In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’ll often see people wear spats under their gi pants or shorts. These are often mistaken for tights or leggings, which are slightly different. These basically cover your hips down to your ankles and are designed to cover your skin. As you can imagine, spats are also worn in MMA and other sporting actvities. In short, there’s a multitude of reasons for wearing spats which will be outlined in detail below.
Table of Contents
Why wear BJJ spats?
Hygeine
Perhaps the best reason to wear spats is for hygiene reasons as they’re very protective of your skin. Imagine you pick up a cut during training on your leg. Of course, this course of stuff happens and you may not even notice your newly acquired scratch. An open wound can lead to stuff like MRSA and other complications, whereas spats will stop this from happening and have a literal layer of protection.
Style/look
In some cases, people will wear spats to show off their personal style and taste. For instance, you may find a flamboyant pair of spats that are worn for purposes beyond practicality. Sometimes, people just love to show off and there are some pretty wild designs out there. These Raven spats are a typical example, where someone is literally showing off their personality through clothing.
Comfort
Another reason why some people prefer to wear spats is that they are simply comfortable. Like a long-sleeved rashguard, they can protect certain areas of your limbs from sweat which is nice and feels good. For example, you can get water in the crack behind your knee which can cause a rash and itch. With a protective pair of spats being worn, this can feel much better and softer on the skin.
Temparature control
In many ways, spats are like rashguards for your legs. One of the points of a rashguard is that they can naturally provide an optimum temperature for your body. For instance, if you’re too hot – then they can cool you down. Similarly, if you’re too cold, then they will help to warm you up. As a result, these will keep your legs from the cold in the winter, and cool you down in the summer. This may not sound like a huge deal, but if you train regularly, then you’ll appreciate the importance of this.
What are the cheapest spats for BJJ?
These Hawk spats are probably the cheapest spats that are on the market. At under $10, they’re affordable for all whilst doing the job. As seen, these spats are plain black with the logo towards the top of the leg. They’re also lightweight so easy to wear and won’t feel heavy, whilst also having double stitching in parts for extra protection. Although there are spats out there for over $50, these are a low budget option that are also high in quality.
Do I have to wear spats in BJJ?
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it’s never compulsory to wear spats. Often, people don’t wear these in the gi with gi pants, unless they’ve got skin issues such as eczema which could get irritated by rubbing on the gi. As you can imagine though, spats are more common and more visible in no gi.
It should be added that many women opt to wear spats when training no gi. The reason for this is that they cover their legs, as women may feel uncomfortable showing their legs under BJJ shorts. Of course, this is personal preference and is down to each individual. Overall though, spats aren’t compulsory and are an addition more than a requirement whilst training BJJ.
What are the best BJJ spats?
So far, we’ve used cheap spats and stylish ones as an example. In our opinion, these are the best pair of spats online. Made by Sanabul, these compression spats are ideal for grappling and are made from a combination of polyester, nylon, and spandex. They are also available in blue, black, and grey so they can also match your other gym clothes dependent on your colors.
Conclusion
As seen, spats are worn on your legs and have a number of purposes that will help you whilst training. Whilst spats may not improve your technique or make you improve in skill, they will help make life that little bit easier whilst training BJJ. As a result, if you’re in it for the long-term then buying a pair of spats can make for a good investment. The good news is that if you plan on using spats, then you’re in luck as they’re also very affordable.
