SG - Quick question regarding mouth guards... So I have been practising a bit with a mouth guard, just to get used to it. But I'm not habitually a nose breather. I've read the book that Hock recommends, and I'm working on nose breathing more.
J - This already puts you in the top 1% evolutionarily speaking as a quick walk around town will show you there’s a lot of “mouth breathers” out there.
Constant practice of the - in nose/out mouth - breathing method that we look at will also help as well as the other benefits I show you in workshops and here in the journal (check out the Breathwork series of articles).
Hock’s books and reading suggestions are highly recommended.
SG - So, question is, I think I saw somewhere that you are meant to keep your mouth closed with a guard? That part of the protection comes from your jaw being held steady by your teeth being closed on the guard? Is this the case?
J - Short answer, yes.
For the context of the open self defence workshops for beginners up, we are looking at mild to moderate and accidental contact levels. This is NOT the same as competitive sport fighting with continued deliberate targeting of the jaw/head with the resulting risk factors.
Separate combative force on force training is a different matter but that is closely monitored and PPE used.
There is no use in damaging the real world ability of someone to actually protect themselves by risk taking during training.
We are concerned with the idea that you will not be likely to be wearing a mouthguard if assaulted in real life - whatever that means to each person.
The habit should be to have a closed mouth (difficult for some of the chatty ones out there…) during practice to ingrain the protection of your teeth and jaw for survival fighting - “Chin down, bite down” as the old fighter advice goes…
It’s not just from striking - there are the indirect and unpredictable knocks from the chaos of fighting that can smash teeth, bone and also the risk of severely lacerating the tongue and mouth. Years ago, I had to help clean up a friend who’d arrived at my house after being set on in Stroud by a group of guys one afternoon- they’d punched him in the face and his lower canine tooth had come straight through his mouth under the lip.
An open mouth is an easily broken jaw and teeth in a real fight and is also more easily accessible to “head hunters” which is what I train all of you guys to be.
The muscle tension that this habit can spread from jaw to neck muscles and head position can also help lessen the head swivel knock out risk somewhat and presents slightly more of the “bicycle helmet” to break your thug knuckles on…
One of the many reasons for not talking during threats.
Emanate “ready to fight” and avoid the sucker set up.
In terms of training again, accidents are the main concern although, touch wood we’ve never had this at FN UK practice in nearly 15 years although I’ve seen and experienced damaged teeth in former martial arts training that I did.
I know some trainees have real problems with getting a guard that doesn’t make them want to vomit in some cases but it really is worth toughing it out (if possible) for the benefits.
Your teeth and open mouth also pose a risk to your training partner so it’s not just your health that may be affected.
At the very least - clamp the mouth shut during scenarios and drills to lessen that risk.
The sheer cost of dealing with “The medical mafia” in terms of fixing chips and breaks makes a mouth guard bargain dental insurance.
A mouth guard in play - keeps the dentist away…
Oh, thank you, that is really useful information indeed. I will definitely practise putting the chin-down-bite-down into action. Apparently it’s reasonable to trim the ends of the mouth guard so there isn’t quite so much of the charming retch reflex. I have done that and it does help.
Altering how you breathe is really challenging but I do think it has been beneficial, too.