This question may be asked by some who are new to the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Or, you may just be curious in general. In BJJ, there are many rules and reasons behind them. Often, these rules depend on tradition…however in the case of pockets and jewelry, there is a very obvious answer which is in the name of health and safety.
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Why can’t you wear shorts with pockets in an IBJJF competition?
If ever you’ve competed in an IBJJF competition, you’ll have noticed they’re quite strict about certain parts of clothing. For instance, when competing you can’t wear shorts that have pockets, or even a t-shirt with a pocket. This may sound incredibly strict, but there’s a clear reason for this. Imagine, you got your finger caught in a pocket and it broke your bone.
This may be unlikely, but throughout history it will have happened at times. Not only is this bad for the practitioner, but it is also avoidable by making pockets illegal. Imagine being a small competition host and getting sued for this, it’s simply not worth it.
Why can’t you wear jewelry in BJJ?
As mentioned above, you can’t wear pockets but in IBJJF comps, but in many, more relaxed competitions or gyms, you can. However, in relaxed gyms will ban jewelry, especially when sparring. The issue with jewelry is that it can cause ‘degloving’. Google this term at your own peril, but it is not a pretty sight. Degloving happens when the top layer of someones skin is ripped off from the rest of their skin. Typically, it happens in car crashes but can also happen whilst grapling.
For instance, if you wore a ring and your opponent accidentally stood on it and pulled upwards, it could rip your skin off on the finger. This is incredibly painful, gruesome, and not worth it. Chains and bracelets are also not allowed for similar reasons.
Can you wear baggy clothing in BJJ?
Again, there will be certain IBJJF limits to how baggy your clothing can be. However, in the gym baggy clothing is more tolerated. The issue with baggy clothing is that again, it can cause injuries that are akin to those with pockets. For example, if your opponent has a baggy sleeve, then statistically you’re more likely to get a finger caught in there and broken. Therefore, some gyms practice caution when people train with baggy clothes.
On a similar note, greasing is also illegal in BJJ.
