying aware of your surroundings,
-taking proper ukemi,
-being aware of your uke(i.e. not throwing them if they are in a bad position or too close to a wall or another person)
-Also staying off the mat if you are overly tired is a good practice. You are unlikely to learn much and more likely to be short tempered and prone to causing accidents on the mat.

Awareness will keep you and your uke safe from all injuries and is one of the most useful things Aikido can teach you. Techniques aside, being aware of your surroundings makes it difficult for someone to surprise you and allowes you to react instinctively to a threat of any kind. Without awareness your martial skill is useless, because you won’t notice the danger before it is too late. Aikido simply trains your body’s reaction to a threat. Awareness comes with practice and is expected especially in higher ranking students. For example to pass the shodan test nage must demonstrate awareness by not throwing uke into the wall or sensei, during randori. They must display at all times awareness of uke and personal safety.

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You’re currently reading “Concussions and Awareness,” an entry on Tonya's Training Diary

Published:: 5.28.09 / 10am

Category:: Aikido

Incognito 5.28.09 / 12pm

Unfrotunatly, I have hit my head on someone’s knee during a hip throw… Not fun. Only I didn’t have the good sense to turn my head and almost ended up breaking my nose. That is why I like ukemi classes the best, they prevent problems like this from coming up… most the time.

What is the most comon way to get a head injury, from your experiance?

MM 5.28.09 / 12pm

I always get the elbow to the head in class…. I want to be taller 🙁

Jerry 5.28.09 / 1pm

Tonya, your last three sentences are key for me. I tend to judge someone’s skill in Aikido by how well they take care of their uke. Whether it’s called awareness or connection, to me that’s the mark of a skilled nage.

In other words, I personally would rank a reckless black belt below a white belt with the awareness and control to protect his or her partner.

The Dark Knight 5.28.09 / 1pm

Took a roundhouse kick to the forehead one time…dont remember hitting the ground but i do remember master asking me various questions like, year, name, president, school, etc. wasnt not very fun. what saved me was seeing it a split second early and rolling with the blow.

Awareness of surroundings is key, like Tonya stated what good is martial skill if you arent aware of your surroundings. When i’m in a parking lot i keep the longest key on my key ring between my index and middle fingers (makeshift piercing weapon). I’m always looking through windows, and under cars for shadows. When I walk into a place i tend to scope out exits, people, cameras. (you’d think i was about to rob the joint). But my future career is going to call for this practice all the time.

To go with Jerry’s comment I agree. I would tell my students that were scared of sparring blackbelts (including myself) that they are safer sparring a blackbelt than any white belt, because any blackbelt graduating from my school displayed that level of control necessary.

Buck 5.28.09 / 2pm

It is also important for uke to develop a range of ukemi that allows him to take a fall that minimizes the chance of injury. If someone throws you toward the wall, edge of mat, or another person, don’t roll. Use wideleg or a breakfall to turn or stop yourself. You have to train yourself to be aware of the boundaries and adjust your ukemi spontaneously.

grassHopper 5.28.09 / 3pm

And besides that, Buck, you wouldn’t want to wash the mats with a sore head. 😉

Jerry 5.28.09 / 4pm

Let’s see…dizziness, nausea, severe confusion…
I seem to suffer concussions regularly, generally around 11 p.m., most Friday nights. 🙂

Incognito 5.28.09 / 4pm

I agree with Dark Knight and Jerry, I can’t remember ever being hurt (or any one else that I have seen in class) from a black belt on the mat. Every time an injury happens was with an inexperianced nage. A black belt will throw you harder but safer. It is interesting to get thrown by Joey or Grady Lane because they throw very hard, but they don’t do it in such a way that causes injury… but they get you moving.

Bart 5.29.09 / 6am

I really enjoy reading your daily updates. I had the pleasure to visit NY aikikai two years ago in June. I stayed for one week sleeping on the couch. I really enjoyed the high level of teaching, the positive energy in the dojo, and the warm and welcoming personality of Yamada sensei.

