Why Good Hygiene is Key in Jiu-Jitsu /// By: Vincent Inoncillo

In Jiu-Jitsu, being a pleasant training partner and conducting yourself in that manner goes without saying. Without training partners, we wouldn't be able to train jiu-jitsu. A key ingredient to that recipe is maintaining good hygiene in the academy. The reason for this is because various skin infections can be spread if one's personal hygiene isn't take care of. These infections can keep you or your teammates off of the mats for some time and can be costly. As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to Godliness, and on the mats that couldn't be more true.

Being a pleasant training partner isn't limited to just being a good human being or someone to practice moves on, but also being a clean person. In the academy, you will encounter the partner that has the same kimono top hanging in the dressing room and uses it during every class and hangs it up right after and doesn't take it home. When you roll with them and make contact with your gi, you can smell the odor that's been building up in their top. It doesn't smell good and doesn't correlate with pleasantness. The same goes for no-gi. Maybe it's the same partner or a different one, but rolling with someone in a smelly rash guard isn't the best either.

Another unpleasant characteristic is training with someone with open wounds. Whether it's no-gi or in the gi, it's not worth the risk. This is where germs and infections can spread. When you're really sweaty, your pores open up so sweat can excrete itself to cool your body. Sweating is a good thing, but contaminating your sweat pores with germs may not fare well. This is why as individuals and teammates along with our respected academies should be attentive to our cleanliness for the longevity and well-being of our jiu-jitsu experience.

Infections are inevitable, but it's up to us to make sure they don't spread. Because of the nature of our sport, it's typical, yet an unfortunate aspect of jiu-jitsu. Some common infections that occur are ringworm, impetigo, and staph.

Ringworm is one of the most common skin infections that can be acquired anywhere on the body. It's a fungal infection that can be treated with most over-the-counter medications and sometimes oral medication if the infection is strong.

Impetigo is a bacterial infection caused by streptococcus or staphylococcus that can be found anywhere on the body. It's usually obtained from one of the two bacteria entering a wound or open sore or neither. Impetigo is spread through skin touching skin or being in contact where it's prevalent. It's very contagious, but can be treated with topical or oral antibiotics.

Staphylococcus or Staph/MRSA, is a group of bacteria that produce several infections, impetigo included. It enters the body the same way impetigo does and can also make its way into the bloodstream, causing other infections. Staph is treated with topical or oral antibiotics. Some cases require seeing a doctor for further diagnosis. MRSA is a mutated form of staph due to the overuse of some types of antibiotics and is also resistant to some as well. 

Here are some tips to preventing the spread of skin infections in your academy:

1. Make sure your fingernails are trimmed - no one wants to stop in the middle of a sparring match to grab a band aid to cover a wound or maybe even check their eye in the mirror to make sure they didn't get scratched. You get to train less and so does your partner. So make sure your fingernails are trimmed before training. We don't want to scratch our partners' skin, making them more susceptible to getting it infected.
2. Clean clothes - make sure to wash your gear after training! This will help kill germs. Coming to train in a clean gi or nogi gear is good for you and your partner. Your clothes smell good and don't deter anyone from wanting to train or drill with you.
3. Take a shower - after a training session make sure to take a shower as soon as you can. This will help with any bacteria settling into your skin and is a good precautionary measure from preventing infection.
4. Sweeping and mopping mat space - keeping your mat space clean means you're keeping everyone safe. The mat is where everyone's face, skin, feet, hands, and sweat touch. Along with taking a shower immediately, cleaning and sanitizing the mats you train on is beneficial as well.

Now that you've been made aware of the different skin infections that can be contracted through training, it is our duty to prevent them. Preventing these infections is easier and less costly than to treat them. Just follow these few tips which all work in conjunction to having a pleasant jiu-jitsu experience. Actively practicing good hygiene and staying accountable will result in less time off the mats for you and your training partners.