Martial arts: safe and healthy competitions

Robert Micallef should have got his facts right before rushing to put pen to paper. His letter (Children And Martial Arts, March 21) is opinionated, unfair and patronising. His sweeping statements and over generalisations do not do justice to his many years of experience and to the Maltese martial arts enthusiasts as a whole. He liberally casts doubts on this noble discipline, the clubs, the organisers' professional integrity, the competitors' performances and the way parents take care of their children. One wonders whether he has a number of axes to grind.

His statement that the young competitors were beating "the living daylights out of each other" is completely unfounded. They, like the rest of competitors, did their best to compete under the watchful eyes of experienced referees, their trainers, medical staff and parents. This was definitely not a street fighting competition but a well-organised sports event which had the backing of international sports personalities.

I was in charge of the health and safety of the competitors and audience. At no stage was the young competitor "crying" or in distress such that his health was at serious risk. Like all other competitors, he was continually assessed and joint decisions on fitness to continue were always taken in unison with the medical team, the referee, the coach and parents where applicable. He, like all competitors in similar situations, was explicitly asked about whether he wished to continue or not. The boy was not coerced. He was keen to continue until the end. How Mr Micallef could hear our deliberations and draw such rash conclusions when he was a good distance away among the audience is hard to figure out.

At no point did anybody entice or encourage violence. This was a sport event with the obvious support from the respective clubs and relatives. Violence was never resorted to. Mr Micallef insults the very principles of his hard working colleagues by insinuating this. Worse still, he infers that parents are inadequate in taking care of their children and are unaware of their "duty". I have met most of these people and can vouch for their reliability, good character and professionalism. Shame on him for denigrating the event and its competitors and for comparing it to unlawful "dog fighting". An apology is called for. Health and safety was given priority throughout. As organisers, we ensured that 10 fully qualified and equipped St Johns and St Lazarus personnel were present at all times. An ambulance was on stand-by outside for more serious injuries. I categorically deny that anyone was at serious risk of harm as Mr Micallef implies. Although we were prepared for the worst, thankfully there were no significant injuries. The conscientious referees and support staff worked together as a team in order to ensure that injuries were spotted and treated immediately. Special thanks must go to all these people for ensuring that the event was a success.

Mr Micallef attempts to instill anxiety among parents by implying that some forms of martial arts are dangerous and that their instructors may not be adequately qualified. Let me make it very clear that I am all in favour of a code of safe practice safeguarded by an authoritative body. However, injuries occur in all martial arts, as Mr Micallef states. There is no research to show that kickboxing for example is more or less dangerous than karate. Mr Micallef's rib fracture is proof of this. (Incidentally, it takes a considerable amount of brute force to break a rib.) There is however lots of research to show that martial arts in general is safer compared to other contact sports and even safer than dancing! Besides, I have treated some nasty martial arts injuries (including karate injuries) during national competitions in the UK, irrespective of whether they involved full or semi contact matches. Is he trying to promote one discipline at the expense of another? These arts are not only excellent ways to develop one's strength, flexibility and endurance but they are also a way of life. Furthermore, they nurture one's character to be disciplined and to do no harm to others.

It is a pity that as president of "one of Malta's most prestigious organisations" Mr Micallef launched this short-sighted attack on his colleagues. They too genuinely work hard to ensure that their students learn and improve in a safe and healthy environment. Perhaps constructive face-to-face discussion with them will ensure that Maltese martial arts in general gets the credibility it deserves. Bickering and chastising them with threats of sending government officials simply goes against the very core philosophy of martial arts which Mr Micallef is meant to represent. I am sure that his attitude does not reflect the attitude of the many good karate clubs in Malta. One wonders whether he is actually speaking on behalf of his federation or if this is his personal opinion. If this were the prevailing attitude, then I would never encourage my son to join.