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Bracing

The fact that energy can transfer through the brain without causing harm (a concussion) became the central design feature of the Warrior Tough helmet. The key to avoiding the concussion was the connection between the skull and the mat just like the second ball touching the third in the billiard example. Professional research specifically dealing with energy transfer and how it acts on the brain supports the connection concept. Shaw in his research found that "if the head is stationary or in contact with another surface, the kinetic energy from a blow (punch) will simply flow through it and be transmitted elsewhere, leaving the brain unharmed and its function intact" (Shaw, 2002, p. 287).

At Warrior Tough we saw the potential of a new design of helmet that could significantly reduce concussions which is a central problem in contact sports. We created a helmet that allows the user to connect or affix the head to the torso so impact energy from a punch can harmlessly transfer through the head to the torso, reducing concussive injury potential. “Thus, in ordinary events, the fighter with a fixed head is not concussed. From this observation, and from the billiard ball and toy experiment, it is not the transfer of kinetic energy per se, but the absorption of kinetic energy, the last ball, or the release of kinetic energy, the first ball, that results in a jarring that will concuss” (Parkinson, 1982, p.137-138). However, we also discovered other significant ideas that could be incorporated into a helmet to further safeguard the athlete, like linking the mass of the head to the mass of the torso. When completed, we developed a helmet with 10 design interventions, each specifically engineered to increase user safety.

Research also indicates that bracing is a method to decrease head acceleration. Helmets designed to lower head acceleration actually reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, bracing promotes the transfer of impact energy to the body and reduces potential for neck injuries. According to studies, the performance of helmets in modulating impact energy transfer is crucial, with newer models of helmets outperforming older ones in this regard (Rowson et al., 2016).

Skull transfers energy

to mat.

Figure A

Redefining Protection for Safer Sports Gear

The problem of concussion stems from excessive energy from an impact being trapped in the headgear. This energy is then transferred to the brain causing injury. To address this, we asked a simple question: “How can we alter the concussion equation? What if there is a defensive action that could change how the energy from a punch or kick behaves upon impact? Could this protective action prevent trapped energy from causing a concussion, or better yet, is there a way to dissipate the energy harmlessly? If the issue is too much energy trapped in the head, then the design of the helmet should aim to manage this energy, reducing the trapping energy that potentially leads to concussion.

Inspired by MMA fighters (Figure A), who demonstrated that during a ground and pound, energy from a punch is transferred to the mat through the athlete's skull, preventing concussions. Warrior Tough began creating a helmet design that worked on this same principle. Parkinson (1982) illustrated energy transfer with a three billiard (pool) ball example. In his scenario, when one ball strikes another, "the energy is released from the first ball, transferred through the second, and absorbed in the third, and if these were heads, the first and third would be concussed (p. 136)." The fact that energy can transfer through the brain without causing harm (a concussion) became the central design feature of the Warrior Tough helmet. The key to avoiding the concussion was the connection between the skull and the mat just like the second ball touching the third in the billiard example. Professional research specifically dealing with energy transfer and how it acts on the brain supports the connection concept. Shaw in his research found that "if the head is stationary or in contact with another surface, the kinetic energy from a blow (punch) will simply flow through it and be transmitted elsewhere, leaving the brain unharmed and its function intact" (Shaw, 2002, p. 287).

Mastering the Warrior Tough Helmet: Unveiling the Protective Power of Bracing

Helmet transfers energy

to the torso.

Figure B

Bracing (Figure B) mirrors the on-guard stance, making it easy for coaches to ensure athletes adopt a proper posture. With the helmet seated on the shoulders, it naturally encourages a chin-down position, similar to a built-in chin-down training device. This posture effectively reduces head acceleration by facilitating the transfer of impact energy away from the brain, dispersing it towards the torso. The Warrior Tough Concussion Counterpunch helmet stands out as a pioneering design that redirects energy from the brain, minimizing the risk of concussion.

Understanding and utilizing each of Warrior Tough's 10 design features ensures athletes enjoy unparalleled protection. Remarkably, achieving all features simultaneously requires only adopting a proper on-guard position, which serves as the fundamental defense stance. This advantage stems from the helmet's development by a seasoned boxing coach, ensuring optimal functionality and safety.

Using the On-Guard Stance to Properly Brace the Warrior Tough Helmet

In combat sports, maintaining a proper on-guard stance is crucial for defense and mobility. The Warrior Tough Concussion Counterpunch helmet design lets you create a connection between the helmet and your torso, in other words, a bridge between the mass of your head and body using a linking stance. This makes the mass of the head too large to accelerate quickly. “... boxers well before the turn of the century were aware of the futility of pounding on top of the bowed head, as the striker would only damage his knuckles... In this position, the head is an extension of the mass of the spinal column and its appendages. Thus, the mass is too large to be set rapidly in motion by a blow” (Parkinson, 1982 p. 132-133). In other words, head movement using the brow pad properly along with shoulder placement in an on-guard stance that links the helmet to the torso is a way to artificially increase the mass of the head to avoid head acceleration that causes concussions.

