A martial arts first aid kit should cover the injuries a dojo actually sees: bruises, nosebleeds, cuts, and sprains. Ten items handle almost all of them. Knowing when to stop and call for help handles the rest.
There is an old joke in aikido. Hurt knee? Walk it off. Broken arm? Walk it off. Internal bleeding? Walk it off. Jokes aside, some injuries you cannot simply walk off, and every dojo needs to be ready for them.
What Injuries Should a Dojo First Aid Kit Cover?
Start with what actually happens on the mat. A review of Shotokan karate injuries found that the five most common were contusions (46.9 percent of all injuries), bleeding noses (19.9 percent), cuts (14.4 percent), sprains and strains (3.35 percent), and concussions (2 percent).
The picture is similar in throwing and locking arts such as judo, jujitsu, and aikido, where the same review reports contusions at 56 percent, sprains at 12 percent, and abrasions at 8 percent.
So a dojo kit is mostly about four jobs: cooling a bruise, stopping a nosebleed, cleaning and covering a cut, and supporting a sprain. Our Common Injuries section describes each of them.
The 10 Things Your Dojo Medical Kit Must Have
Item | Use It For | Keep in the Kit |
|---|---|---|
Disposable gloves | Any contact with blood or an open wound | A box of non-latex gloves |
Saline and clean water | Rinsing wounds and eyes | Sealed saline pods or a squeeze bottle |
Gauze pads and nose plugs | Pressure on a bleeding cut; nosebleeds | Sterile gauze in several sizes, cotton, nasal plugs |
Bandages and dressings | Covering a cleaned cut or scrape | Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes, petroleum jelly |
Antiseptic wipes | Cleaning hands, tools, and the skin around a wound | Individually wrapped wipes |
Ice packs | Bruises, sprains, and swelling | Two reusable gel packs, plus instant cold packs |
Wraps, a splint, and a sling | Supporting a sprain or a suspected fracture until help arrives | Elastic wrap, a moldable splint, a triangular bandage |
Scissors, tweezers, and tape | Cutting dressings, removing splinters, securing gauze | Bandage shears, tweezers, athletic tape |
Over-the-counter medicines | Pain, fever, and upset stomach in adults | Small labeled packs, plus an electrolyte drink mix |
An AED, or a plan to reach one | Sudden cardiac arrest | The device, or a posted note of the nearest one |
1. Disposable Gloves
Never touch a wound without gloves. They keep the wound clean, and they protect the person giving first aid from infections carried in blood.
They do not need to be sterile. A box of disposable non-latex gloves is enough, because some students are allergic to latex.
2. Saline and Clean Water
Normal saline, at 0.9 percent sodium chloride, serves several purposes. It can be used to rinse wounds and to wash out eye injuries. Clean water does the same job, but not every dojo has a tap near the mat.
To clean a minor cut, dermatologists advise that you use cool or lukewarm water and a mild soap to gently remove dirt or debris.
3. Gauze Pads and Nose Plugs
Gauze is for pressure. To stop a cut bleeding, apply pressure with clean gauze for one to two minutes, or until the bleeding stops.
Nosebleeds are the second most common injury in karate, so plan for them. The person should sit down, lean forward with the mouth open, and pinch the nose just above the nostrils for 10 to 15 minutes, breathing through the mouth. Do not let them lie down.
Go to an emergency room if the bleeding lasts longer than 10 to 15 minutes, or if it started after a blow to the head.
4. Bandages and Dressings
Once a cut is clean and the bleeding has stopped, apply petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist, and cover it with a sterile bandage. Change the bandage daily. The American Academy of Dermatology advises against antibiotic ointments for minor cuts.
Flexible fabric bandages in assorted sizes work well. Keep latex-free ones for students with allergies. Liquid bandage is handy for small cuts and takes up little space.
A cut needs a doctor if it is longer than three-quarters of an inch, more than a quarter of an inch deep, or will not stop bleeding.
5. Antiseptic Wipes
Keep alcohol wipes for cleaning your hands, the thermometer, and the scissors. Plenty of people add hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol to their kits for wounds, but these are much too harsh. Do not use household disinfectant sprays or wipes on skin.
As Dr. Sarah Pickering Beers of the Cleveland Clinic says of hydrogen peroxide, "It irritates the skin and can prevent the wound from healing. Essentially, it can do more harm than good."
Blood on the mat is a separate job. Clean it before training resumes. Our guide to preventing staph infections in the dojo explains how.
6. Ice Packs
Cold is the first treatment for the most common injury on the list. For a sprain or strain, apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes every two to three hours. Avoid heat and massage for the first couple of days.
Keep two reusable gel packs in the freezer, so one can go home with an injured student. For a dojo without a freezer, instant cold packs are a good choice. In a pinch, fill a sturdy zip bag with ice and wrap it in a towel.
7. Wraps, a Splint, and a Sling
A cohesive or elastic bandage supports a sprained joint and holds an ice pack in place. A moldable splint, such as a SAM splint, can support a limb when you suspect a fracture. A triangular bandage makes a sling.
A splint is for comfort on the way to care. It is not treatment. Call emergency services or go to an emergency room if you heard a crack when the injury happened, if the limb has changed shape or points at an odd angle, or if it is numb, discolored, or cold.
For joint-by-joint guidance, see our pages on ankle, wrist, knee, and finger injuries.
8. Scissors, Tweezers, and Tape
Bandage scissors or trauma shears cut dressings, tape, and clothing. Clean tweezers remove splinters. Athletic tape secures gauze and can buddy-tape an injured finger to the one beside it.
