Concussion denial: in mixed marital art (or UFC) fighting like bike helmet debate?

[rebeccaC]

I have only read peripherally about the mixed martial art sport (MMA or branded now as UFC, or Ultimate Fighting). Of course the highly publicized women's match between Roussey vs. Blom was made a big deal. Where the tough, strong Roussey went down and lost in Nov. 2015.......I understand some feminists celebrate all this tough, strong fighting.

I don’t see any value in MMA/UFC sport fighting but do see the strong advantages of the developing the body and mental awareness, the decisiveness, inner power, self confidence and harmony that comes with learning a self-defense style like Aikido. My parents helped me immensely by being very supportive of my becoming a student of Aikido in my early teens and I’d be supportive of my future children starting a self-defense martial arts learning journey early too. I've only had to use those skills twice in my life outside a dojo and both times to end a sexual assault attempt quickly and effectively, one with a knife used and both led to an arrest and conviction.....but then that is just a side advantage of my continuing journey of self-defense based on non-violence and the preservation of life with my present sensei. aikido, yoga and pilates are my trinity......at the moment

and yeah there is more than enough evidence of the dangers of concussions (and has been for a number of years) that it makes me sad to see so many parents still wanting and in some cases directing their children to participate in sports that have that possible element…..and to see the denial based on wanting wins and profit in professional sports is close to criminal in my mind.