Cutman Tales

I cornered a fighter about a month ago. Just a small, mats only (no ring) modified Muay Thai tourney. I can't believe how many people don't bring ice etc. for their fighters. I had a bucket with ice and Vaseline and everything else I might need and I had a few guys come up after saying "Oh, ya that's a good idea..." Like WTF? This never occurred to you?
 
So there was a cut from hell tonight. I was cornering a fighter as a request from a friend. He was cut in the first round across the bridge of the nose. It was a fissure of a wound with a deep crimson pumping out like magma. The round ended and immediately I rushed into the cage, pouring water over the fighters head and nose to wash it clean. Using a cold towel, I wiped the excess of blood from the wound and took a guaze pad soaked in Epi and applied constant pressure onto the cut. After about forty seconds, I dragged it in the cut gently making sure not to rupture the delicate vessels already beginning to constrict. I then took my salve (it was the first time I've used it) and put the grease on the cut to seal it.

That was with my right hand. My left hand was holding an Enswell on a mouse under the left eye. The doc stepped in and looked at the cut and said he would probably need stitches but let him continue since the cut was across the bridge of the nose and (I believe) also due to the coagulation of the wound. It was about an inch across, looking like a misshapen lighting bolt.

I allowed him to hold the water, taking a sip and swooshing and then told him to spit. He then took a few sips and I placed the water back into the bucket.

SECONDS OUT!

Not really knowing the fighter, I gave him basic advice not knowing if he would actually listen.

The second round began and the cut held until a grazing right opened it up again but it was only a slow drip as opposed to a geyser. My cut work allowed him to continue with a nasty cut and he won in the second round.

After the fight, I cleaned his cut out with a saline solution much to the doctors and EMT's delight. They actually sutured him right there and I got some props. And a doc as a contact for more Epi.

All in all, a good night.
 
Good work homie. The part about the gentle dragging is one of the keys here others should learn from, as it takes a steady hand. Lightning bolt cuts suck, especially on thin skin areas. And when a Doc takes a look and says "let him go"...that's a very good sign.

I'm on stand-by for a buddy's tentative MMA debut, but recently I got to fix a profuse nose-bleeder in the Gym (no Machete, not you). There's a Mexican kid who trains at my Gym (hits like a mule), under former contender Merqui Sosa. This kid starts to hit the heavy bag and his nose bleeds. I suspected two things, one is his blood is naturally thin, and two he possibly has high blood-pressure genetically.

Typically a standard-issue multivitamin for men won't have iron in it because males don't usually need iron. But Fighters and other athletes who routinely bleed definitely could use supplemental iron, so that was the first thing I gave him, the second thing was that Vitamin K I mentioned in the Guide To Being A Cornerman. The combination of the two did the trick, both of those things working internally to thicken his blood, and now he can do rounds without having to run to the bathroom to stuff his nose full of tissue.

If he still has bleeding problems, I'll suggest we test his blood pressure (I have a pump and am familiar with the numbers), and if that's also a problem, that can be fixed as well.
 
Sinister said:
Good work homie. The part about the gentle dragging is one of the keys here others should learn from, as it takes a steady hand. Lightning bolt cuts suck, especially on thin skin areas. And when a Doc takes a look and says "let him go"...that's a very good sign.

I'm on stand-by for a buddy's tentative MMA debut, but recently I got to fix a profuse nose-bleeder in the Gym (no Machete, not you). There's a Mexican kid who trains at my Gym (hits like a mule), under former contender Merqui Sosa. This kid starts to hit the heavy bag and his nose bleeds. I suspected two things, one is his blood is naturally thin, and two he possibly has high blood-pressure genetically.

Typically a standard-issue multivitamin for men won't have iron in it because males don't usually need iron. But Fighters and other athletes who routinely bleed definitely could use supplemental iron, so that was the first thing I gave him, the second thing was that Vitamin K I mentioned in the Guide To Being A Cornerman. The combination of the two did the trick, both of those things working internally to thicken his blood, and now he can do rounds without having to run to the bathroom to stuff his nose full of tissue.

