If you design a “sport” with intentional and undefended blows to the head you are going to get brain injury. Lots of it. A study was recently published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation showing slap fighting results in extraordinary rates of observable signs of suspected concussion and, despite this, that a high percentage of those fights continue beyond that point.
In the study, titled Video-Based Analysis of Suspected Concussions in Slap Fighting: Incidence and Characteristics, the authors reviewed video footage of men that competed in powerslap from January 2023 – June 2024. 3 sports medicine specialists watched the footage looking for observable signs of suspected concussion along with whether the bouts were stopped at that point.
They found that “signs of suspected concussion were observed in 79.1% of fights” and perhaps more concerning that “(52.7%) of the fights with signs of suspected concussion continued following observed concussion signs.“.
The full abstract reads as follows:
Objective:
Despite the high frequency of head impacts in slap fighting, little is known about suspected concussions in this sport. This study examined the frequency and characteristics of observable signs of suspected concussions in slap fighting among male athletes.
Setting:
Video-based analysis.
Participants:
Athletes who participated in official male power slap matches from January 1, 2023 to June 31, 2024.
Design:
Video footage of all official male power slap matches during the study period was retrospectively analyzed by 3 sports medicine specialists experienced in sports injuries.
Main Measures:
The frequency, total number, and types of observable signs of suspected concussion, and whether the fight continued after signs of suspected concussion were observed.
Results:
A total of 115 fights (97.5%) during the study period were available for video review. Of these, 40 (38.4%) resulted in knockouts and 21 (18.3%) in technical knockouts. Observable signs of suspected concussion were observed in 79.1% of fights, averaging 1.41 concussion signs per fight, and 0.31 per slap. Forty-eight (52.7%) of the fights with signs of suspected concussion continued following observed concussion signs.
Conclusion:
The frequency, early identification, and management of suspected concussions in slap fighting should be prioritized, with further studies combining clinical assessments strongly recommended.
Combat Sports Law 