Nutrition in Combat Sports

304 S.F. Martinez
and defensive maneuvers. A basic example is the staff, which typically is made of
a flexible wood and can deliver power, but its length would ideally keep an opponent
at some distance. The staff was a commonly available tool used as a walking aid
and lever for carrying food stuffs (baskets, water pails). A natural extension of the
staff is the spear. Within each category of weapon, there are countless variations in
length, size, and weight depending on the martial art style and intention. Weapons
usually are introduced in an orderly sequence during training. Students are expected
to master basic open-hand forms and a fairly large compendium of curriculum
before embarking on weapons forms. Solo and multi-individual sparring forms are
available for weapons training in most styles. Sometimes scarves or tassels
are attached to the weapon, which originally served to distract the opponent, signify
the maturity of the practitioner, or serve some other practical function. A listing of
some weapons is provided in Table 17.2 . Weapons for contemporary competition
have been modified to be light, thus facilitating more brisk motions and an added
flair not possible with the traditional heavier weapons.
17.4.4 Medical Training
The traditional training curriculum included basic instruction in the care of injuries and
various illnesses. Students were taught bone setting, which included treatment of strains
and sprains, joint subluxations and dislocations, and some fractures. Tuina and other
manual medicine techniques (similar to osteopathy) were reviewed along with some
herbal medicine. Acupuncture was a well-respected, time-honored discipline included
as part of the trained martial artist’s resources. They also were well-versed in Qigong,
which was either a stationary or dynamic discipline to promote health and vitality to the
meridian system and functioned prophylactically to prevent disease. [5, 6]
17.5 Contact Sparring
The status of a martial art frequently is judged by its effectiveness under combat
simulation. The risk of injury from such competitions has resulted in the gradual
development of defined rules to allow contact fighting while observing certain
precautions and using protective equipment. Although some might consider any
restrictions on combative techniques or equipment to violate and diminish the original
purpose of the martial art, it is neither practical nor safe to promote a martial art
(either as a sport or self-defense) unless some accord can be reached to provide a
safe environment for competition. Although there are some traditional contactpoint
sparring tournaments still being conducted, the main contemporary contact
fighting technique presently recognized for international competition by the IWUF
is Sanshou. It is in this form of competition that the most serious and life-threatening
injuries occur.