It may seem that you need to be flexible for BJJ, as its a sport that puts you in positions that seem difficult to be in if your not flexible, but do you need to be flexible to excel at BJJ?

I decided to research the internet to find out for myself.

In BJJ your game plan is going to vary depending on your unique body type, and how the various strengths and weaknesses of the body change your game plan. Fundamental BJJ moves like the armbar, need more timing and placement than flexibility, you do not need flexibility to excel in BJJ

Bernardo Faria is a multi-time world champion black belt, and is not flexible! So in this article, I will explain why you can still do BJJ being inflexible, and how you can train your flexibility for BJJ!

Why You Don’t Have To Be Flexible To Do BJJ

Now flexibility has a lot of benefits in a lot of aspects in life, as it reduces your injury risk and makes you more mobile, but it is not a prerequisite for BJJ.

All the fundamental BJJ moves, such as the triangle and armbar rely more on timing and placement than flexibility. If you have a heavier guy in a triangle and they have their weight on you if your inflexible and have a poor technique you are in a dire situation.

But if you practice good form and was able to build frames to create space between your knees and chest, you can still maintain that triangle and choke him out! Having flexibility can cover up poor technique in BJJ and good technique makes up for being inflexible! Having both is the perfect combination.

A lot of BJJ moves can be done by an inflexible person with slight changes, it’s all about knowing what the move does and changing how you position your body to achieve the purpose of the move.

For example, if your knee cannot go to your chest because of tight hip flexors, you can put your arm across your chest which expands the chest moving your knee closer to your chest without the needed flexibility!

Now modern BJJ has changed to require more flexibility, the perfect example being Eddie Bravos 10th planet rubber guard but flexibility still is NOT a requirement to succeed.

Henry Akins a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Rickson Gracie(one of the best BJJ practitioners ever) talks in the above video why you don’t need to be flexible

Henry says BJJ unlike other martial arts like Muay Thai you don’t need physical attributes like speed, power of flexibility to succeed.

I’ve seen this myself as I regularly have to tap out to people 20 pounds lighter than me and BJJ is the only combat sport were a significantly smaller person can defeat someone a lot heavier using excellent technique

For an inflexible person to excel they need to use frames to create distance, a frame is a part of your body that is used to create and maintain space in open guard it is your legs.

When someone is trying to pass your open guard, rely on your frames, and when they got too close use your feet to create space between you and your opponent.

Now Eddie Bravo the founder of 10th planet Jiu-Jitsu has stated that he won’t give someone a black belt unless their knees hit the floor from a lotus position, but 10th BJJ requires a lot more flexibly than other disciplines of BJJ, and anyone can become flexible with hard work and dedication.

How Can You Improve Your Jiu-Jitsu Flexibility?

When stretching to improve your BJJ game, a good rule is to stretch twice a day to improve your flexibility, perform dynamic stretching before training, and traditional static holds stretching after training. This will reduce the risk of injury and help deal with muscle soreness in BJJ.

Getting flexible for BJJ can be done in as little as 10 minutes a day check out the video above by Lu Strength & Therapy on a quick routine you can do for your BJJ.

I bet your thinking okay your need to stretch, but how do I structure my stretching routine? This is why Yoga for BJJ is fantastic and a lot of h BJJ people in my gym and BJJ practitioners the world over swear by it. Check out Yoga for BJJ for BJJ specific stretching routines to work on your problem areas.

The best way to become flexible is to be consistent with your stretching routine, doing that 10-minute routine every day for 1 year will make a MASSIVE difference to your overall health and mobility, I guarantee it

I recommend stretching twice a day, my preference is a quick 5-minute routine when I wake up and a longer 20-25 minute routine before I go to bed, this relaxes me and get a fantastic stretch for my muscles as they are loose from being active in the day.

I will list the best stretches for BJJ and other martial arts with embedded videos on how to perform them.

Butterfly Stretch

This stretch is super popular in Muay Thai as well as other martial arts, if an inflexible person can do Muay Thai check my post here.

This stretch is excellent as it opens up the hips which are important for every martial art, I recommend holding this stretch for around 2 repetitions of 20-30 seconds.

You can even dynamically flap your knees like a butterfly wing and get a stretch on the hips, this stretch can be done throughout the day.

King Arthur Stretch

This stretch specifically works on your hip flexors, lower back, and quads and it will be very challenging and even painful if you have tight hip flexors from working a desk job.

It’s quite a common stretch in YouTube mobility videos and I’ve done it many times. Like the Butterfly, stretch hold the pose for around 2 sets for 20-30 seconds on both legs to feel the benefits.

Cossack Squat

This exercise is fantastic as it works on mobility and gives a strong stretch to the hamstrings at the same time! It is superb for mobilizes your ankle and knee joints and as you progress you can even add a KB or dumbbell to increase the difficulty.

If you don’t have a pair of dumbbells your missing out as they are highly effective for getting yourself stronger in BJJ, buy a pair for a fantastic price on Amazon here.

