Neck-Strengthening Exercises to Prevent Martial Arts Injuries and Protect Vital Targets
February 14 | 2012
Scott Bolan and Mike Gillette contend that many martial artists do not pay enough attention to the neck as a vital target. This may be due to its status as a forbidden zone in traditional martial arts training and martial arts competitions. However, if one considers how the neck is constructed and what it houses, it certainly becomes an attractive target in real-world street-fighting situations.
Therefore, Mike Gillette practices neck-strengthening exercises to build up the musculature supporting his head. He suggests that neck-strengthening exercises increase structural integrity during self-defense moves and help increase resistance to choke pressure.
NECK-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES VIDEO Mike Gillette Explains the Neck's Structure and Its Susceptibility to Injury in Martial Arts and Self-Defense Training
"The neck is an interesting piece of architecture because it is the pathway for some of the most aspects of the body: the central nervous system, all of your airway, your internal plumbing as far as your circulatory system is concerned," Mike Gillette says. "But interestingly, it is all built around one of the most structurally weak parts of the body." Gillette's breakdown of why neck-strengthening exercises are an important part of martial arts injury prevention and street-fighting preparation considers:- impact injuries from falling to -- or being thrown to -- the ground
- tissue compression during a choke attack