TBI & Fencing – Why Does Fencing Response Occur and What Does It Mean?

When an individual experiences a very strong impact, which is severe enough that it causes TBI or traumatic brain injury and concussion, then their arms tend to move into an unnatural position where the forearms can be flexed or extended in the air after the impact.(1) This is known as the fencing response position and it can last up to multiple seconds after experiencing the impact or collision. The fencing response is commonly seen when a sportsperson or a player gets knocked down when playing rigorous sports, such as boxing, football, rugby, hockey and martial arts.

The image above is a capture of a live “fencing” response from this 2025 NFL season when CeeDee Lamb, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys (boo), suffered a concussion after his head hit off the turf in a game against the Detroit Lions. As of this email blast, CeeDee has not returned to play. This is a vast improvement in previous concussion protocols – we are happy to hear Dallas is minding CeeDee’s brain and taking care of his future brain health.

We are bringing awareness to this symptom of head injury and concussion so when you see it, you can report it to coaches, trainers and to doctors about yourself or loved ones and teammates. We are serious about protecting you brain, and want you to be too. As you’ll read in the following article, fencing response happens very frequently on the pro football level – imagine how often this goes overlooked on a daily basis at our rinks, soccer, lacrosse, and football fields! Please review the information we are sharing and share with others