22/06/2014
16 Rules for Hygiene and Skin Care in MMA
Sunday, February 10th, 2022
The importance of good hygiene can’t be over emphasized when it comes to the grappling arts. Here are some practices for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and grappling that will help prevent problems and are important to promote courtesy and respect.
1. Showering tips for wrestlers, grapplers, fighters and MMA athletes: Shower immediately after each practice. Use your own bottled soap and towel and don’t share them with others, let alone other toiletries. Studies have shown that transmission of infectious diseases can occur when these items are shared with other athletes. Shower as soon as possible right after training and scrub your body with soap thoroughly. Do not lather directly under the flow of water. Turn off the water to lather up and to allow soap to remain on skin for a minute. Be sure to wash EVERYWHERE, between the toes, behind the ears, scalp, back of neck and between the legs, crotch and butt. Do not share towels and wash towels after each use. Dry off thoroughly.
2. Make sure ALL of your equipment is clean. Come to class in a freshly-laundered Gi. Not just air-dried, it’s very important to wash the go with detergent in warm water if possible.
3. Trim (and file if necessary) your finger nails and toe nails.
4. Wash or disinfect your hands before each practice.
5. Tend to any wounds immediately as these can get infected easily in the training environment. This includes friction burns, scrapes, cuts, abrasions. Skin infections are caused by three types of microbial sources: Fungus – Causes ringworm, jock itch, athlete’s foot, and infected nails (most common is Tinea); Bacteria – Causes Staph, impetigo and MRSA; Viruses – Causes herpes and warts
6. Wipe up any blood from the mat immediately. Use paper towels for blood or sweat on the mat and dispose. Do not use your own personal towel. Disinfect the affected area with antibacterial soap.
7. Use a foaming anti microbial skin sanitizer like Athletic Body Care or wipes from Defense Soap. Keep these in your bag for before and after training and for the occasional cut or scrape. BUT, limit your use of antibacterial soap because, while they kill bacteria effectively, they also strip away the bacteria that keep the balance of our normal flora, leaving behind fungal and viral infections to flourish. Our skin surface is made up of our own unique balance of these three sources. This is called our normal flora. When our flora is out of balance and/or our skin becomes damaged. These sources have a chance to become infections. Also, they may use harsh chemicals that can be absorbed by the skin.
8. Use Tea Tree oil and Coconut oil as a natural defense against fungal infections like athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) between the toes, jock itch (tinea cruris) and ringworm (tinea corporis). Relieves itching, burning, cracking, and scaling which accompany these conditions. Apply twice a day until gone. These oils can be applied as often as necessary and for as long as necessary plus they are great for your skin and are a great way to prevent any of these problems. Use regularly as part of your skin care for grappling and wrestling.
9. Do not let your sweaty equipment or clothes sit in your gym bag any longer than you have to. Wash all wet clothing and equipment as soon as possible. Wash your gym bag too if possible.
10. Wear sandals or footwear when using the restrooms, especially when you have to re-enter the mat area.
11. Remove any jewelry before rolling.
12. If you sweat profusely, have a towel nearby to clean the mat. This is really to show courtesy for your fellow grapplers.
13. Be aware of your own personal level of body odor. Be sure your breath is not (too) offensive.
14. Consider a rash guard underneath the Gi.
15. DO NOT walk on the mats with footwear. Try not to walk off the mats during training and then return with bare feet.
16. Don’t train if you are sick or have any kind of open wound or infection that could be transmitted to your partners. See your doctor if you have any kind of visible infection because many times you can shortcut the healing process instead of just attempting to let it heal on it’s own.
Staying healthy and free from infections is not that difficult once you have established the proper practices. Keep these things in mind and enjoy your grappling!!!
