Kung Fu Knee

There is nothing remotely common about Kung Fu Knee, however all martial artists, either novice or pros at one or the other part of their career may have suffered from one. Kung Fu knee or “Karate Knee” is the constant soreness or pain experienced by fighters after training or rather uncoordinated training. But let’s get the basics first minus the medical jargon of course!

Untitled-9Knees are an asset in MMA, let alone any martial arts, the various forms of kicks are executed, knee is used as a fulcrum and what not. Consequently it ends up being one of the most abused joints in martial arts. It gets exposed to constant turning and twisting plus the constant bumps during jumping. Allah indeed has created man in the best of forms and knee joint is no exception. Having two ligaments anterior and posterior and two ligaments on either side, with intervening cushions in between, the knee joint is a marvel of engineering. Like any other world class machine it requires care.

During your training, while executing umpteenth number of kicks, the knee joint is constantly under tension. The constant pain that some of you might be feeling and attributing to “toughness” of training might be the start of a “Kung Fu Knee”. Incorrect posturing, improper pad holding by your trainer and excessive kicking with the leg Untitled-12overshooting your target are some of the causative factors. Whenever your knee goes beyond the range that it is meant to sustain, you will feel an ache over the anterior and side of your knee.

The solution …? Simple, Rest, Ice, Compression and elevation, the standard “RICE “therapy. In case the soreness continues despite adequate rest then time to consult your doctor, you may have torn a ligament and thus require expert opinion or “arthroscopy”. No need to go into details right now. Hope you enjoy your week and let me know if any topic interests you or facing any medical issue while training. Stay safe.

This article has been written by Dr. Arshad Beg who is a surgical registrar specializing in General Surgery. He works at Liaquat National Hospital Karachi and has a keen interest in MMA. You can request him to cover any health-related topic by sending an email to info@pak-mma.com

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