Throughout the day around 2 sets of 10 reps are fine, if you have tight hamstrings then this movement is AMAZING and I cannot recommend it enough.

Why Doing Yoga Is Amazing For BJJ

Yoga and BJJ are fantastic together as Yoga improves the control and balance you have on your body, and improves your flexibility. Also, Yoga will improve your breathing and overall body strength which are key for success in BJJ.

Yoga and BJJ go together like being thirsty and wanting a sip of water, if I had to pick any exercise to do for the rest of my life it would be Yoga, for not only it’s physical benefits like improved breathing but also the fantastic benefits it has for improving mental health.

Now, doing Yoga is not a necessity to improve in BJJ but the greater range of motion you receive from Yoga will improve the control of your body, and you will have more options in certain positions and can use your new-found flex-ability to get yourself out of bad situations.

Eddie Bravos system mentioned before has a required level of flexibility so doing Yoga opens up all the different systems of BJJ to you. Why limit yourself being inflexible?

Yoga Improves Your Balance In BJJ

Balance is super important in every martial art as it makes you harder to sweep(go from top position to bottom) and gives you more control of your own body and more understanding of controlling your opponent’s balance.

Read this article by BJJ world on why balance is so important.

Certain yoga poses as the crow and headstand will greatly test your balance, they might seem impossible to perform at first but like everything you will improve with practice over time and this will greatly translate into your BJJ game.

Yoga Increases Your Strength For BJJ

Some Yoga poses require a lot of relative upper body strength and the core(abs) are heavily involved, core strength is key in BJJ as a lot of poses will make your abs burn so keeping them strong is important.

I recommend training your core between 4-6 times a week in short INTENSE sessions, see the video above for a grueling abb workout by Athlean X. I’ve done this routine many times and I promise you, it NEVER gets easier.

Yoga Is Amazing For BJJ Breathwork

Being able to control your breath is very important in a sport where the objective is choking your opponent until they submit, as you will gain a massive advantage in BJJ if you can breathe properly.

Controlling your breath is a key element in Yoga and it relates to the mystical chakras in Buddhist Philosophy, check the video above for breathing techniques that will transform your BJJ.

I’ve rolled with people who technically are WAY better than me but they could NOT control their breath, it is super vital to remain calm and breath even when on the defensive as it helps bring oxygen to the brain and muscles.

It’s surprising y that everyone who does BJJ doesn’t practice Yoga, but I can guarantee if you start a Yoga process everything in your life not just your BJJ will greatly improve.

Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations

Looking For Gear To Use When You Train?
If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard
Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person?
CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here.
Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters?
Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters.

Are you pregnant and wondering if you can still do BJJ? Or maybe it’s your partner or someone you know. A baby is the most precious thing in the world, so should someone do BJJ while pregnant?

You can train BJJ while pregnant, but your training must be modified for safety and be approved by a qualified physician. It is important to use drill positions that don’t put pressure on the stomach, like top mount & half guard, and drill with someone you trust. At around 7 months pregnant you should stop training altogether.

In this article, I will explain how you can adjust your BJJ game and keep on training while pregnant! You might think you will fall off your BJJ game, but if you modify your training during pregnancy, it could actually improve your game in the long run. Find out how!

How To Still Do BJJ While Pregnant

First, once you find out you’re pregnant you should immediately talk to your doctor or a registered physician. They are medical experts and can give you specific recommendations on what is safe and not safe to do. All pregnancies are different so it is super important to not skip this step!

Second, talk with your instructors at your gym, who likely have had their own experiences with pregnant students. They know your BJJ level, and more importantly what drilling/sparring partners you should roll with, as you need to be specific with who you train to protect the baby.

While expensive, seeing a fitness professional who has a solid understanding of pre-natal training is a good idea. This insight is important in creating the most effective and safe training program for you and your baby.

Luckily for you Eva Torres Gracie, the wife of 4th degree Black Belt Rener Gracie, in the video above explained how she trained BJJ while pregnant. I will explain all the main points below just for you!

She started telling people at around 12 weeks that she was pregnant. I advise you to start telling people in your gym as soon as you can, as all the safety measures I will recommend mean nothing if no one knows your pregnant!

Between weeks 12-17 she only sparred with her husband Rener Gracie. If you have someone you trust it is okay to do light sparring or drilling, but they must have the superb technique and be in control of their body.

Avoid positions that put excessive pressure on the stomach, like being under top mount or even worse knee on belly.

After 17 weeks she advises to only train positions and techniques that do not hurt the baby or worry her training partners about her or the baby.

It also wouldn’t be fair on your training partners if they injured the baby or you. They may never forgive themselves and would live with what they did for the rest of their lives

Safe BJJ Positions For Pregnant Women

• On top of mount
• Side Mount
• Half Guard

The pressure from these positions is all controlled by the lady, giving her the freedom to adjust the pressure depending on how comfortable she is. You can still train submissions from the mount/ side mount with guard passes and half guard passes.

