FIRST AID?

 By Phillip Starr

I have always believed that it's very important for all instructors (and students as well) to be trained in basic first-aid. After all, we practice martial arts....which are designed for actual combat and try as we might to prevent injuries, they still happen from time to time.

Common martial arts class injuries would include minor things such as split lips, bloody noses, jammed fingers and toes, and the like. But it's always possible that other more serious injuries might occur; things like concussions (resulting from knockouts or falls), broken fingers or toes, cracked ribs, and even broken bones in the arms or legs.

In the many years that I have taught martial arts, none of my students ever suffered a serious injury due to training...and we have NEVER used padded mittens or footgear. Even so, minor injuries were not uncommon and a basic knowledge of first-aid has always been a part of my training program.

Learning CPR as well as the Heimlich Maneuver can be very useful in daily life. A local kempo instructor taught a special class to his students here and a short time later, one of his students was in a restaurant when a young boy began choking on his food. Noticing that the boy wasn't able to breathe and everyone was horrified and unable to help, the student jumped up and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on him. It saved his life.

To this day, I require students of various grades to be proficient in forms of first-aid, including the aforementioned life-saving techniques. I encourage all instructors to do the same and to maintain a proper first-aid kit in their school.