Keep writing; I’ll definitely stay tuned!
Greetings from Belgium

Tonya Mochocki 5.29.09 / 9am

The most common way to get a concussion is getting hit by another person, knee or elbow, usually. In my case it was a hand. I actually felt fine right after it happened. I was probably ‘dazed’ but sometimes I feel like that without getting wacked so its sometimes hard to tell the difference, lol. I remember my face being numb right over my eye. The next day I had a killer headache and for about 4 weeks I had a mild headache that was aggravated by rolling.

whats funny about the recent concussion is that a REALLY experienced blackbelt was the one who threw uke. Everyone who was watching agreed that the uke’s ukemi was strange for that throw, though he usually takes very good falls. Maybe he was tired or distracted.

June 2007! looks like you missed me by a couple of months. I came in August that year to stay for four weeks. I actually got my own room since I’m felmale.
Belgium is Sugano Sensei’s territory. Do you favor his style?

Jerry 5.30.09 / 1pm

One of the things that surprised me about New York Aikikai is its international flavor. Part of it, I suppose, is due to the fact that it’s in New York, smack dab in Manhattan. But the real draw, I think, is the dojo itself. (And by dojo I mean its members and instructors). It’s a magnet, internationally, for Aikidoka all over the world.

I have a clear memory of the first time I visited the school, during one of their Christmas seminars. Aikidoka from all over Europe and South America were there, sleeping on the mat and couches. I’m sure I looked totally out of place–so much so that I recall one fellow, after having learned I was from Florida, describing it to me as the “Disney World” of Aikido. Looking back, I think he was just trying to make some connection that my overstimulated brain could latch onto.

Bart is right on the money regarding Yamada Sensei’s incredible hospitality. In truth, I was completely overwhelmed.

It really is a special place.

Jerry 5.30.09 / 5pm

grassHopper, regarding your question, fire away!

DK, incogneto, what did you think of my ikkyo today? Putting aside that nasty atemi, I really think I can use this motion to minimize elbow locks in my pins. It’s a concept I’m going to explore.

It’s funny. Dee and John perform this motion in their technique, as a matter of course. So here I am, eight years after training with Dee, and am finally picking up on a movement that has been there all along. Same thing with my sankyo pin, which I’ve adopted from Buck.

Just goes to show you, you can see something every day, and be receptive to it only when you’ve reached a certain point in your training.

And it’s ikkyo, the first bloody technique I learned!

Jerry 5.30.09 / 6pm

And to give credit where credit is due, I recall Glen emphasizing this movement in his classes. Really amazing fellow. I miss him.

grassHopper 5.30.09 / 6pm

As a 5th kyu technique, it’s fine. As the technique I want it to be, it’s not. In other words, I want to make it much better than it is right now. I almost had a psychological meltdown when John was teaching it. (Exaggerating)

Jerry 5.30.09 / 9pm

Show me in class what you mean. It’s a tricky technique. I remember it being one of the more difficult techniques to wrap my head around initially.

I also remember the moment I felt I had a basic understanding of the movement. (No lie…Dee and I were waiting in line for a movie at Regal Cinema and I was bugging her about the technique. She made a comment about my arm and body position and then it clicked.)

grassHopper 5.31.09 / 6pm

See, your lucky. You live with an instructor. 😉

Jerry 5.31.09 / 8pm

May newsletter published. New addition to the website. What do you think?

grassHopper 5.31.09 / 9pm

AWESOME CALENDER. No more “loop”! (Just kidding Jerry, I really did find it interesting and useful)

incogneto 5.31.09 / 11pm

Ikkyo and ireminage are both deceptively difficult techniques that are on the fist test. I know I still have a lot of problems with both.

Jerry 5.31.09 / 11pm

What is loop? I’m glad you like the calendar.

grassHopper 6.1.09 / 1pm

What could be shihonage turns into what could be sumi otoshi, which turns into what could be kaiten nage, which starts it all over again, which, at any point, could turn into other things… I’ll show you.

Jerry 6.1.09 / 1pm

Oh I see. You are referring to henka waza.

Incognito 6.1.09 / 2pm

I like the calender and the news letter. Movie night sounds fun.

