If you’ve trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a number of years then the chances are that at some point you’ve had an injury. Injuries usually occur for several reasons such as age, bad luck, rolling hard and being out of shape. Remember, as a side note if you do get injured, it may be tempting to jump back into training, but in the long run it’s better to rehab the injury and heal fully until you’re better.
In short, statistically speaking, injuries will happen to everyone at some point and are somewhat unavoidable to a degree. Below we have written a comprehensive analysis of all of the injuries that you can pick up when practicing BJJ and how severe they are.
Table of Contents
Severe BJJ Injuries
Knee Injuries: There are various types of knee injuries that can happen in BJJ. Often these take place from takedowns gone wrong when weight is badly balanced on your leg, as a result the knee takes the hit. Knee issues can also occur from leg locks and knee reaps if done without tapping in time. Often leading to a lifetime of problems if not treated correctly, blowing out your ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL and meniscus tears are all long-term injuries. Generally, you will need to take at least 6 months off to heal the knee however in some severe cases it can take over one year to heal and even still may not be like it once was.
Spinal/neck Injuries: These are rare compared to knee injuries but still happen. Luckily most spinal injuries are chronic and can still be trained with. However, some spinal injuries can result in becoming paralised or at least suffering lack of movement or numbness as a result. These are caused by neck slams and spinal locks such as not tapping to neck cranks quickly enough. Surgery is an option for spinal injuries, but recovery is not a given and it seems chronic pain is common as a result.
Back Injuries: Lower back injuries are fairly common in BJJ, especially amongst smaller practitioners. For instance, if you play guard against bigger opponent’s then you may feel their weight which can take its toll on your back muscles. Similarly, inverting against larger people can also cause back issues down the line. This can result in slipped discs or bulging discs which can be incredibly painful. These can’t really be rehabbed and will require surgery. Again, there is no definite guarantee that you will recover back to full health.
Shoulder Injuries: Often caused by landing awkwardly on your side, shoulder injuries are not fun. As the shoulder is such a large, complex joint this may result in surgery. Generally, a severely injured will result in lack of movement throughout the arm which can stop you from training for months. Not only this, but the shoulder is also linked to the neck and back so its problems can spread to other areas of your body. Often surgery is recommended if your shoulder is injured badly enough.
Mid-tier BJJ Injuries
Rib Injuries: Rib injuries are very common in BJJ especially without conditioning. This includes broken and popped ribs, as well as pulled intercostal muscles. Generally, this won’t cause agony like those on the above list. However, if not treated properly they can turn into a chronic, dull ache. Not only this but with popped ribs they can re-occur if you rush back to training. These injuries can be very frustrating as ribs can take months to heal and the slightest knock can undo weeks of progress.
Arm Injuries: Specifically, we’re talking about the elbow and not the shoulder. Elbow injuries can occur from armlocks gone wrong and can even break the arm. As the elbow isn’t as complex as other joints, it isn’t as restrictive when injured. Still, you may need surgery and months out of training. Unlike some of the other injuries, if rehab is done correctly then your elbow should heal fairly well and shouldn’t cause as many problems in the future when compared to the damage caused by other injuries.
Feet/Ankle Injuries: Often caused by stubbornness against foot locks, some people will break or pop their feet. Similar sprains such as turf toe can also cause damage which can take ages to heal as well. Whilst this isn’t advised, some people will still train with bad feet as you can still spar as long as you ignore foot locks.
This isn’t ideal and your feet may take months to properly heal (even then they may not be perfect) however, damaged feet aren’t as invasive on your body when compared to other injuries. Unlike others on the list, you won’t really hear of people who quit the sport due to broken feet, although they can take a long time to properly heal.
Wrist Injuries: Caused by wristlocks or falling badly on your wrist, injuries to your hands usually occur when the joint is bent against its will. In extreme cases, you may break your wrist which can lead to months out, and obviously, wrists and grips are an integral part of BJJ. However, often wrist injuries will result in a sprain. Although sprains are annoying, you can train through these dependent on how bad the sprain is.
Concussions: Whilst concussions are a serious injury, we’ve listed them as mid-tier as they are very rare in BJJ. Generally, most practitioners of BJJ won’t get concussed so it’s barely worth mentioning. Of course, concussions can be dangerous, especially if they’re repeated however they aren’t really re-occurring in BJJ. Usually, these happen from accidental strikes or slams and can result in a week or more taken off as a precaution to heal, depending on the severity of the concussion.
Low-tier Injuries
Skin Abrasions and bruises: Many practitioners wouldn’t even consider these injuries. At times your you may get mat burn, accidentally punched in the eye or get scratched by a nail. Most people will continue training with these and it’s part of the course. However, if you have a high profile job then you may take a day off or two for bruises to naturally disappear. The main issue with these injuries is trying to keep abrasions clean and covered to avoid infections which can turn very nasty if they turn into MRSA.
Finger/Toe Injuries: Especially whilst training in the gi, the likelihood is that your fingers will get caught and bent at some point. Similarly, your toes can get bent whilst trying takedowns if they rub against the floor (this is known as turf toe). These can lead to sprains and breaks on your digits. However, the good news is that these injuries are only small and you can still train through them if you desire.
Pulled muscles: Generally pulled muscles happen to newcomers who are not very conditioned. As mentioned, pulling rib muscles is no joke, but generally pulling muscles in your neck, arms and legs are common when new. Usually, this requires a couple of days off to recover, or in bad cases closer to a week. Nonetheless, this is more of a minor inconvenience more than a long-term problem.
Throat injuries: Throat injuries often happen when a choke is applied with force and the opponent doesn’t tap quickly enough. Usually felt by newer practitioners, the resulting sensation feels like a sore throat. Whilst a bruised throat may feel uncomfortable, most of the time it’s nothing to worry about and will heal. The only downside of this is that you can feel pain in your throat for weeks or even months before it subsides.
