Best,
Joe

Thanks for sharing your story bro. I suggest going to see a specialist who really knows about concussions (Dr. Karen Johnston is still at Toronto Rehab I believe and is highly regarded) if you are still having side effects. From what I learned, time would tell if my symptoms would go away. 3 years after I feel pretty much back to normal.

For BJJ, it’s important to roll with experienced people more than total beginners as the latter may knee or elbow you in the head accidentally when training. I would tell your instructor the situation and maybe he can keep you on the safest track. Keep something (ie your arm) in between your head and their knees at all times when on the ground. As far as the chokes, just tap out when your caught and you’ll never get choked out. I still have never been choked unconscious in 30 years of training so I’m pretty sure you can avoid that.

Good luck!

Reading your post made me want to share my own concussion story. I was knocked out cold by an older stronger kid back in high school. I still do not remember anything of the fight itself. In fact, I caught the bus home and do not remember doing it. The brain was on some kind of automatic pilot.
That happened when I was fourteen. I’ve had a couple other minor bell ringers over the years in MA and playing rugby.
Since you are so up on the latest research, I wanted to ask if you think thatKO incident could have had a long term effect ie, depression, trouble concentrating. And if so, what can we do about it? Also, I’ve been wanting to get into BJJ but I really don’ t want to risk another concussion. Do they happen often in BJJ? And here’s another consideration: Is getting choked out like having a concussion, ie. does it do the brain the same kind of injury with all the same long-term implications?
Great blog, thanks.
Best wishes from Toronto.

From what I’ve seen in wrestling, there is a lot of awareness about concussions at the highest level of competition. Hopefully the knowledge continues to pass down to the high school and elementary school levels.

Your right on with the importance of rest after a concussion along with the step by step process of returning to play.

I hope to do as much as I can to spread the word to others about concussions and the dangers involved.

Thanks for posting.

Concussions may have robbed you of part of your career. Others have suffered worth fates. We must get the word out to try to limit the damage from these injuries.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Dave

And yes the need for awareness is huge, not only to inform people in sports but to help those who experience PCS. I dealt with it alone and it was a very depressing time, even thinking about it now is quite difficult but I feel in order to reduce things for the future, it is necessary to understand no matter how disturbing the reality is. Where that leaves sports where concussions are likely I do not know, boxing has remained despite the obvious implications of head trauma, I guess football, MMA, pro wrestling etc will do too because there are enough people who are willing to take the risk it seems and enough people willing to pay to watch it. Even myself who would hate nothing more than to have another concussion, pays to go and watch live MMA events and follows it almost religiously. The two concepts don’t seem to work together, but I love the sport too much for it to stop my supporting, I just know I wouldn’t get in there myself unless I was Anderson Silva!

Good luck with your efforts and all the best to you and your family too.

From what I’ve learned mouth guards do nothing to prevent concussion; a strong neck helps prevent concussions but when you are hit by something you don’t see coming (punch, kick, head against the canvas) your neck does not flex in a defensive manner as it would normally.

I think it’s important to take a sufficient amount of time off of sparring and competing after a good hit to the head. Multiple concussions within a short amount of time can be devastating.

and yes…quilting is much safer than being an ultimate fighter but you pick up way less women.