One of the unwritten rules of training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to cut your nails. This doesn’t just include fingernails, it also includes toenails. Amongst other personal hygiene issues, the main reason for this is quite obvious. Whilst grappling, you can quite easily cut your opponent if your nails are long enough. At best, this may leave a light mark, but in a very bad scenario, it could potentially scratch the eye of the opponent and even cause infections such as MRSA. With this in mind, cutting your nails is an important part of training BJJ.
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How to lose friends and alienate people
Most of the time, long nails won’t harm your partner. However, if you let your nails grow long enough then they can become a problem. Typically most places to get scratched are your opponent’s hands and head. This is because if you roll in a gi, it will literally offer a layer of protection against nails. Even though most cuts amount to nothing, it’s still a sign of disrespect towards your training partner.
In short, it’s basically saying “I don’t care if I cut my opponent” which will eventually happen if you train long enough with long nails. Some people may be ok with getting the odd scratch, but if it is noticeable and affects their work-life then you can expect to make enemies in the gym. In brief, it’s a bit of a BJJ tradition to keep your nails trimmed.
Cuts from nails in BJJ
One of the issues with nails is that they can penetrate the skin and cause cuts. This is an inconvenience as it leads to bloody mats or gi’s which no one wants. However, in extreme cases, it can lead to MRSA and staph. If the open wound gets an infection then it can become serious very quickly. MRSA isn’t common in BJJ but it does happen. Similarly, you could possibly cut your opponent’s eye. For obvious reasons, this could also be quite serious. As unlikely as these situations are, you only have yourself to blame if this is the case.
Correct nail length for BJJ
With this in mind, it’s important to make sure your nails are trimmed at all times. This doesn’t mean they have to be completely stripped to the skin. However, every week or so you should trim your nails so they don’t go far beyond the skin. A good test is to touch your skin with your finger. If the nail hits first then it may be too long. Also, if the nail has been cut but is still too sharp, then it may be an idea to file the nail so it becomes blunt. Blunt nails won’t scratch the skin like sharp nails which makes sense really. This practice also applies to toenails.
Women’s nails in BJJ
Not to sound sexist, but women usually have longer nails which is mostly a cultural thing. However, interestingly a high amount of women doing BJJ will also have long nails. Whilst they may look good, this is not appropriate in a grappling setting. Again, the same rules apply to women. Keep your nails at a short length and make sure they can’t do damage. Surprisingly a good portion of women do not stick to these guidelines and roll with fairly long nails.
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Summary
Long nails aren’t a massive issue in the big scheme of things. However, in rare cases, they can seriously injure. Not only this, but it is a sign of disrespect to your training partners if you can’t be bothered to cut your nails. As previously mentioned, trimming nails applies to all and should be an easy enough rule to follow. Sadly, it seems some people will always continue to roll without these guidelines.
