Practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other submission grappling arts have long been subjected to strangulations during training and competition. However, a brand new study sheds light on the potential risks associated with this aspect of the sport.
The study, set to be published in the Journal of the Physician in Sports Medicine, investigated the increased risk of stroke among athletes who have experienced numerous strangulation events. The researchers compared athletes who practiced submission grappling for many years and reported at least 500 strangulation events to non-submission grappling athletes who have never been strangled.
To assess the risk of stroke, the researchers measured certain aspects of the carotid artery and indicators of brain injury. Remarkably, the findings revealed no significant difference between the two groups. Athletes who had been strangled hundreds of times showed no indicators of increased stroke risk compared to the non-grappling athletes.
These results align with a series of previous studies that suggest getting strangled in a sporting context does not appear to pose a significant risk to long-term health, in contrast to the potential dangers associated with repeated head strikes in striking sports.
Erik Magraken, a sports lawyer and the founder of combatsportslaw.com, notes that while more research is needed, the current findings are encouraging for grapplers. “The research to date shows really no risk to serial strangulation in sport,” he explains.
It’s important to note that the study’s findings pertain specifically to the sporting context, where submissions are released quickly upon tap or submission. Prolonged strangulation after unconsciousness, which is not a common practice in reputable martial arts schools, could potentially pose different risks.
For BJJ practitioners and other submission grapplers, this study provides reassuring evidence that the frequent strangulations they experience during training and competition may not be as dangerous as previously thought, at least in terms of stroke risk.