Working in groups of 3 was key, as being pregnant you don’t want people to feel they are limited while training with you. Having an extra non-pregnant person means they can both do their own thing and you can join them when you can.

You can help them figure out what they are doing, and work and learn with them.

Ultimately getting a good partner who knows their own body is key, as accidental collisions to the stomach with body parts like the shin or elbows can and WILL happen.

Don’t risk partnering up with someone who doesn’t have control of their own body even if you feel sad for them, the potential risk is too much.

Never feel bad about training while pregnant. If BJJ makes you happy, you know your own body and what it is comfortable with and what it is not, and if you have consulted with your doctor, then by all means continue to train. After all, a happy Mommy is a happy baby!

Eva trained until 7 months, this will not be the same for every woman as everyone’s situation is different, but it’s important to know what is possible. You see at the end of the video their beautiful baby was delivered nice and healthy with no complications in the pregnancy whatsoever!

How You Can Still Improve During Pregnancy!

Don’t use being pregnant as an excuse not to improve because you may be limited to these 3 positions, but double down on what you CAN do and you will be surprised how much better you will be on the mats after your successful pregnancy!

Rener Gracie mentions in the video how when he was injured for 10 months he returned better than he was before! How is this possible?

You don’t need to spar to improve your BJJ game, not being able to spar because of injuries or pregnancy allows you to LOOK at people in your gym sparring. You will see how they employ their bread and butter techniques and what works and what doesn’t.

Eva Torres when sparring happened sat down and whipped out her notebook and noted down all the techniques she learned during that day. I recommend you do the same and you will be surprised how quickly you learn!

8 Helpful Tips On Training BJJ While Pregnant

Now that I’ve discussed Eva’s story, here are the tips from a BJJ blue belt in her blog Girls In Gis, which you can access here.

1.Have a Drilling Partner With Good Body Control

It is very important to find a drilling partner you trust and only drill with them throughout your pregnancy. This stops you from reminding every new partner that you’re pregnant, and what moves they can and cannot do depending on how far along you are.

A good rule is to generally stick to higher belts, but Rener Gracie says that some purple belts don’t have control of their body, so make sure they have excellent body control. If you’re unsure, ask your instructor which person they recommend you roll with.

2.Ensure Your Techniques Are Safe For Pregnant Women

The typical BJJ warmup will involve inversions and forward rolls, and backward rolls. These are NOT safe for pregnant women to perform, so really make sure to pay extra attention to only do safe moves for you and the baby.

Think of the alternatives and what you can and cannot do. Shrimps are usually fine, but first talk to your Physician. Bring them a list of exercises you would like to do so that he/she can inform you on what is safe and what is not.

3.Drink A Lot Of Water And Keep Cool

Elizabeth (the blog writer) says she always brings a full bottle of an electrolyte-rich sports drink like Gatorade/Powerade with another bottle of water for training. Read this article here on why it’s important to stay hydrated during pregnancy

If your body temperature goes above 102°F (38.9°C) for more than 10 minutes, this can cause problems with your baby. Be sure you stay cool by being closer to a door or window, and take numerous breaks to cool off during drilling.

You might feel weird about being the only person doing this but remember, you’re carrying another person inside of you!

4.Only Flow Roll During Pregnancy

Flow rolling is not using any strength and just focusing on going with the flow, be careful who you roll with and in my opinion, only roll with people with good technique.

Tap SUPER early, as certain submissions can restrict blood flood and your bones do get weaker during pregnancy (read here) so don’t risk injury by not tapping. Remember you’re caring for two now, and your new baby doesn’t want his mommy to get injured!

5.Wear Gear One Size Up

At around 14 weeks Elizabeth used her husband’s size up belt for her Gi and used a Gi with more room to make space for the baby. You can wear a rash guard one size up as well, this is what Elizabeth did.

Check here for the best rash guards for women on Amazon and the best Gi’s for girls here in case you need to buy a size up!

Investing in a sports bra one size up will make you way more comfortable during your training. You can purchase the fantastic Champion Sports Bra for an amazing price on Amazon here.

6.Give Yourself Some Slack As You’re Pregnant!

Being pregnant will put you on a rollercoaster of emotions as your hormones change. It is like an internal battle as you struggle to adapt to a new lifestyle while sometimes the desire of wanting to go (or not go) to class will rage on inside of you.

You may feel awkward asking upper belts to roll as maybe they want to get a normal hard roll and not a flow-roll with your pregnant self. Feeling this self-doubt is perfectly normal.

7.Your Progress Can Be Delayed

Now we have spoken about how you can even improve after an extended lay-off such as an injury or pregnancy. Life does get in the way and you will lose progress especially if during these times you’re not taking notes after class or watching sparring videos in your spare time.

Just remember that BJJ will still always be there, but your baby should be your number one priority.

8.Makes Sure You Stay Positive!

I understand how difficult it must be for a woman to take a backseat and feel more tired with muscle loss and not be able to move as once you did, but Elizabeth stresses to keep a smile on your face and stay positive.

