Do people get hurt?

 

Oddly enough not very often. More people get hurt playing basketball than doing martial arts in Indiana every year. There is always the potential for injury but if the instructor is qualified and you have the protective equipment needed, you should never be injured.

 

Sensei runs a strict class were contact is concerned. At first, the children will only “hit” Sensei. Once they start to spar they must wear the protective equipment necessary to make the game safe. Head gear, hand/feet pads, mouth guard, and in some cases a chest shield are required. The most that really ever happens is the occasional “wind” knocked out. Getting the wind knocked out is a minor discomfort and can be corrected by teaching the child to breath properly. For this reason we do not require a chest shield but may recommend it for small children or for those that simply have weaker stomach muscles or a sensitive diaphragm. All in all, they love to spar. This is the only contact they do. It is a game and the goal is to touch, not pound or hit hard. If one child hits to hard, they will be corrected or removed from the class. If kids get hurt, they don’t want to play. The “suck it up and take one for the team” has no place in our school.