A video about the “core” of Jiu Jitsu.

Thanks to Brad for showing me the video.

About a week ago the toenail of my 4th toe – the one next to my pinky toe – was consideraly derailed during a sparring session. About a third of the toenail was missing but it didn’t really bother me at the time. When I stopped moving around I soon noticed something didn’t feel right.

I wasn’t used to the feeling of having this toenail torn; and at the time, it wasn’t obvious to me why my toe felt so odd. The toe felt sore rubbing against its “neighbor” toes and was a bit swollen. I was investigating the toe and someone asked me what I was doing; I explained, and he suggested my toe could possibly be broken. Another student suggested it was “mat toe.” It was later clear that it was only a missing toenail (thankfully).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/briangaid/ / CC NC-SA 2.0

Shortly after I didn’t think much of it.

The following week – a couple classes ago – another student was sparring. He stopped after a few moments and began favoring his toe. “What’s the problem?” someone asked; “I broke my toe” he responded.

His fourth toe – the same toe I had some issues with the week before – was jetting out at strange, akward angle. It was clear the toe had seen better days.

Taped Toes

I have always noticed some students taping their toes before class. Some do regularly, some never do. At first the vulnerability of toe injury wasn’t very obvious to me, but I’ve now spent enough time on the mat to know better.

I wonder if it’s about time I start taping my toes to prevent this type of injury – or at least seriously consider it.

I would guess that headgears for martial arts have been around a long time; Wikipedia only had so much to say about the topic. Wikipedia did not have an extensive history of the martial-arts headgear. Yet.

I am often surprised by how many people don’t wear headgear when training Jiu Jitsu. I would think that the threat of cauliflower ear – being virtually incurable – would inspire heavy use of them. This is not really the case. In my experience headgears are often the exception rather than the norm. Other schools may be different, of course.

I own a headgear but I rarely wear it. I have been somewhat hesitant too: my particular headgear is a rather bulky piece of equipment. My headgear has a “hard” cup around the ears: when I wear it feel self-conscious that it will bump into the face and head of my opponent, making them uncomfortable. It also seems to run a touch large for me: even at its smallest setting, it still could be tighter.

There is another reason I don’t wear it very often – I don’t (didn’t) think it would happen to me. A Relson Gracie Colorado brown belt who often teaches has barely any cauliflower ear – and when I asked him about it he said it was mostly luck.

I generally don’t consider myself a lucky person, so I think it’s about time I start wearing my headgear when sparring once again. Cauliflower ear isn’t in an issue for everyone – not everyone gets it, and not everyone cares if they do get it – but for me, I’m going to try a little harder to stave it off.

I just need to grab a new, “softer”, less bulkier one. Hopefully Google will show me the way.

pic credit(s): http://www.flickr.com/photos/buildscharacter/ / CC BY-SA 2.0