Remember as a pregnant woman you are experiencing something that NO ONE else in the gym is (unless you’re not the only pregnant lady haha).

You will notice some women will admire you for still training on the mats and others will complain about being tired, but then get an extra kick of energy when they see you’re training.

Embrace this! You are an inspiration to others!

Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations

Looking For Gear To Use When You Train?
If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard
Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person?
CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here.
Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters?
Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters.

BJJ is a fantastic sport but you are trying to strangle someone so can you do it as a Christian? I decided to research the internet and find out.

You must consider BJJ fueling aggression that contradicts directly with Matthew 10:16 but there are many Christian MMA and BJJ fighters like Jon Jones and André Galvão who practice Christianity so it’s ultimately it’s up to you and your relationship with God.

However, it’s important to look at the physical and spiritual implications of doing BJJ and decide for yourself where your faith is.

Can Christians Do Combat Sports In General?

Christianity and combat sports don’t seem to go together like a Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich, but you can still do BJJ without sinning, as it depends on your situation.

Philippians 2:12

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling

Philippians 2:12

This verse is saying everyone practices their Christian faith in different ways, whether you choose to spread the word of God with MMA or with BJJ God is your final judge.

There are many high profile Christian MMA fighters a sport even more violent than BJJ, such as Jon Jones, Yoel Romero, and Ben Henderson.

There are websites like the fellowship of Christian fighters(see the link here) where they explain what it’s like to be a Christian fighter full of Bible verses.

Also, you have a Christian themed MMA clothing line(Jesus Didn’t Tap) by the former MMA fighter and social media. personality Jason David Frank. BJJ is a big part of MMA so this can be applied to BJJ as well.

In 2014 the American documentary Fight Church looks at the rich subculture of Christianity and MMA and includes the previously mentioned fighters.

The documentary shows the lives of some Church pastors that see MMA being an important part of their Christian fame with the estimation of over 700 Churches in the US that have added martial arts into their ministers.

This number has likely grown since 2014. You can see the trailer of Fight Church above.

Is BJJ Too Violent For A Christian?

BJJ could be seen as less violent like sports like Muay Thai the sport of the 8 limbs with striking from the legs, hands, knees, and elbows as you never hit anyone, just choke. If your interested in if Christians can do Muay Thai check my post here.

It is less violent than even Boxing and way less violence compared to what you see in the old testament. Still, if you hold anything back because of your faith you will be putting yourself at a big disadvantage.

Many scriptures speak out against violence such has Matt 26:52. where he argues that all those who take up the sword(do violence) will perish by the violence.

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword

Matt 26:52

However, when Jesus knew his arrest was going to happen in (Luke 22:36) he tells his disciplines to sell their cloaks to buy a sword(violence) if they don’t have one

He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

Luke 22:36

These verses give evidence to the numerous Christians around the world who practice MMA and BJJ, as the bible does not condemn self-defense with the use of force being justified.

You must look into yourself and your Christian faith and understand BJJ would only be a sin if you think it would be.

Do Christians Have Spiritual Implications Doing Combat Sports?

Any spiritual implications from doing Muay Thai will depend on the person you are since our relationship with God is a personal one. The issue is BJJ can fuel an aggressive nature if your aggressive normally which can contradict with Matthew 10:16.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Matthew 10:16

This could lead a Christian confused and confuse the scriptures to justify their passion for combat sports which isn’t related to the fighters but also the millions who watch UFC on pay per view who goes back to the love of violence in ancient Rome.

This desire to win in MMA can cause an ago complex with even the humble fighter, which according to Luke 14:11 when unchecked this will lead to your downfall. We saw this with the former UFC champion Ronda Rousey he’s ego destroyed her.

You can see her downfall in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x_XV0r0cA8

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:11

How BJJ Helps Christian Spirituality

Mick Pope is Professor of Environmental Mission at Missional University(religious uni) and a member of the Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy, and also has a first-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu says about BJJ and Christian Spirituality

He says in this paper here that BJJ provides an opportunity to respect God in three different ways.

• Respect for our god-given physicality and how all life can end
• The pursuit of a BJJ flow state(a state in BJJ) and how this provides a model for biblical holism and the cultivation of virtue.
• BJJ helps bring people together in both a competitive and collaborative way that promotes humility a Christian virtue

Although as a Christian you need to remember the following factors before you do BJJ since this is a controversial topic. Do not be a weaker Christian and stumble by practicing BJJ (Rom.14).

Secondly, you must resist the temptation of starting fights with newfound BJJ skills, and don’t use BJJ taking up your time as an excuse to take away from your Christian duties such as helping your local church Church (Heb. 10:25)

not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25

Look inside yourself and your relationship with God and ask yourself, what are my motives for doing BJJ? Make sure it’s not non-Christian motives like wanting to feel tough but more like learning and exploring the skill itself whilst remembering your Christian morals.

Is BJJ Spiritual?