If he still has bleeding problems, I'll suggest we test his blood pressure (I have a pump and am familiar with the numbers), and if that's also a problem, that can be fixed as well.
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Great post. I have to commit this to memory. You know, a little medical training and nutritional knowledge goes a long way. If I had the time, I'd be training to be an EMT just for the experience.
 
Definitely, the iron thing is case-sensitive. It has to be someone who bleeds routinely, because if not excess iron can cause fatigue and even nausea, or constipation. But if this is a real bleeder, there's no real risk.

My cut bag has stuff in it that the old school heads would scoff at, but addressing things like that raises eyebrows. Now if Merqui has a Fighter who he has to corner and doesn't want to do the cut work himself, it'll come to mind that I took care of that kid's faucet of a nose.
 
Are you getting any gigs as a cutman recently? I am going to start to whore myself out pretty soon especially because not a great deal of people in my area know how to do it.
 
I'm in the opposite position, two of the best guys in the business live here, so no, just laying ground-work in the Gyms. Luckily for me the Gym I'm at doesn't have anyone readily available, problem is I'm only there in the mornings.
 
It weird because you have a lot of really knowledgeable Cutmen around you. There's a wealth of knowledge and years of practiced hands that can help you (obviously not divulging all of their secrets) but in turn that also means that there will be less opportunities for you to practice your craft. At least for the time being.

On my end, there aren't a great deal of people that know how work cuts/and or corners so my research and crash course have paid off as I now have upwards of 30 fights under my belt so I'm gaining experience. And obviously I'm doing a good job since I've been giving guys rounds that under other circumstances they may not have been able to advance to. However I would still love to be around all of the old timers that you're surrounded by so I could pick their brains a bit. See how much I could learn before they considered me a threat. LOL.
 
It is fun, and over the years Rafa Garcia has become a lot more friendly than he was initially. Miguel Diaz is a bit more abrasive, but because his personality is very different than Rafa's, Rafa is more reserved and laid back, but even then half the stuff he says is bullshit, meaning he's just fuckin' with you, but he pulls it off with a straight face. Diaz would just chase you away.

You they'd love, not many gringos who speak Spanish around, especially who could talk turkey.
 
Yeah, I think this thread is really interesting.

Let us know how you guys are travelling with all of this.
 
If a fighter has had previous cuts with or without scars, and it has re-opened, would there be any difference to how you treat the cut? How about with cauliflowered ears that have cut?

Excellent thread, by far the most interesting with applicable concepts.
 
If a fighter has had previous cuts with or without scars, and it has re-opened, would there be any difference to how you treat the cut?
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IMO, the issue of a scarred Fighter has to be dealt with before the bout begins, with things like the arnica, and vitamin K. If taken properly, this will help begin the process of making bleeding more difficult internally, where bleeding externally is made easier because of the lack of cellular integrity of scar tissue. As far as during the Fight, it's more about where the cut is that dictates different techniques for applying the medicine. But scar tissue is just a pain in the ass to work with. It's like trying to re-tape a glove over and over again once that first flap of tape starts flicking around. Theoretically, the answer is simple, dress it. But how often do you see that same damn tape flapping around again and again?
 
I remember Silver Nitrate... felt like someone poking me with a burning spear.
 
absolutely amazing I just read through every post. extremely informative and entertaining.

lets keep this thread goin id love to hear some more stories, I've actually recently become interested in learning how to work corners and cuts.

great thread and posts guys
 
I will never forget the first time my corner shoved a huge Qtip up my nose to stop some bleeding.

It was the closest to what I imagine being violated in prision is like.
 
256 said:
I will never forget the first time my corner shoved a huge Qtip up my nose to stop some bleeding.

It was the closest to what I imagine being violated in prision is like.
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I once got hit in the nose with a baseball bat and the doctor had to shove a vacuum up my nose to suck out the blood.

I've also had to get my prostate checked.

I think I'd prefer getting fingers stuck up my butt to be honest. It's less painful.
 
Great thread. Nice info. Great stories. I wish I'd read through this when it was new, since that is about when I started working corners. The learning curve would have been a lot shorter. Still learning from threads like this, and anywhere else I can find the info. Thanks.
 
Keep this amazing thread going guys.. Opened a whole new world to me seriously and has increased my respect for the cutmen infinitely. Great stories.
 
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