Pad holding - How to avoid injury when holding for heavy hitters!

So first of all some common sense advice!

Obviously when you are holding pads for someone the ideal situation is to work with someone of your own approximate build if possible. If not, and it is often the case that you get whoever happens to not be paired up already when you arrive at class, be sure to communicate to your partner if they are hitting too hard!

Sounds obvious but often people are reluctant to speak up, especially if their training partner is senior to them or they just don't want to appear weak.

However the risk of injury to your shoulders and rotator cuffs from holding pads badly for someone bigger and stronger is much higher than people realise, and the types of injury we are talking about, from inflammation and sprains all the way to ongoing tendonitis and full rotator cuff tears, can easily put you out of training for months or even end your martial art career completely.

However the good news is there are some easy adjustments you can make immediately to reduce your risk of injury!

Check out the video below (if you find this helpful like and comment on the video or here on our website and subcribe):