BJJ or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu did evolve from traditional Jiu-Jitsu in japan but it does not represent a spiritual philosophy, it started as a martial art for self-defense. No spiritual practices are taught in the sport, or paying homage to a belief system like Yoga does with Buddhism.

Unlike traditional martial arts like Tai Chi or even Taekwondo BJJ does not represent any spiritual Philosophy, or tries to take you to go to a different spiritual plane like Tai Chi.

Most of the structure and what the classes will teach you will depend on the coach’s philosophy to life in general and how he or she will approach how they treat the martial art.

If you want to see how Andre Galvão a 4th-degree black belt who is a deeply religious opinion on BJJ sees the video above. Also, you want to read a Christian view on BJJ check out Christian BJJ blog bjjunderthecross right here.

Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations

Looking For Gear To Use When You Train?
If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard
Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person?
CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here.
Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters?
Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters.

BJJ is one of the best martial arts for self-defense, but can you do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with glasses? I decided to find out.

BJJ is more about feeling, even blind people can train BJJ. Having bad eyesight does not stop you from doing BJJ, if your eyesight is very bad you can keep your glasses on as your instructor is demonstrating the techniques, and take them off when you need to practice.

I will explain why having glasses is no excuse to not brain BJJ, and if you really want to train with visual aids, what are the best options available to you.

Why You Should Train BJJ With Glasses

Your eyes do two things, pick up motion and see details and color, unless you are farsighted, you should still see your partner/opponent as BJJ is a very close contact martial art.

As long as your see the general motions your opponents/partner are doing you can adjust and react, you don’t have to have 20/20 vision to see when your opponent is trying to pass your guard or sweep you.

BJJ is probably the best combat sports for someone who is blind, as it is all about feeling your opponent out, it’s easier for a visually impaired person than Muay Thai for example. If you want to see if you can do Muay Thai with glasses check my post here.

Don’t think a blind person can learn BJJ? Check out Russell Redenbaugh who not only is a BJJ black belt but also a three-time gold medal winner in the BJJ world championships fighting normally sighted opponents!

He’s the perfect example that having glasses will not stop you from doing BJJ. Arguably it could be an advantage as a blind person’s sense of weight and control of an opponent is probably even more intense. Check out the footage of Russell Redenbaugh doing BJJ in the video above.

If your wondering but Dillon what if I cannot see my instructor whenever they drill techniques? All you need to do is wear your glasses when you see the techniques being drilled and put them off to the side whenever you spar or perform the techniques.

More importantly, you need to get used to training without visual aids as in a self-defense situation it is easy for your glasses to fog up or get knocked off, or your contacts falling out. So it’s important to learn how to defend yourself using BJJ with your natural eyesight.

BJJ Training Visual Aid Options

Train Without Any Visual Aids

As BJJ is a ground fighting martial art, no matter what you do whether passing the guard or trying to submit someone you do not need perfect 20/20 vision.

If your sparring? I would never spar with normal glasses on, as there is a big risk of damaging your expensive glasses or even worse glass getting into your vulnerable eyes or face.

For most combat sports but especially BJJ training without glasses is your best option and you should get used to it.

Glasses Strap

If you REALLY want to wear your glasses when doing BJJ training, a decent option is a glasses strap. There is still a risk of your glasses flying across the room if the strap gets broken, in certain explosive movements like takedowns.

The problem is as BJJ with making your sweat, your glasses could get fogged up or wet with sweat, which will hurt your vision more than choosing not to wear them. I wouldn’t spar with glasses as glasses are expensive so your better off not using them at all due to the risk of injury or damage.

If you still want to use a strap an excellent choice is the Chums Eyewear retainer made in the USA which you can get for a fantastic price from Amazon right here.

Prescription Sports Goggles

Goggles are tougher and more secure than glasses and are quite common in basketball, volleyball, and jockey. They will not break like glasses and are probably your best option if you REALLY want visual aids for BJJ and come second to wearing nothing.

Would I recommend them for rolling? Not really, as you can see in this blog of a BJJ practitioner who uses sports goggles, he says that although the velcro strap stops the eyeglasses falling or his head “they just feel awkward” and he worries about his glasses being damaged and they get fogged up anyway.

If you still want an excellent pair of sports goggles that can still use your prescription lenses, look no further than the Bertoni Prescription Sports Sunglasses which you can buy for a superb price on Amazon here.

Exercise Headbands

The problem with using any kind of visual aid is you WILL sweat in BJJ so sweat dripping down will cause your glasses to slip off your nose and make your lenses wet.

Using a sweatband is a cheap solution to this problem, and it’s worth it to get because you can use it in all sports and it helps improve your vision even if you don’t have glasses. However, it will not stop any eyewear flying from your face.

If you want a headband that you can use for every sport and is even Bike helmet friendly, look no further than the unisex Temple Tape headband. You can get them with various colors from Amazon right here.

Contacts

Now contacts may appear to be the best option as they are not as imposing as other eyewear protection, especially when doing drilling they are less likely to pop out.

