Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is often referred to as ‘the gentle art’ because it doesn’t involve striking unlike other martial arts. Whilst you’re less likely to get punched unconscious training BJJ, the reality is that it’s far from gentle, and against an aggressive opponent you can get hurt. Having said this, whilst BJJ may bring injuries, it’s also considerably safer than striking for obvious reasons.
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Joint pain from BJJ
Joint pain is common with BJJ and can eventually lead to arthritis. This is substantially aggravated by training mostly in the Gi. With this said, training in Nogi will lead to less joint injuries on your hands and fingers. This is because Gi training involves grips which can put greater tension on the fingers. For example, Spider guard is probably the worst culprit of this.
Against a postured opponent, Spider guard can cause aches and pains on your finger joints. Eventually if doing this for years, you may develop arthritis or tendonitis as a result. Also, there’s a chance your fingers will get bent back at some point especially with sleeves and lapels involved; further adding to joint problems. This is part of long-term training in the Gi and is common amongst older black belts.
Turf toe for BJJ
Another long-term effect of grappling is turf toe. Commonly associated with wrestling, this is more common with those who do takedowns. Specifically, this is more targeted to those who do wrestling takedowns rather than Judo moves, which is because wrestling techniques often require shooting in.
Whilst shooting in towards your opponent, you may bend your toes against the mat. This can lead to great pain and can take months or even years to heal. In some cases, surgery is even required and it can be incredibly painful. Similar to finger pains, turf toe is usually something that builds over time and can become a chronic problem.
Rib injuries
Rib injuries are another common problem associated with BJJ. Whilst training you may get knocked in the ribs by a passing knee or you may fall on your ribs badly. Sadly, ribs can take a long time to heal. If the rib is broken you will know instantly as it may be hard to breathe and you may feel a sharp pain whilst doing so.
Similarly, even popping a rib will hurt as it will hurt to lie on the side of the injured rib muscles. As a result, rib injuries should be taken seriously and in some cases, it takes months to properly heal. Do not rush back to training with a bad rib as it may flare up and cause even more damage. Damaged ribs are sadly a part of BJJ and are one of the most common injuries.
Knee problems are common in BJJ
Knee problems are another common problem in BJJ. Usually, these are caused by sloppy takedowns and landing on your knees, or reaping the knee whilst passing guard. Because the ligaments in knees are so small and fragile, it often leads to injuries that can last forever. Even with physically strong people, your knees are still fragile compared to other body parts, meaning anyone can get bad knees.
With this said, it’s not uncommon to see veteran grapplers wearing knee pads as a result to lessen their aches. Like the other problems mentioned, you may have one devastating incident which damages your knees forever. However, the likelihood is that it will be wear and tear over time which causes chronic problems.
Bad neck and back
These two problems are typically associated with smaller grapplers, usually those who compete at lightweight and below. For example, a 100KG practitioner will typically spend their time passing and on top and also have the muscular frame to avoid upper-body injuries. However, for smaller grapplers, this is not the same. For example, as a smaller grappler you may sweep your opponent after minutes of top pressure. The result may end up with lower back pain in the long-term. This is a problem that can eventually result in surgery due to years of pressure whilst sparring.
With the neck, again this typically applies to smaller BJJ players. If your neck gets cranked with a strong neck, it may not linger as much compared to a smaller, weaker neck. Another issue here is stubbornness. Some people will simply avoid tapping to neck cranks for as long as possible. The issue with this is that it can result in long-term neck problems which can lead to surgery. In short, if your neck feels bad and you cannot escape then tap. It may hurt your ego but will lead to a longer life on the mats.
Muscle aches are annoying but liveable
This is something that happens to all practitioners. Whether the world’s best or a hobbyist, you will get achy muscles from grappling. The problem with BJJ is that it’s a core workout that tires your entire body. You may be well-conditioned through weight training but even still, certain obscure muscles will also get used whilst training. Because of this, you can often wake up feeling the pains of yesterday’s training.
Whilst this is an annoying feeling, it isn’t the same as being injured and most grapplers get used to it. So, if you do choose to train regularly you can get used to a life of constant aches and pain…and that’s without any major or chronic injuries included.
How to counter injuries and pains whilst training BJJ
Whilst the above list may seem daunting – it can be lessened and countered with the correct steps. For instance, some grapplers may take supplements to alleviate such pains. One example of this could be cod live oil or turmeric pills which reduce inflammation. Similarly, a healthy diet full of protein and vegetables will also improve your body’s fight against niggling injuries.
Other avenues to explore would be to sleep as much as possible, tap early to locked in submissions and to rest when feeling tired or injured. There’s no shame in this and your body will thank you in the long run. Too often people get carried away and want to keep a rhythm of training which simply isn’t sustainable in the long-run. Because of this, rest and recovery is a good antinode towards improving your body.
Another method to consider is improving your external body as well as internally. As discussed previously, there are internal ways to improve recovery such as diest and rest. However, externally you can add weights into a workout regime to strengthen muscles which will lead to fewer pains and injuries. By getting stronger you won’t get hurt as much and it’s a good way to extend your life on the mat. In short, heavier people get injured less compared to smaller people.
Not only this, but yoga is another way to improve your body. By doing yoga, you can stretch your muscles and gain flexibility. Again, this will enhance your life on the mat and keep you supple. In doing this, you can now get stacked and bent more than before without consequences. In summary, a combination of weight training and yoga is good to supplement your body against injuries whilst doing BJJ.
Summary
To summarise, BJJ injuries do happen and after a few years of training, you probably will get injured. Whilst this is a scary prospect, it can also be nullified by training sensibly and by using the precautions mentioned above. In conclusion, BJJ and injuries are somewhat inevitable. However, it’s up to the individual to handle these injuries as well as possible to make training as fun and long-term as possible too.
