Nutrition in Combat Sports

Chapter 10
Children in Combat Sports
Merrilee Zetaruk
Learning Objectives
To understand the benefits of participation in combat sports in childhood
To place the risks of participation in combat sports within the context of other
popular youth sports
To recognize injuries in combat sports that are unique to children
To understand the effects of chronic medical conditions on participation in combat
sports and to recognize conditions that preclude or limit participation
Participation of children in the martial arts, which constitute a substantial proportion
of combat sports, has increased markedly over the past decade. Between 2000
and 2004, participation of children in martial arts increased 28.2%, with an estimated
6.5 million children in the USA involved in 2004. [1] In some regions, enrollment
of children in specific martial arts such as karate has more than doubled over
the past decade, while other styles such as judo have maintained an estimated 75%
representation by children under 15 years of age (Sport Manitoba and Judo Canada,
personal communications 2007 ). Children are often exposed to the martial arts
through entertainment media, [2] with surges in enrollment following the release of
popular martial arts films.
Parents have their own reasons to encourage their children to participate in martial
arts. Increasing violence in society that manifests itself in the news, movies,
video games, and even at school through bullying, makes the self-defense aspect of
martial arts appealing to parents. The discipline in training, which in many schools
may have a militaristic quality, attracts parents who wish to modify behavior in
their children. Traditional martial arts incorporate a strong element of respect in
training (Fig. 10.1 ), which parents may feel would be beneficial in daily life as well.
With a recent push to increase regular physical activity against the growing epidemic
of childhood obesity, parents may feel that martial arts participation will
address this issue.
R. Kordi et al. (eds.), Combat Sports Medicine, 151
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-84800-354-5_10, © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009