Safety profile of amateur kickboxing among military and civilian competitors

The purpose of this study was to identify match-ending injuries in amateur kickboxing (KB) among military and civilian competitors. A total of 148 competitors, of whom 5 were on active duty in the U.S. Air Force or Marine Corps, participated in amateur KB matches (N = 74) from 1999 to 2001. Match-ending injuries were observed and managed from ringside by one author (G.J.B.). Of all matches, 23 (31.1%) were stopped because of injury. Of the 23 matches, 15 (65.2%) ended because of traumatic brain injury, 4 (17.4%) because of orthopedic trauma, 3 (13.0%) because of thoracoabdominal trauma, and 1 (4.4%) because of ocular trauma. The incidence of traumatic brain injury was greater than that of all other match-ending injuries combined (p < 0.01). Because of the incidence and potentially serious sequelae of injuries associated with competitive KB, military commanders should exercise operational risk management in an attempt to safeguard personnel from unnecessary hazard.