The nonprofit Fighting Foundation has released their first in a series of fighter health and safety videos providing brain health basics for fighters.

Labeled the “white belt” video, it is short, simple and to the point, providing fighters some key information about concussions and CTE. The core messages are that:

• CTE is linked to repeated hits that impact the brain (even sub concussive hits)
• Reducing these in training and over a career is important
• Concussions need to be taken seriously, with ARP post-concussion protocols being recommended

The content was written by a leading neurologist specializing in athlete care and is delivered by fighters for fighters, using language anyone can understand, and at only 90 seconds duration, there is no excuse for a fighter not to take the time to understand the content. With only 6 percent of polled combat sports coaches demonstrating adequate concussion knowledge, this video is a welcome step in the right direction.

A note from the author

I proudly assisted Fighting Foundation in the video’s creation and want to personally thank everyone who volunteered their time in getting this first video off the ground. Special thanks to Rose Gracie, Carla Duran, Dr. Renato, Bobby Razak, Mackenzie Dern, Rayron Gracie, Keanna Klay, Renato Sobral and Ian McCall.

Please subscribe to Fighting Foundation’s YouTube channel for more useful content in the months to come.

Author Erik Magraken is a British Columbia litigation lawyer, combat sports law consultant, founder of the Combat Law Sports Blog, and deeply appreciated UGer.