“Slap fighting is a more dangerous combat sport than we thought,” warn health professionals.
- Slap fighting is a new activity that involves slapping each other.
- Health professionals are warning about this practice which can, according to them, cause concussions.
- “Slap fighting is a more dangerous combat sport than previously thought, and strategies to prevent neurological death of its participants should be put in place,” they write.
In a recent editorial, health professionals express concern that a new “combat sport” known as “slap fighting” can cause brain damage.
Concussions: what is slap fighting?
Very popular on social networks, slap fighting consists of hitting your opponent’s face head-on with open hands.
Unlike other combat sports, “slappers” do not wear helmets to protect themselves, because they must receive their opponent’s blows without dodging or trying to protect themselves (the slightest flinch being considered a fault). Points are awarded based on the extent of the damage caused by the slap and how well the participant handled the blows.
In January 2023, the sport was televised for the first time by Power Slap, a promotional company owned by Dana White, the general manager of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Since then, the practice has started to spread mainly to the United States and the United Kingdom, which will host its first ever heavyweight slap fighting competition in Liverpool in October.
Concussions: 78 videos of slap fighting analyzed
In 2021, Polish Artur Walczak suffered a brain hemorrhage during a slap fighting match during which he was literally knocked out. Although he was quickly treated at the hospital, the competitor died a few weeks later from multiple organ failure caused by the head trauma.
Concerned about this type of occurrence, Dr. Raj Swaroop Lavadi and Dr. Nitin Agarwal decided to analyze 78 videos of slapping fights. They then found that more than half of the competitors showed visible signs of concussion. Many participants also had impaired movement after being hit or had a blank stare.
Concussions and slap fighting: “potential long-term consequences”
“The results of this study indicate that slapping fights may induce traumatic brain injury in participants, with potential long-term consequences,” write the authors.
“The risk is even greater as participants must stand defenseless, allowing their opponents to obtain full and precise contact with their heads during each offensive blow,” they add.
Scientists therefore argue that a high level of monitoring is required when evaluating participants during and after matches. “Slap fighting is a more dangerous combat sport than previously thought, and strategies to prevent neurological death of its participants should be put in place,” concludes the team whose plea is published in JAMA Surgery.