Bracing gives the athlete a way to manage impact energy, keeping the athlete safer.

1. Head Position:

Your chin should be lowered toward your chest.
You should be able to see your eyebrows when looking at your opponent or your chin is too high up.
Use the helmet as a chin-down. You should feel the lower edged of the helmet make contact with the top of your shoulders.
Proper chin placement aligns your bones and muscles into a position of strength.

Figure C

Figure D: shows the progression of the defensive posture of an on-guard stance closing upon impact

2. Shoulder Placement:

Raise your shoulders to protect your chin, creating a protective barrier.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and avoid tensing them excessively to maintain fluidity in your movements.
When under attack pull down with your chin and push up with your shoulders creating a pressure between the lower edges of the helmet and the top of your shoulders. We call creating this pressure hulking.
Hulking: compresses the lower edge of the helmet, places your chin low and tight protecting it, aligns your bones properly (Figure C) and places tension in your neck muscles so you can better withstand a blow. Hulking, in preparation for the blow creates the connection that provides the user maximum protection implementing all 10 design features of the helmet.
Angle your lead shoulder slightly forward, providing additional coverage for your chin and a smaller target for your opponent.

3. Arm Position:

The high-guard stance is the best guard to protect your head.
Position your lead hand (usually the left hand) high and on the temple out in front of your face when being hit to brace the head.
Position your rear hand (usually the right hand) near your chin or temple, slightly out in front, while pressing against the helmet to brace.
Elbows should be tucked in, close to the body, to provide additional protection and coverage.
Locking your gloves on your helmet provides additional head support when under pressure.

4. Foot Placement:

Maintain a shoulder-width stance with one foot forward and the other foot back.
Distribute your weight evenly between both feet keeping the weight on the balls of your feet with your heals up just enough so that a piece of paper can slide under it. This allows for quick movements in any direction.
Bend your knees slightly to provide flexibility and the ability to move swiftly.

5. Additional Information:

Keep your body relaxed, with a slight forward lean, enabling quick reactions to your opponent's actions. Smooth is fast.
Be prepared to adjust your stance based on the situation, ensuring adaptability and defensive readiness.
Foot placement is the key to distance and timing.
A moving target is more difficult to hit.
Use the brow pad to slip punches and keep your chin down.
Keep your vision locked in one spot, usually the base of the opponent's throat and use your peripheral vision which allows you to best react. Defend with a same side defense. Listen to your coach!

Mastering the on-guard stance is fundamental in all combat sports, as it forms the foundation for effective defense and counterattacks. The Warrior Tough Concussion Counterpunch helmet was designed to give you superior vision, movement, and protection from a proper on-guard stance.

Figure D

“Head and neck injuries account for 22.5% of all boxing injuries" (2011, American Journal of Preventive Medicine).

Key Takeaways:

Bracing sets the helmet on the shoulders for energy transfer and linking the mass of your head to your torso.
Hulking is the process of creating a pressure between the helmet and the athlete's shoulders. This pressure creates a connectiveness that enhances the transfer of impact energy to the torso while linking the mass of the head to the mass of the torso, making it harder to jar your brain upon impact.
Bracing/Hulking alone will not solve the concussion problem- so, Warrior Tough added 9 additional helmet design characteristics which further reduce and transfer energy while improving your form - keeping you safer.

Bracing creates the perfect on-guard position which increases support and reduces stress on the neck.

Head in neutral position

Figure E

Head in braced/hulked position

Proper form and movement should be promoted by sports equipment. We have incorporated a chin-down component into the Warrior Tough Concussion Counterpunch helmet because maintaining the correct placement of your chin is crucial to proper form. This component allows you to feel when your chin is properly positioned, enabling you to automatically identify the correct location to secure the helmet for defensive head posture and movement.

Bracing sets the stage for energy absorption and incremental deceleration.

The shock absorber padding supports the neck from the rear.

The head and neck linking padding

support from the sides.

Figure F

". . .findings suggest that your head's position is more important than whether you are tensing your neck" (Kubota, 2018).

Bracing serves as a transformative bridge, redefining the mechanical transfer of energy by providing an instantaneous mechanism for directing energy to the torso instead of retaining it in the head. "In football, a player can potentially avoid concussions or impacts by tensing neck muscles before a collision, reducing head mobility and facilitating the dispersion of kinetic energy throughout the entire body, as opposed to it being confined to the head" (Shaw, 2002, p. 288).