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Gi-Burn-Be-Gone A Jiu-Jitsu Healing Tip

Even the best black belts get gi burns.  The neck is the usual place to find them.  A good cross choke always seems to leave me a beauty or two.  They don’t cause a lot of pain, just discomfort.  Especially because they aren’t confined to the neck.  Lets just say you never know where you might end up with one after a intense roll.  I have posted a story in BJJ Freak Injuries about my instructor getting one under his eye lid.  You know how some times a paper cut can hurt worse then a deep cut?  That is how gi burns bother me.  I had to find a way to speed there healing.  Especially the ones where clothing might rub, like the collar of your shirt.  I experimented around, with different burns and over the counter creams.  I had a ample supply of gi burns and tried a number of remedies for them over time.  When all was said and done I found that Hydrocortisone worked the best for me.  In most cases, when used the night before, I would wake up to find most of the redness gone and no discomfort when it was brushed or something came in contact with it.  It has become my Gi-Burn-Be-Gone.  I hope it helps you too.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu

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Jiu-Jitsu and Aspirin Don’t Mix

I’m covered in bruises from Jiu-Jitsu.  They go from my ankles to my shoulders.  I have bruises on my bruises.  At first I thought it was just my poor BJJ technique.  But over time I notices bruises on my wrists.  How could that be poor technique?  I found out aspirin was the culprit.  I am talking aspirin for my niacin therapy.  It helps stop the flushing.  I was taking 325mg (one regular pill) each night.  Aspirin helps stop clotting.  That is why I was getting such huge and nasty bruises.  I’ve stopped taking it this week.  Tonight is the first night without it.  It should be interesting if I bruise.  A friend has told me it might be a blood disorder and I should get tested if I keep bruising after dropping the aspirin.  He had a similar case in his school or dojo.

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A Rash Guard, I wouldn’t do Jiu-Jitsu without it

What’s a rash guard? It is a shirt or leggings that are made of a spandex type of slick material.  They are used to reduce skin abrasion and bruises in grappling.  I started like most beginners in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (a.k.a. BJJ) with just a t-shirt and sweats.  I came home each time bruised like a Dalmatian.  I soon got my Gi, the traditional uniform in most martial arts.  As anyone who works with their hands knows a good pair of work gloves keeps you from getting blisters.  When it come to BJJ, a Gi is the equivalent of work gloves.  But I found I was still getting  some bruises.  I noticed that some of the others had shinny shirts.  That is how I found out about Rash Guards.  When you wear a rash guard it gives you added protection by decreasing the friction between you and what ever comes in contact with you.  With my new rash guard I stopped being bruised.  Yes, some of the bruising was due to inexperience in grappling but after I got the Gi and rash guard my bruises all but went away.  It also helps protect you again the dreaded ring worm that come from grappling the “unclean”.  A rash guard in my opinion is a must.

What brand of rash guard is best?  I stared with Under Armour.  Their Heat Gear line is what is sold all over the web in MMA, Mixed Martial Art, sites.  I use a compression long sleeve top.  I understand that a loser fitting shirt can be better as the compression tops tend to roll up in grappling.  I am waiting on a lose fitting long sleeve top from Sprawl to see if it works any better.  I also have ordered a pair of their shorts to see if their claims at being the best are true.