However, for rolling I would never use contacts, as you cannot believe how often contacts go flying out of someone’s eye whenever collisions happens which are quite common in BJJ.

I used to wear contacts and wouldn’t like to fight in them. Honestly, I recommend everyone who has the money to get LASIK(laser eye surgery) as I got in a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back since.

Why You Should Consider Corrective Eye Surgery

Okay, this isn’t to do with BJJ but hear me out. Having corrective eye surgery was the best choice I ever made. I had it done in Prague for around $1300/£1000.

Yes, it is more expensive than glasses or contact lessons but think in the long term you never will fall asleep with your contact lenses or buy a pair of glasses ever again!

I love never needing to find my contacts or potentially lose them, you forget you ever needed glasses as SOON as you get the surgery it is crazy how quickly you adjust.

You will save money in the long term as single vision lenses cost between $100-$300 apiece, so my surgery was less than 4 expensive single vision glasses

LASIK is ideal for all types of training as all the aforementioned problems cease to exist.

In 2016 a study(read more here) found that LASIK has a 96% patient satisfaction rate, with the latest research saying that LASIK has a 99% success rate in achieving 20/40 vision or better, and a 90% success rate in achieving 20/20 vision or better! These statistics are incredible!

Imagine never worrying about forgetting your glasses or contacts for training or in life ever again! I know you might be scared but don’t be as these fears are unfounded. Don’t you think not wearing glasses ever again just sounds amazing?

Are There MMA/BJJ Fighters With Bad Vision?

We’ve already mentioned Russell Redenbaugh the blind Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt, but did you know some of the best UFC fighters ever performed with bad vision? It’s not just in grappling where having poor vision should not stop you.

Anderson Silva arguably the best MMA fighter of all time is known to be short-sighted as he wears glasses during press conferences. Also Ben Henderson the former UFC lightweight champion is nearsighted.

Arguably the biggest reason why having glasses is not an issue in BJJ is the former UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping. He won his title against Luke Rockhold with one glass eye that he kept out of the public eye and no one knew his sight disadvantage.

If you do don’t believe me, you can hear him speak on the Joe Rogan’s experience about losing his eye down above.

The fact he and Russell Redenbaugh performed at the highest level with such a sight handicap showcases anything is possible as you can perform at the highest levels of BJJ despite your eye problems.

Either that or get LASIK, it’s up to you 🙂

Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations

Looking For Gear To Use When You Train?
If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard
Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person?
CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here.
Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters?
Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters.

Jiu-Jitsu and tattoos don’t seem to go together, but how long do you have to wait to recover after getting some ink before you can start rolling again?

I decided to find out

According to tattoo artists, you should wait a minimum of 2-3 weeks after getting a Tattoo before you do Jiu-Jitsu. A Tattoo is an open wound so it is prone to get infected by bacteria, and if you train before it’s healed you have a risk of ruining the tattoo or getting an infection which can lead to even more serious health complications.

Why spend so much money on art being inked on your body, if you’re going to ruin it by rolling too early? I will explain the reasons why you should wait to exercise after getting a tattoo.

Why You Should Not Do BJJ After Getting a Tattoo?

You might think of a tattoo as a permanent piece of body art made by puncturing your skin with needles and injecting ink, but think of it more as a man-made open wound that can easily be infected.

After getting a tattoo, your chances are higher than usual of bacteria getting into the wound and/or causing infections such as the very dangerous STAFF infection which is already very common in BJJ gyms!

You could even lose a limb (see article) or possibly die (see article) from a tattoo-related infection so be very careful!

It’s not just getting an infection that you have to worry about when you have a fresh wound like a tattoo, you have to think about your own plasma.

Open wounds leak clear liquid known as plasma which is caused by blood and plasma going to the tattoo to begin the skins healing and the creation of a scab.

What does this mean? Well, your open wound leaking plasma is a BIG contamination risk to other people in your gym.

If they have open wounds, cross-contamination is likely, especially in an environment like a BJJ gym where you will be in contact with tons of people and body fluid like blood and sweat!

Errr Disgusting right?

Exercising When A Tattoo Is Not Healed Can Ruin The Tattoo!

Whenever you workout, like in BJJ, your muscles will stretch and you will sweat. This pulls the skin, and excessively sweating in the area of your tattoo can interrupt the healing process and remove ink from the tattoo.

The very nature of BJJ causes a lot of friction. This constant rubbing of clothing like from a rash guard or a Gi against your tattoo area, will irritate the skin, rub off scabs and interfere with proper healing.

You might think, yes but Dillon, don’t we have rash guards and the Gi to prevent this skin chaffing? True, yes wearing a rashguard in no-gi or wearing a rashguard under your Gi is super important in BJJ but it becomes a necessity when training after a tattoo.

My recommendation for a rash guard is the Hayabusa long sleeve rash guard that you can get for a fantastic price on Amazon here. Not having a rash guard and training BJJ while your tattoo is healing is complete madness.

