10 Hygiene Commandments of Brazilian Jiujitsu

Hygiene in Brazilian Jiujitsu is a stigmatised topic — and unfortunately, that stigma leads to many people doing the simple things wrong. At T45 Jiujitsu, we want to remove the stigma, promote better BJJ hygiene, and overall help you to be a little less gross.

Follow these 10 commandments for better BJJ hygiene and you’ll be a stellar partner for everyone in the gym.

1. You’re not Wolverine.

Yes I know Wolverine is cool, but I doubt he trains with his adamantium claws out. Make sure you keep your nails and toenails trimmed. Why? Your nails and toenails can cause nasty cuts and scratches. So leave impaling bad guys to Wolverine and keep your nails short.

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2. Clean your uniform after every class.

Yes, EVERY class. We clean the mats and gym after every training sessio, but in order to make sure that our academy stays clean and safe from infections, we need everyone to do their part. Wash your gear at 30 degree heat with wash detergent. (This includes your belt: it’s not magic and cleaning it doesn’t wash your skills away.)

3. Don’t let your gear ferment in your bag.

Fermented grapes makes wine which people love. Fermented Gear leaves you with a stinky bag which people don’t love. If its not possible to wash your gear straight after training remove it from your bag to avoid this. Pro tip: Bring a seperate moisture bag to put the sweaty gear in away from your other clothes.

4. Shower after every training session.

Jiujitsu is a high contact sport. Showering immediately after training is the best move to stay fresh. A shower before training is a nice touch if you want to go all out, but just putting on some deodorant will have your training partners admiring how good you smell as well as your sick flying armbars.

5. Always have footwear on when walking off the mats.

This one is a core rule of every Jiujitsu Academy: Never walk with footwear on the mats, never walk without it off the mats. In T45 Jiujitsu Cork we have some spare flipflops if you forget yours or only have fancy boots or heels. This is to stop nasty floor germs from making their way to our freshly-cleaned mats.

6. Knock people out with your chokes not your breath

Nobody wants to find out what you had for lunch mid training session. Take advantage of the complimentary breath mint in our care baskets in the chill out zone to make your breath mint(y).

7. Don’t train if you’re sick.

Unfortunately, we all get sick from time to time. Never train if you’re sick with an easily communicable disease like the flu or the common cold. Not only is it not good for YOU to train when you’re sick (training makes you tired so makes your body fight off the sickness slower), but you’ve also now brought a virus for all of your friends (and frenemies).. If you absolutely have to get some training in, study some YouTube videos or, watch some instructionals — or just relax and have a pizza!

8. Don’t train if you suspect you have a skin infection.

Skin infections aren’t common (they normally happen when the mats aren’t cleaned correctly) but unfortunately we can’t prevent them 100% of the time. Jiujitsu is a close contact sport so skin infections can spread fast and due to the stigma around them people try to cover it up and continue training. Don’t do this! If you’re even a tiny bit worried, show it to one of our staff or go to a GP

9. Cover up your cuts & scratches.

Properly cover your cuts and scratches before training. If you’re unsure on weenus taping technique, ask one of our staff. They’ve taped their weenus (along with various other body parts) many a time over the years.

10. Protect your hair

This is mainly one for our female members and metalheads: but if you have long hair make sure to get it under control by tying it tightly. This will save you time during the class and makes sure your hair is safe from any accidental pull

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