Symposium: Injury Prevention & Management in the Practice of Karate

About This Event
A full day of evidence-based, karate-specific medical education - the first MASSUK Symposium built entirely around karate.
About this Event

About This Event

A full day of evidence-based, karate-specific medical education — the first MASSUK Symposium built entirely around karate. Consultant orthopaedic, ENT, neurosurgical and sports medicine specialists join elite karate athletes and coaches to cover injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation across the whole body, from coaching methodology through to head and spinal injury.

Five clinical sessions, two live athlete Q&As, and guided access to the Training Camp and Stunt Workshop running alongside — clinically relevant for practitioners, and genuinely useful for coaches, clubs and committee members who want to understand injury risk in their own sport.

What You'll Experience

• Five expert-led clinical sessions covering coaching methodology, ENT & facial injury, lower limb, upper limb, and head & spinal injury — each with open discussion
• Two live Q&As with elite athletes on injury, rehab and return to sport — the competitive athlete's perspective and the performative athlete's perspective
• 6 CPD points applied for
• Guided Training Camp tours and a Stunt Workshop observation over lunch
• A multidisciplinary faculty of consultant surgeons, sports physicians and elite karate coaches, all in one room

Your Faculty (full bios at massuk.co.uk/faculty/)

• Mr Amer Khan — Consultant Orthopaedic & Trauma Knee Surgeon
• Mr Syed Aftab — Consultant Spinal Orthopaedic Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust
• Sensei Irfan Ansari — 8th Dan Black Belt, National Coach, Chief Instructor, The DOJO Karate Centre
• Dr Emek Can PhD — Sports Scientist
• Mr Khalid Ghufoor — Consultant ENT, Head & Neck Surgeon, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London
• Dr Irfan Ahmed — Consultant in Musculoskeletal, Sport and Exercise Medicine
• Prof. Sion Glyn-Jones — Consultant Orthopaedic & Trauma Hip Surgeon, University of Oxford
• Mr Matthew Solan — Consultant Foot & Ankle Surgeon
• Mr Graham Tytherleigh-Strong — Consultant Orthopaedic & Trauma Knee Surgeon, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
• Mr Matay Arsan — Consultant Orthopaedic & Trauma Hand, Wrist and Elbow Surgeon
• Dr Naomi Deakin — Honorary Clinical Fellow & Resident Doctor, Department of Neurosurgery
• Mr John Yeh — Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon
• Ben Harper - Consultant Physiontherapist
• Jordan Thomas, Justin Ortiz, Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz — Athletes & Coaches

Full Day Schedule

08:20 – 08:50

Registration

Registration / Light Breakfast Buffet

08:50 – 08:55

Welcome & What is Karate?

Mr Amer Khan

08:55–10:05

Session — Coaching Methodology

Moderator: Mr Syed Aftab

Importance of correct Coaching Techniques in Injury Prevention — Sensei Irfan Ansari

Science of the Young Athlete: Optimising Martial Art Performance through Physiological Insights and Data Analytics? — Dr Emek Can

Preparing the Combat Athlete: Lessons from Elite Sport for Grassroots Injury Risk Reduction — Ben Harper

Discussion

10:05–10:55

Session — ENT & Facial

Moderator: Mr Sajid Shariff

Above the Neck: Prevention and Management of ENT Injuries in Karate — Mr Khalid Ghufoor

Mouthguards for the prevention of Orofacial trauma in sport — Dr Irfan Ahmed

Discussion

10:55–11:20

Break

Refreshments Tea / Coffee / Group Tour 1

11:20–12:30

Session — Lower Limb

Moderator: Mr Graham Tytherleigh-Strong

Current Concepts in the Prevention and Management of Hip Injuries in Karate — Prof Sion Glyn-Jones

Understanding Knee Injuries in Karate: From Biomechanics to Return to Play — Mr Amer Khan

Optimising Foot and Ankle Health in Karate: Prevention and Management Strategies — Mr Matthew Solan

Discussion

12:30–13:00

Q&A

Introduced by Prof Sion Glyn-Jones

Injury, Rehab & Return to Sport — The Competitive Athlete's Perspective — Jordan Thomas

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

Lunch / Optional Stunt Workshop Observation drop in 12:30–13:30

14:00–14:30

Q&A

Introduced by Mr Amer Khan

Injury, Rehab & Return to Sport — The Performative Athlete's Perspective — Justin Ortiz and Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz

14:30–15:20

Session — Upper Limb

Moderator: Mr Matthew Solan

Striking Without Breaking: Preventing and Managing Hand, Wrist and Elbow Injuries in Karate — Mr Matay Arsan

Winning the Fight Against Shoulder Injuries in Karate — Mr Graham Tytherleigh-Strong

15:20–15:45

Break

Refreshments Tea / Coffee / Group Tour 2

15:45–16:55

Session — Head & Spinal Injury

Moderator: Mr Sajid Shariff

The Invisible Opponent: Managing Traumatic Brain Injury in Karate from Concussion to Competition — Dr Naomi Deakin

When Force Meets the Spine: Understanding Spinal Injuries in Karate — Mr John Yeh

Back in Action: Preventing and Managing Spinal Injuries in Karate — Mr Syed Aftab

Discussion

17:00

Symposium Close

Mr Amer Khan

Observation of Training Camps / Stunt Workshop

• Delegates will split into smaller groups to observe the camp.
• Number of tours may increase once the Training Camp timetable is finalised.
• Final timings of tours/Stunt Workshop are subject to change
• Register for the Symposium

Pricing

• £35

6 CPD points applied for.

Event Details

• Date & time: Saturday 17 October 2026, 08:20–17:10
• Venue: Leonardo Royal Hotel London City (Tower Hill), London
• Register: massuk.co.uk/registration/ (Symposium and Training Camp book separately)
• Full faculty bios: massuk.co.uk/faculty