Now if your tattoo is ruined as you trained BJJ without waiting for it to heal, while you can touch up the tattoo you will probably have to pay for it as you likely went against your tattoo artist’s advice about tattoo recovery.

This may also depend on any possible tattoo aftercare insurance you purchased or the tattoo parlor’s policy

Can You Train After Getting A Tattoo?

If you’re doing any physical contact sports like BJJ or Muay Thai that involve a lot of physical contact with other people, you should wait between 2-3 weeks after getting the tattoo for it to completely heal. With lifting weights, around 1 week is okay but be wary of your wound not getting infected.

However, did you know there is a way to train straight after getting a tattoo! I know it sounds so hard to believe, but it is possible!

How To Train After Getting A Tattoo

The secret is using a tattoo aftercare skin product. This takes the guesswork out of healing and provides a barrier between your open wound (tattoo) and contamination from the outside. Some of these products can be waterproof and allow you to exercise after getting your tattoo.

I recommend the 100% Vegan Hustle Butter Deluxe for your tattoo aftercare solution. You can buy the cream for a superb price on Amazon here and see a review of the product in the video above.

Now if you’re rolling I still recommend waiting the 2-3 weeks before you start rolling just to be on the safe side.

If you’re using a product like the Hustle Butter, you could start drilling techniques a long time before the 2-3 week mark as it creates the well-needed barrier between your open wound and the dangerous outside world

Or if you want a detailed step by step guide on Tattoo aftercare by the Tattoo artist Romeo Lacoste, please watch the video below.

How Should You Workout Before And After Getting A Tattoo?

There are various stages before and after getting a tattoo. I will explain what you should and should not do.

Training Before You Get A Tattoo

Exercising before you get a tattoo is completely fine, whether you roll or lift weights or both. Ask yourself if you will become uncomfortable during the tattooing process because you will be recovering from a workout.

If you get score do not workout before your tattoo, as the standard tattoo session is 5 hours and it can last even more than that. That is a LONG time to be still while being uncomfortable!

Training The Day Of The Tattoo

The day of the tattoo, I would not recommend lifting weights or rolling, as this could cause you to bleed more during the tattoo appointment. This is because you will have more blood circulating in your system. See the video above for more details by Tattoo artist.

Worse still, is taking pre-workout the day of your tattoo session, as this will make it difficult for you to sit still because of the caffeine and other chemicals you have ingested.

Do your tattoo artist a favor and don’t take pre-workout or they may have a much harder time creating your tattoo that you’ve spent so much on!

Training After Having A Tattoo

Waiting roughly 2-3 weeks is still a good amount of time to wait before you start rolling once you get your tattoo, and after using the Hustle Butter or another product like it.

This will reduce the time you need before you can train as you are creating artificial barriers between the open wound and the outside world. The wound can heal faster and while you’re engaging in physical activity it will be protected.

How Long Is A Tattoo An Open Wound?

The outer layer of the skin which is the part you can see will take around 2 to 3 weeks to heal. Even if it looks and feels healed keep consistent with your tattoo aftercare routine as it can take as long as 6 months for the skin below a tattoo to truly heal!

Remember, these guidelines are for normal people not crazy people like us who love rolling with 4-6 different sweaty people, while trying their hardest to strangle each other!

For a BJJ practitioner like you or me, the 2-3 weeks healing time and having a good tattoo aftercare routine even months after the tattoo appointment is most essential.

We simply engage in too much cross-contact with other people so the risk of infecting the wound and getting a serious skin disease like STAFF is very high. We need to take every last precaution we can!

Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations

Looking For Gear To Use When You Train?
If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard
Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person?
CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here.
Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters?
Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is an excellent martial art that is great for self-defense, but can you do BJJ with braces? I decided to find out.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends anyone with braces to wear a mouthguard whenever doing a sport, this includes Brazilian Jiujitsu. You can do BJJ with braces but always be very careful and always wear your mouthguard to class, and let your partner know you have braces.

Many people in my gym wear braces and still do BJJ, and one of my good friends has braces and even does Muay Thai! Read more about it here.

You can see the orthodontists (dentists) mouthguard recommendations in this link, but it’s important to know the risk of training with braces and why wearing a mouthguard is so important.

Why You Can Do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu With Braces

I understand where you are coming from wondering if you can do BJJ with braces, but really most of your time in BJJ will be spent drilling techniques with a partner, especially as a beginner.

Never in a typical BJJ class will having braces make a difference, and you can choose when and if you want to spar so you can get the full benefits of the sport without damaging your expensive braces!

However, if you have braces always wear a mouthguard in BJJ. This includes whenever you are drilling techniques or sparring as the random nature of BJJ does mean accidents can and will happen, so always be prepared.

As BJJ sparring can be very chaotic, it’s smart to tell your partner you have braces and have “flow rolls”, which is when you spar in BJJ with complete technique and not use much if any power.

This reduces the risk of an injury happening as both you and your partner’s movements will be less explosive reducing the risk of injury to both of you.

