A new ‘sport’ has skyrocketed in popularity, with millions of viewers regularly tuning in to watch across social media, but is its admiration dangerous?

‘Slap fighting’ is as simple as it sounds. You face your opponent and have to land a strike on their face. You can’t flinch or wear headgear. You can only stand as still as possible, and scoring is done based on how much damage you cause, as well as how well you cope with receiving the strike yourself.

Originating in the US, this has spread rapidly, with even the UK soon to be hosting competitions. However, multiple warnings by senior medical professionals, as well as others, have so far not had much of an effect on making young people consider the possible perils of this activity.

There have been many significant concerns about brain damage and concussions arising from this – none of which are unfounded.

In 2021, one competitor, Artur Walczak, died due to his injuries after suffering a bleed on his brain during the competition. Although this may have been a one-off occurrence, smaller-scale medical issues are still common, and there is no guarantee at all that a similar tragedy won’t occur again in the future.

A major study by Drs. Lavadi and Agarwal showed that around 50% of contestants had one clear physical sign of concussion, such as poor motor coordination and difficulty getting off the ground.

Agarwal – a neurosurgeon – says it’s ‘devastating’ to see people willingly participate in this, and it ‘shouldn’t be publicized as a sport’. He mentions this mainly due to the lack of safety procedures during matches, especially concerning the absence of head protection. He further describes how repeated blows to the head, over a long period, could easily result in neurological issues as a person ages, as a person’s nerves become more and more damaged.

We’ve established physical issues with the sport – but what exactly is a concussion?

According to the NHS – concussion is a type of brain injury that temporarily affects brain function. Although a singular event may not have a lasting impact on a person’s life, multiple concussions – which could frequently occur due to this sport, can cause memory loss, headaches, and depression long-term. 

There are also other issues – this time around your thinking, that this sport causes. This is because for those who are much younger and enjoy watching ‘slap fighting’, there is some, albeit small, evidence to suggest that they could become more inclined to violent behaviours themselves, specifically if they are at such an age at which their brains haven’t fully developed.  

Overall, ‘slap fighting’ will always have both its supporters and detractors. Its promotion by celebrities like Mike Tyson and Jake Paul could definitely influence some of the younger generation, however it will likely be balanced by developing medical advice – resulting in the need for an individual to make their own choice about what they think of this sport.