Believe it or not, slap fighting is a thing, a relatively new sport with its own fanbase. Televised competitions are common. Don’t mistake a slap, however, as a harmless alternative to damage seen in other contact sports.
It packs the punch of boxing as far as your brain is concerned.
University of Pittsburgh researchers conducted what they billed as the first academic examination of slap fighting. They found competitors often face the same kind of injuries boxers do.
The rules are straightforward. Two competitors face off on a podium and take turns slapping each other until one is knocked unconscious or when judges declare a winner. Muscular participants deliver powerful blows, with rules usually requiring an open-hand slap between jaw and cheekbone.
Unlike a weaving boxer, or a running back evading defenders, the slap recipient stands defenseless.
The study examined 333 slaps across 78 fights and revealed a troubling pattern. In more than half the slap sequences, the fighter receiving the blow showed visible signs of concussion.
Those included motor coordination issues, slowness getting up after falling to the floor, and a blank, vacant look on the face.
Slap fighting, researchers say, can lead to short- and long-term neurological problems. Traumatic brain injury is a danger, along with its cognitive impacts in later life.
The sport is increasing in popularity and is starting to attract wider attention. And because it’s new, it’s seen little scrutiny.
Whether administered by slap, punch, tackle, or errant baseball, any head impact can cause lasting damage.
To your brain, they’re all the same.