However, it is still important to know the potential risks you have engaging in a combat sport with braces.

Risks Of Doing BJJ With Braces

Although BJJ is less risky than a striking sport like Muay Thai or Boxing, as you don’t get punches and kicks aimed at your head, you should still be aware of the potential injuries that can happen.

Martial Art Braces Injuries

• Dental Avulsion: This fancy word means your teeth are knocked out! This isn’t a break but more so the punch dislocated your teeth from the socket! You don’t need me to tell you how bad this injury is with braces.
• Fractures: Fractures could include broken or damaged teeth with injuries to the jaw
• Abrasions & Lacerations: If you’re hit hard enough your teeth might scratch or bite the areas of the mouth like the lips and cheek. Your braces will make these cuts worse as they are in the mouth.

It pays to be careful whenever drilling/sparring with braces even with the correct mouthguard, as your wire can loosen and the brackets supporting the brace can break.

One mouthguard that is specifically designed for people with braces by orthodontists (dentists) is the Shock Doctor Double Braces Mouthguard which you can get for a fantastic price on Amazon here.

Depending on where you live, braces are very expensive with the average cost in the USA being $3000-$7000!

So if you need to return to your dentist because of a BJJ related injury that wouldn’t be fun, but you shouldn’t worry as flow rolling will reduce the risk of damaging your braces.

How To Prevent Injuries In BJJ With Braces

If you have braces you need to take more precautions when training BJJ. The Orthodontic mouthguard (Shock Doctor) will be your best friend. This is why many fighters use it.

3 Reasons You Should Wear A Mouthguard When Doing BJJ

Wearing A Mouthguard Protects Your Teeth

A mouthguard prevents the bottom row of teeth from clashing to the top when you get hit protecting your teeth from breaking. This could happen in BJJ if someone accidentally knees you in the face as you shoot for a takedown. A mouthguard also protects the lips and gums.

Mouthguards Protect Your Teeth By Stabilising Your Jaw

A mouthguard is designed to be bit on which stabilizes your jaw and reduces the risk of jaw fractures, if an accident does happen. No one likes their teeth getting dislocated, so make sure you bite down when you feel an incoming collision!

Mouthguards Reduce Concussions

Custom mouthguards have been proven to reduce the risk of concussion in all sports, check out the study here. The studies are far from conclusive but it’s better not to take the risk right?

However, you cannot get just any mouthguard with braces it must be an orthodontic mouthguard. This mouthguard is made of a higher grade of material than a traditional mouthguard that you just boil in water.

They are specifically designed to work with your braces as they sit on top of the brackets and keep both the upper and lower teeth protected from the line of fire.

The material also protects your lips from being pushed into the brackets via the impact of collisions that often happen in BJJ.

Now, I recommend you ask your dentist for a specifically designed orthodontic mouthguard that fits your braces or buy a custom-fitted mouthguard for a fantastic price on Amazon here.

If that’s out of your price range I highly recommend the fantastic Shock Doctor that was made together with the American Association of Orthodontists specifically for people with braces. You can get it for an amazing price right from Amazon here with sizes for both children and adults.

Check out a review from a Boxer who bought the Shock Doctor Double Braces Mouthguard and likes it a lot.

Should You Wear A Cup In BJJ?

Despite being outlawed in most BJJ competitions you should still wear a cup to BJJ, to protect your genitalia and it prevents putting your genitalia on other people during sparring. Yes, It might be uncomfortable but the possible injuries you can suffer without it make wearing it worthwhile.

I have the first-hand experience of someone accidentally kneeing me in the crown jewels during rolling and it is not fun! Luckily I was wearing my cup as I cannot imagine the pain or possible injury I would have suffered if I wasn’t wearing it!

BJJ by nature will land you in very strange positions, and when people try to pass your guard or knee slide this leaves your genitals wide open to getting hit.

Wearing a cup gives a barrier to your opponent and your junk so it stops any awkward positions where you are a little too close to comfort, feeling someones else bits if they don’t have a cup is also not very enjoyable for most people.

You do not have to wear one, as it’s up to personal preference. But the issue with some groin guards is they are not comfortable all the time and need to be constantly adjusted.

For a comfortable cup, I highly recommend this Shock Doctor Cup which I own and use. It comes in adult and boy sizes for a great price on Amazon.

I wear it all the time in Wrestling, BJJ and Muay Thai and never leave for the gym without it on.

If you really don’t like wearing a cup, you can always take it off no one is forcing you to wear it, and it can even hurt your partner!

You can hurt your teammate if you’re using a cup made of steel like what Thai boxers wear to protect against leg kicks.

This usually happens when you take someone’s back, although it is not a problem if you engage in conversation with your partner and complain they are hurting you, so you can move position and reset.

Interested in MMA? Check Out My Recommendations

Looking For Gear To Use When You Train?
If you are interested in training MMA, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Mouth Guard Best MMA Gloves Best Groin Protection Best Rashguard
Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person?
CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here.
Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters?
Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters.