mouth guards for head blow combat

[Robbo]

Robbo & Peewee Detective Agency:

Refer to image WaikatoWSO_6175_cr.jpg by Errol.

Not that I'm keen to say anything negative about anyone...the Norse chap with his back to the camera, chain, teardrop helm. That's a rather large axe to be using single handed....it also looks like the beard has some rather pointy bits.

Care to wager there's the problem?

Too heavy for one hand, tad pointy on the beard's hook.

[huscarl]

happy to say negative stuff.

ref image WaikatoWSO_6175_cr.jpg by Errol.

this nice chap has a nice long / med axe in one hand (looks like he is bilt like king kong) plus if you lok at some of the other shots of this nice young man he also fights with his eyes closed (like me in wombles helm)

not to knock the fighter but id like to get a closer look at that axe.

at the end of the day ref my earler post (Axes heads be nice)

[ChronicD]

I am quite happy to find a post that trys to deal with this.

I am not sure how many people have lost teeth while fighting, but i can account for one - myself.

Basically was fighting with spear, was rushed and then acciedentily was hit in the face by the cross gard/mit/lower edge of the sword. I bit through my lower lip and to this day have a lump in the middle of it (like a hard pea) i also had my right top incisor cut in half diagonally which had to be crowned. It ended up costing about 700 bux after acc to pay for the crown and that is with an estimated life span of 10 years. meaning that it will have to be replaced every ten years till my teeth fall out at old age. so say that will be when i am 90, it happened at 20 so that is 7 decades = 4,900 bux. well i can think of alot of medieval kit i could buy with that!!! all of this could have been avoided for a 20 dollar mouth guard.

Though i have to say i hate wearing them and actually dont when i go to club training (now a while ago but after that always wore one at camps when things are just a bit more edgy. Even when i was wearing a full face!!! though whether that is necessary is debatable.

So i suppose what i am saying is that i strongly believe at camps that open face helmet users should use gum guards as a mandatory requirement - anyone else using full face can decide for themselves. (I will avoid saying... "bugger it".... FULL FACE SHOULD BE MANDATORY!!!!)

Well i suppose it is obvious where i stand on the subject, as for "mad axe harry" - please be more care full and use a smaller weapon if you want to fight like that.

later
dan

[BigMac]

I approve of anything done to improve safety as long as it actually improves the safety of the sport and is not just a kneejerk reaction that glosses over the true problem.

A mouth guard would not have prevented either of the blows I've lost teeth to. Also like Robbo I face problems using a mouth gaurd and still being able to use an inhailor or even breath properly.

My understanding is that mouth gaurds prevent damage to the brain by absorbing impact that would otherwise slam the brain into the skull ie the uppercut, not sure if the reverse is true, but it certainly wouldn't prevent compression of the cervical vertibrae which is the other danger from overstrengthed crowning shots.

That people are coming away injured from Head blow is unacceptable no matter the stimuli and is indicative IMO of poor training, technique and control.

However before condeeming people or practices at the event and in the movement has anyone looked into wheather noise could be a factor, could the use of earplugs be more benificial to stop these headaches?

Perfect practice stops injuries

TTFN

[Fungus]

Er earplugs would be bad as no one would hear stop.......

[PopTart]

Yeah, I can just see the marshal running onto the field with a big banner painted with the words: STOP YA BUGGERS!

Either that or trying to use sign language to get our attention.

Dance, Fungus, dance...

Ear plugs? nah.

Willz

[Paddy]

mabey it requires wider training and scrutiny from clubs that do train in head blow, more attention should be focused on those doing the damage than the gear that obviously would stand up to a CONTROLLED WELL FORMED blow. My ittle 1.6mm bacinet has stood up to some savage blows and the only padding ive had is sheep skin, so it is not the gear its control and training that makes our beloved sport safer.

[Thys]

I would suggest that clubs at the least recommend their fighters use mouth guards. Actual use comes down to the fighter (There may be a good reason as to why they chose not to) but imo its far better to be safe than sorry.

[Brithem Rig]

Having lost several teeth to a single head blow I can understand the need for protection but for some working with a mouthguard is impossible. Helms need to be at least 2mm throughout, 2mm spun bowls will be thinner on the crown, padding is highly recommended to reduce concussions and I would recommend to anyone doing headblow to wear a mouthguard, but ultimitely the responsibility is on the person delivering the blow and that requires more training on their part.
I still wear the same helm and trust in those that are hitting me in the head to do it properly i.e. a crowning shot that is controlled.

[Robbo]

Interesting the amount of people who have lost teeth to this neh?

...and some people wonder why I go ballistic every time I see someone thinking they can use 2 x swords effectively/safely.

[conal]

http://www.sportsdentistry.com/concussion.html

I think the main benefit in terms of concussion prevention is in floating the lower jaw and the impact absorbance gained from it, from blows to the head.

Any blow to the head. From any angle.

Have a look at the Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb.

[Ben]

An interesting read, although I was a little disappointed - my 5 min google search yielded more info. The sites I found varied in which types of impact was protected against, and the only thing that they all have in common (this one included) is that the protection against concussion is an unproven theory.
Their ability to protect against damage to teeth however, is well proven, making them a good idea if you fight in an open faced helm.

Ultimately the only way to effectively prevent concussions in head blow combat is control - something all combatants are supposed to have...

[Robbo]

yeah...but no one's proven relativity either.

[Gaius Drustanus]

yeah .......... Einstein did!

[Chevalier]