Do Wrestling Bumps Hurt | How to Prevent Wrestling Bump Injuries
Wrestling is a contact sport, and as a wrestler, you will have your fair share of contact with your opponent – some of them quite painful. When a wrestler lands solidly on their back with high impact, the impact is spread over as much surface area as possible. This is called a wrestling bump. Wrestling bumps are a commonly experienced phenomenon by many wrestlers worldwide.
Wrestling bumps do hurt both the wrestler and their opponent. They can be extremely painful, especially if done without the proper form. They can also cause pain to others because of the impact. As a wrestler, it is one of the hardest moves to master. However, like most other skills, it can only be improved by learning the proper form and techniques through repetition.
This post will describe in detail why wrestling bumps hurt and the dynamics of how they create the move. We’ll also discuss ways to reduce the damage caused by this move for the wrestler and their opponents. I will be speaking from my own experience of trying the sport.
What Does a Wrestling Bump Feel Like
A wrestling bump feels like being knocked out straight. It will always be painful. Learning proper technique spreads the impact and prevents you from injuring yourself. On the other hand, taking larger bumps isn’t much different than taking a standard bump if you know what you’re doing.
I have had my fair share of injuries from bumps.
On one occasion, improper techniques caused a wrist injury as my hand was in my way when I fell.
Improper techniques can cause ankle, nose, neck, and back issues. I had a colleague who hurt his shoulder because of the move.
This is usually caused by the impact of falling while doing bumps. Any improper techniques, such as misplaced arms and legs, can cause injury.
This is why the bumps you see on WWE aren’t something to be done at home without professional supervision. We’ll talk about this next.
Does It Hurt to Take A Bump in Wrestling?
It hurts to take a wrestling bump because of the fall impact. The impact can cause fractures and dislocations, especially if it happens while you’re not in a stable position. This is why bumps should always be done with supervision.
After my initial bumps, I was sore all over, but by the time I learned the techniques on how to do counter bumps, I didn’t get injured as much as before.
This is why proper form is essential when doing wrestling.
So, just because we see those bumps on TV doesn’t mean we can try these at home.
For one, learning the proper techniques to prevent injuries is crucial. This would protect both you and the person who would get bumped.
Learning from professional wrestlers or a wrestling school is essential. In addition, techniques are necessary to prevent bump injuries.
Recommended Read: Do you know how much do reputable wrestling school costs? I created a post discussing them here: How much is wrestling school?
Again, do not do bumps without learning the proper form. Even wrestlers who have mastered the form couldn’t just do bumps since it will still hurt.
If you notice, Wrestling rings are specially made to prevent injuries from moves such as wrestling bumps.
Ordinary wrestling mats or puzzle mats couldn’t do the trick.
While the proper form could reduce injuries, doing the move in the wrong locations could cause injuries.
Recommended Read: Are you interested in finding out what composes a wrestling ring to a point where it reduces damage caused by bumps by a lot? You may find more information here: What’s under the wrestling ring, and what are they made of?
But what exactly is a wrestling bump? What are its common types? Let’s briefly introduce the common types of Wrestling bumps next.
Examples of Wrestling Bumps
Wrestling bumps are often seen in the ring when wrestlers are in a match. Little do most amateur wrestlers know that these bumps have names. Here are the common Wrestling Bumps
- Face Bump – This is a bump where they throw themselves forward. This is done by kicking their feet toward their back, pivoting their hips, and spreading the momentum to prevent injuries.
- Back Bump – This is a bump where they land on their back while spreading the momentum. This means spreading their arms as they land.
- Schoolboy Bump – occurs when a wrestler falls backward, kicks his feet up, and lands on his back. It got its name because of a schoolboy trip maneuver.
- High Schoolboy Bump – a schoolboy bump in which the wrestler jumps into the air before falling backward.
- Biel Bump- sometimes called the Biel Throw, occurs when a wrestler falls forward, rolls forward, or performs a forward flip before landing on his back. It takes its name from the Biel throw. Other types of bumps are typically variants of these.
- Ref Bump – This occurs when a wrestler collides with or otherwise bumps a referee, intentionally or unintentionally. This usually results in the referee being “knocked out” or rendered incapacitated for some time, allowing one or more wrestlers (usually the heel) to break the rules with impunity until the referee awakens or another referee is dispatched to replace him.
With these, how could we prevent injuries when doing Wrestling bumps?
How To Prevent Injuries when doing Wrestling Bumps
Wrestling bumps are not always easy to tackle, especially for newbies with low pain tolerance. Don’t worry; you can reduce the pain by following these tips.
1. Relax and Spread your Impact
Spread your arms as much as possible, but most importantly, let your body go loose, and don’t forget to tuck your chin in.
Wrestlers always try to bump the upper back across the shoulders.
They pick a place where they have the most surface area, whether a ground bump, a standing bump, or a chair bump.
2. Don’t Hesitate to Take The Impact
When I first started bumping, I always prepared myself for the impact, but I soon realized it’s not as bad if you relax into it and take the bump without hesitation.
Accidents can occur when you hesitate and instinctively curl up, even if you do everything else correctly. You will receive the bump anyway, so why not take it with open arms – literally.
3. Learn the Proper Technique
Like all martial arts, the technique is crucial to create an explosive move and protect ourselves from injuries.
While safety can be a boring subject, many wrestlers end their careers early because of injuries. That’s why we should know how to prevent them.
Bumps are one of the most complicated moves in wrestling, and learning the proper form prevents injuries both when you are doing and taking it.
Recommended Read: Did you know that almost 10% of Wrestling matches end up with an injury? To learn more about the safety statistics of the sport, check this post: Is Wrestling Safe?
4. Only Do Bumps on a Wrestling Ring
Doing bumps on puzzle mats or even wrestling mats can be dangerous. Only do this in a wrestling ring as they are made for these types of impact.
Conclusion
A pro wrestler in their first actual paid match on a show will have already taken hundreds, if not thousands, of bumps in practice. But they’ve mastered the move, and it isn’t as easy as what we see on TV.
It’s amazing how much of a difference there is between watching wrestling and participating in it.
A proper form and technique are always crucial. Practice and learn bumps with a professional and always do it in the right place.
What’s Next? Now that you know if Wrestling Bumps hurt, how about Wrestling chops? Let’s discuss that here: Do Wrestling Chops Hurt?
