Ban on kicks and punches to the head for youth increasingly accepted

Martial arts gym owners overwhelmingly support the ban on kicks and punches to the head in competition for athletes under 18. Initially, this measure by the VA (Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch martial arts regulator) met with greater resistance. That resistance now appears to have largely been overcome. This emerges from research commissioned by the VA, in which 135 martial arts gyms took part.

Three years after the start of the gradual introduction, 65.7% of the gym owners who took part in the research agree or fully agree with this ban. Only 16.4% oppose the measure and 17.8% are neutral. There is, however, frustration that other martial arts have not adopted the protective measure. The VA does note that other sports are also making progress on this subject. NOC*NSF (the Dutch Olympic Committee and Dutch Sports Federation) will shortly set up a project group on brain damage caused by sport, and the UMC (university medical centre) will conduct independent research into this subject across all sports.

Last year the VA published an extensive review of the scientific literature on this subject, bringing together studies on the consequences of impact to the head in young athletes. The literature review concluded that there is sufficient evidence to support the ban, which was introduced to prevent brain damage in growing children.

The new figures on support for the measure come from research commissioned by the VA and carried out by Sam Soede of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdam), in which 135 martial arts gyms took part.