Hygiene is one of the most important things when it comes to keeping your body safe from infection as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner. The practice of good hygiene is also super important for making the training experience as pleasant as possible for your training partners. We can all remember a time either in school, on the airplane or maybe even on the mat when somebody may have skipped the shower that day or worked outside in the hot sun and shot straight to BJJ class after work. I’m sorry to say but in a jiu jitsu school that’s a big NO-NO.
Your skin is the biggest organ you have and you better take care of it. Ringworm and staph infections can put a damper on your training schedule and more importantly, your health. At Training Grounds we use an antimicrobial wash on the mats every day and have multiple showers available for pre or post training. If the gym or academy you train at doesn’t wash the mats after the last class every day/night, it’s in your best interest to speak up. Do it politely and with respect of course. You also have the choice of being the leader at your school and taking it upon yourself to start the habit of cleaning the mats after class instead of hoping/waiting for someone else to do it.
Bergen County NJ is a hot bed for wrestling. Many of the wrestlers also train in MMA at Training Grounds. It’s great how fast these young men pick up the sport of jiu jitsu. It adds a nice mix to the grappling in class. They all know before stepping on to the jiu jitsu mat after a wrestling practice they better wash off that wrestle room funk. Many times the high school mats get rolled up after practice without even being wiped down – let alone cleaned. The last thing a gym needs is an outbreak of MRSA at their facility. So it’s super important to wash your body after practicing in one location before going to another.
In addition to a clean body, having clean breath and trimmed finger/toe nails are also often overlooked pieces of the hygiene puzzle. Below is a quick checklist of items you can keep in your training bag, so you will be ready to go even when you’re on the go
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Hygiene Bag Checklist
Soap / Body wash
Toothbrush and toothpaste (or at the very least gum)
Extra Towel
Fingernail clipper
Body wipes
Lysol spray or wipes for your gear
A change of clothes