Jerry 6.1.09 / 5pm

Test it out – add your birthdays.

MM 6.1.09 / 10pm

I like the calendar!

Sensei 6.2.09 / 11am

Bart, welcome to our blog our new Belgium friend. Feel free to put your two cents in anytime.

John 6.2.09 / 5pm

I wish I could remember stuff after class.

Jerry 6.2.09 / 5pm

Shhh, John! We instructors are all knowing. Mustn’t let the hoi polloi see the chinks in the armor. 😉

grassHopper 6.2.09 / 8pm

“Centrifical force” is centrifugal force, yes? After reading this, I now know why I will NOT be a science or math major.

Jerry 6.2.09 / 8pm

Very interesting class, tonight. I think we saw a lot of John’s style / approach towards Aikido.

incogneto 6.2.09 / 10pm

Centrifugal force is my favorite kind of force… it’s always normal. How can you hate something that tries that hard for you 🙂

Chris Pasley 6.3.09 / 2am

Man, I miss being thrown on my head. Hey Jerry!

Jerry 6.3.09 / 2pm

Hey Chris!

Good to hear from you! How’s Tammy? Where you living these days?

Chris Pasley 6.4.09 / 1am

We’re good! We’re living in LA now. Have only been in Aikido on and off the past few years, dabbled in Capoeira a bit while we were in San Francisco. Hoping to get back into one of the two soon. How are you and Dee? Jeez, I remember your first day in class and here you are, instructor! 😉

Jerry 6.4.09 / 9am

Dee and I are great. We’ve added a second location to the school, which we’re tremendously excited about. The gang is still here–Jose, Oscar, Buck, Mike….

MM, you’d appreciate this–Chris had the coolest job, bar none, when he and Tammy lived in Atlanta. I’ll give you a hint–you have a t-shirt with their name on it, and you saw them in “concert”. Are you still in that industry, Chris?

Incognito 6.4.09 / 1pm

Is Chris now, or has he ever been… in Deathklok?

Jerry 6.4.09 / 1pm

You’re close, incogneto…Query: Was Deathklok ever based in Atlanta?

I suddenly feel like taking a swim….

Chris Pasley 6.4.09 / 2pm

Ha! Well I’m in games still, which is what I did at AS. Coincidentally I did recently meet with the guys who make Metalocalypse at their studio.

I recently looked up USAF East schools in LA – turns out there are actually a few. Maybe I can get back into it soon. The biggest problem are the class times. No way I get across town at 6pm.

Oh, so you guys have two locations? I thought you guys just moved completely. That’s great! I remember before it was at UNF, only two classes a week, low attendance….it’s like you guys built it up in an 80s training montage! 😉

Jerry 6.4.09 / 4pm

Uh oh, now you’ve done it. MM is a big Toki fan, IIRC.

Did you happen to train with Neil Bednar while you were in San Francisco? He’s one of Peter’s students, and has trained / taught here in Jacksonville. You might remember him.

Here are some videos of him at a seminar in Jax in 1996.

(Talk about a training montage. That space was before UNF, before the JCA) when Dee, Autrelle, Billy, Katrina, etc., were training in the dance studio.)

grassHopper 6.4.09 / 8pm

We need a dojo historian. This is interesting.

Jerry 6.4.09 / 9pm

Ask and you shall receive

incogneto 6.4.09 / 10pm

Master Blasters is still my one and only guess.

Chris Pasley 6.5.09 / 4am

No, I trained with someone named Joe….something….for about two months. It was a great dojo and everyone complimented my ukemi (thanks Dee!) but it was kind of hard to get to by San Francisco public transit.

I think Neil was before my time… I don’t think Tammie and I started until 1999 or 2000.

Hey! I’m in one of those Donovan vids! 😉

Bart 6.5.09 / 5am

@Tonya: I really like Sugano’s style, but also Yamada’s and certainly Tamura’s style.
Our dojo is not affiliated with the main belgian federation. We are a classical aikido dojo following John Stevens, student of late Rinjiro Shirata sensei.

Concussions and Awareness

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