Ringside doctors to examine MMA
The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP) has announced that it will discuss "the medical aspects of mixed martial arts and the WWE" at its annual conference in Las Vegas. This could be nothing other than a simple discussion of how ringside physicians should examine MMA fighters, but I cannot help but think about what happened when California first discussed regulating MMA.
In 2000, the California State Athletic Commission held public hearings and agreed on a set of MMA rules. All that was needed was for a public comment period to expire and a final rubber stamp vote from the Athletic Commission, and the rules would be set. Well, at that rubber stamp hearing something funny happened. Al Ducheny, a commissioner, asked if there were any comments, and Dr. John Howard, a ringside physician who later admitted that he has no experience with MMA, Judo or Jiu Jitsu competitions, stood up and said he wanted to talk.
The doctor explained that MMA presented an unacceptable risk to fighters because they die from choke holds. Suddenly, the meeting was in turmoil. People tried to explain that the doctor was wrong, but Ducheny persuaded his fellow commissioners to adopt a new rule to ban choke holds. This would have effectively killed MMA in California, which many suspected was Ducheny's and the boxing industry's intent. An unintended side effect, however, was that the rule would also have outlawed Judo (an Olympic sport) in the California. Fortunately, the Athletic Commission delayed its final vote on the rule until its next meeting.
(Note: I am having trouble accessing the ADCC archives, but if you are inteested you can read the Google cache of my original article from 2000 reporting on that meeting here.)
Thankfully, the unintended consequences saved MMA. By the next meeting the MMA supporters were able to produce data showing that Dr. Howard was full of baloney and (perhaps more importantly) demonstrate that the because the proposed rule would outlaw Judo, the Olympics would never be able to return to California. As a result, the ban on choke holds never went into effect.
A lot of political and budgetary nonsense meant that MMA would not actually be allowed in California for 6 more years. But, when MMA finally came to California, choke holds were allowed.
Anyway, I've dredged up this long story to give context to a short point: When doctors get together to discuss MMA I get nervous about what is really on the agenda.
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In 2000, the California State Athletic Commission held public hearings and agreed on a set of MMA rules. All that was needed was for a public comment period to expire and a final rubber stamp vote from the Athletic Commission, and the rules would be set. Well, at that rubber stamp hearing something funny happened. Al Ducheny, a commissioner, asked if there were any comments, and Dr. John Howard, a ringside physician who later admitted that he has no experience with MMA, Judo or Jiu Jitsu competitions, stood up and said he wanted to talk.
The doctor explained that MMA presented an unacceptable risk to fighters because they die from choke holds. Suddenly, the meeting was in turmoil. People tried to explain that the doctor was wrong, but Ducheny persuaded his fellow commissioners to adopt a new rule to ban choke holds. This would have effectively killed MMA in California, which many suspected was Ducheny's and the boxing industry's intent. An unintended side effect, however, was that the rule would also have outlawed Judo (an Olympic sport) in the California. Fortunately, the Athletic Commission delayed its final vote on the rule until its next meeting.
(Note: I am having trouble accessing the ADCC archives, but if you are inteested you can read the Google cache of my original article from 2000 reporting on that meeting here.)
Thankfully, the unintended consequences saved MMA. By the next meeting the MMA supporters were able to produce data showing that Dr. Howard was full of baloney and (perhaps more importantly) demonstrate that the because the proposed rule would outlaw Judo, the Olympics would never be able to return to California. As a result, the ban on choke holds never went into effect.
A lot of political and budgetary nonsense meant that MMA would not actually be allowed in California for 6 more years. But, when MMA finally came to California, choke holds were allowed.
Anyway, I've dredged up this long story to give context to a short point: When doctors get together to discuss MMA I get nervous about what is really on the agenda.
