Many women do not dare to take up combat sports for fear of injury. However, we tend to overestimate this aspect of combat practice, particularly because there are multiple ways to practice without getting hurt. Let's take a closer look at all this!
1) Wear protective equipment
Let's start with the most obvious and essential, protective equipment. It is essential to protect you from blows and injuries. The main protective equipment includes boxing gloves, shin guards, mouth guards, shells and helmets. This equipment may have a certain cost when you buy it, but it is essential to preserve your physical integrity and with good maintenance, you can keep it for years.
2) Learn gradually
When you start a sport, you start at level zero, and it's the same for everyone. So as in any sport, we first learn the basics, which consists in particular of knowing how to protect ourselves and defend techniques. Then, we learn offensive and increasingly complex techniques. Likewise, during the first sparring (opposition where you apply your techniques), you will start slowly then with experience you will be able to press your blows more. Taking it little by little allows you to get used to the sport and know the sensations before increasing the intensity.
3) Respect your limits
It is important to know your limits and not push yourself beyond what you are capable of doing. Listen to your body and don't exercise when you're tired or sick. It is essential to find the balance between pushing yourself and overtraining or putting yourself in danger.
4) Warm up correctly
It may seem silly, but a proper warm-up is essential to preventing injuries. Before each workout, spend enough time warming up to prepare yourself for the workout. Usually the coaches take care of the warm-up so try to arrive on time so as not to miss it!
5) Respect your partners
Finally, combat sports are necessarily practiced in pairs and you are also responsible for the physical integrity of your partner. Always be respectful towards your partner by avoiding pressing blows for no reason or forcing a joint wrench which would only injure him unnecessarily. No ego wars on the tatami, only fun!
There are therefore a number of techniques to prevent possible injuries and increase training without risk. Of course, these are still contact sports, but that certainly doesn't mean that you're going to hurt yourself every time you train! Practitioners are often very caring and respectful of everyone's health, so you no longer have any reason not to try it!
