Injuries

Recent report on injuries in fencing.  Here's the abstract:

The physical demands of fencing competitions are high, involving the aerobic and anaerobic alactic and lactic metabolisms, and are also affected by age, sex, level of training and technical and tactical models utilized in relation to the adversary. The anthropometrical characteristics of fencers show a typical asymmetry of the limbs as a result of the practice of an asymmetrical sport activity. Fencing produces typical functional asymmetries that emphasize the very high level of specific function, strength and control required in this sport. Moreover, the physical demands of fencing are closely linked to the perceptual and psychological ones, and all are subjected to a continuous succession of changes during the bouts based on the behaviour of the opponent. For this reason it is difficult to identify a significant relationship between any one physiological characteristic and performance, and performance is more likely to be influenced by perceptual and neuro-physiological characteristics. Fencers need to anticipate the opponent and to mask their true intentions with a game of feints and counter-feints, which must be supported by an adequate psycho-physical condition to prevent central and peripheral fatigue. Fencing is not particularly dangerous; however, there is a fine line between a fatal lesion and a simple wound from a broken blade. The suggestions for injury prevention fall into three primary areas: (i) actions that can be taken by participants; (ii) improvements in equipment and facilities; and (iii) administration of fencing competitions. As in every other sport, the prevention of accidents must be accomplished at various levels and above all must involve the institutions that are responsible for safety in sports.

Since the exercise intensity and duration and skill sets are relatively similar, the injuries are probably as well, although kendo has some specificity, e.g., Achilles tendon tears.

And here's the abstract of another study as well.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of time-loss injuries in competitive fencing and to characterize these injuries regarding type and location. DESIGN: A 5-year prospective study. SETTING: Data were collected at all national events organized by the U.S. Fencing Association (USFA) during the 2001-2006 seasons. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 78,223 male and female competitors, ranging in age from 8 to above 70, participated in various events in the targeted competitions. METHODS: Experienced certified athletic trainers (ATC) evaluated and documented all incidents that resulted in withdrawal from competition. Exposure data [athlete exposures (AE)] were calculated from the number of bouts completed in each competition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of time-loss injury was calculated per 1000AE. Frequency distributions for types and locations of injuries were used to characterize time-loss injuries. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-four time-loss injuries were reported during the study, for an overall rate of 0.3 per 1000 AE (95% CI: 0.26-0.35). Of these, 26.1% were recorded as strains and 25.5% were identified as sprains. The knee was the most frequently injured location (19.6%), followed by the thigh (15.2%) and the ankle (13%). Overall, 60% of the injuries were in the lower extremities. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of time-loss injury in competitive fencing is low. Although there are differences in the distribution of types and location of time-loss injuries by sex and discipline, the predominant characteristics (sprain/strain in the lower extremities) are similar to other sports with ballistic action in stop-start, rapid change-of-direction activity (emphasis added).