9. Over-the-Counter Medicines
A small stock of common medicines is useful: acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain, an antacid for heartburn, and a muscle rub or patch for soreness. A powdered electrolyte drink mix helps a student who is flagging from heat or dehydration.
Three cautions apply:
10. An AED, or a Plan to Reach One
An automated external defibrillator is the one item on this list that can restart a heart. "The AED gives verbal instructions to users," says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is designed to be used by people with no medical training.
Speed is everything. The chance of survival falls by 7 to 10 percent for every minute the heart stays in a life-threatening rhythm. Call emergency services, start CPR, and send someone for the AED.
An AED is expensive. If your dojo cannot afford one, find out where the nearest one is and post that information by the kit. If you do have one, train everyone to use it. Our guide to preventing sudden cardiac arrests in martial arts goes deeper.
What a First Aid Kit Cannot Fix
A kit buys time. For five situations, the right move is to stop training and get help.
- A possible concussion. Remove the student from training right away, and keep them out for the rest of the day and until a healthcare provider clears them. Call emergency services for a seizure, repeated vomiting, increasing drowsiness, or not recognizing people or places. See our guide to head injuries.
- A seizure. Move anything they could hit, turn them gently onto their side, and time it. "Don't put anything in their mouth. This can hurt their teeth or jaw." Call emergency services if it lasts longer than five minutes or if it is their first seizure.
- A suspected neck or spine injury. Do not move the person. Keep the head still and call emergency services.
- A knocked-out tooth. Hold it by the crown, not the root. Put it back in the socket if you can, or store it in milk or saliva, and get to a dentist as soon as possible.
- A collapse. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call emergency services, start CPR, and use the AED.
Aikido's own record shows why this matters. A report by Fumiaki Shishida documented 11 deaths or critical injuries, mainly among university club members. Most came from throws that struck the back of the head. "Even tatami is dangerous although it is thought to be safe because of its softness," he wrote.
This page is general information. It does not replace first aid training or an examination by a doctor. Our article Injured in the Dojo? What Next? covers the steps after the first few minutes.
What Do the Professionals Carry?
A cutman's kit is built for a different job: closing a cut in under a minute between rounds. Jacob "Stitch" Duran, the best-known cutman in MMA and boxing, lists his essentials as adrenaline solution, Vaseline, an enswell, and ice packs.
An enswell is a small piece of metal kept on ice and pressed against a swelling. Duran's advice on swelling applies in any gym: use "cold, direct pressure," and do not try to push the swelling around.
The adrenaline is not for a dojo. It is a medication, for trained cutmen at sanctioned fights. What a dojo can borrow from Duran is his mindset. "From the start of the bell, you always prepare for the worst-case scenario."
Ringside physician Dr. John Neidecker makes the same point about the whole field: "Combat sports should be held to a higher standard than other sports."
Does Your Martial Art Change the Kit?
Some arts injure more students than others. In a study of five styles, the share of participants who needed time off training in a year was 59 percent in tae kwon do, 51 percent in aikido, 38 percent in kung fu, 30 percent in karate, and 14 percent in tai chi.
Tae Kwon Do
Kicks score more than punches, so the legs take most of the damage. The most frequent sites are the foot, knee, ankle, thigh, shin, and head. Stock extra ice packs, elastic wraps, and nose plugs.
Aikido, Judo, and Jujitsu
Locking and throwing arts load the knees, shoulders, ankles, hands, and fingers. Bruises and sprains dominate, so ice packs, wraps, and finger tape matter most. Grapplers should also know the early signs of cauliflower ear and other ear injuries.
Kung Fu
Jumps, landings, and twisting kicks stress the joints of the legs. Wraps, braces, and compression supports are the useful extras.
Karate
The review of Shotokan karate concluded that it is "one of the safer martial arts." Most injuries are bruises that need only ice, such as minor rib injuries. With nosebleeds at one in five injuries, keep plenty of gauze and nose plugs.
Muay Thai
In a study of 152 Muay Thai fighters, injuries to the lower limbs were the most common at every level. Soft tissue injuries came first, and fractures came second among professionals. Athletic tape, bandages, and instant cold packs earn their place.
How to Keep Your Kit Ready
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Buy or build. A ready-made kit saves time. Building your own costs more at the start, but after that you only restock what you use. A low-cost, comprehensive first aid kit is one way to avoid piecing the smaller items together yourself.
For what comes before the kit is ever opened, see our guide to injury prevention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should Be in a Martial Arts First Aid Kit?
Stock for the injuries a dojo sees most: bruises, nosebleeds, cuts, and sprains. That means disposable gloves, saline, gauze and nose plugs, bandages, antiseptic wipes, ice packs, wraps and a splint, scissors and tape, and a few over-the-counter medicines. Add an AED, or a posted note of where the nearest one is.
How Do You Stop a Nosebleed in Class?
Have the student sit down and lean forward with the mouth open. Pinch the nose just above the nostrils for 10 to 15 minutes while they breathe through the mouth. Go to an emergency room if the bleeding lasts longer than that, or if it started after a blow to the head.
What Is an Enswell?
An enswell is a small piece of metal that a cutman keeps on ice and presses against a swelling between rounds. Cutman Jacob "Stitch" Duran advises cold, direct pressure and warns against pushing the swelling around. In a dojo, an ice pack wrapped in a towel does the same job.
Featured Image Source: Andrey_Popov, Standard License, via Shutterstock
