Jiu jitsu skin infections are real!!!

Stephen Eakin - Take a shower or use something to eat clean ASAP. Even if you have to use a water hose and some soap. Wash your gi and training clothes every time, no excuses. The final thing and probably best advice offer to help keep the mats swept and mopped often. Even if you pay to train at the gym. It's your health after all. Phone Post 3.0
To eat clean = get clean Phone Post 3.0

Tips to avoid nasty skin stuff that goes along with training…

1) Know what things like mrsa, staph, impetigo, ringworm, cellulitis, etc look like so as soon as one pops up, you know what it is. 

2) Always shower immediately after the gym with something like defense soap or antibacterial soap. Never shower before the gym, as that opens your pores and leaves you more susceptible to picking stuff up. In the same vein, try to take a warm-to-semi-cold shower AFTER the gym so you can get clean first and then after clean, warm up the water. You don't have to be crazy about this, just do whatever you can handle. 

3) NEVER shave immediately before or after the gym. We had one guy at my gym that ended up quitting… he caught staph on his face like 3x in a year. I kept telling him why it was happening (he was the only one in the gym with it) and he was like "Well, I had this same problem at my old gym too…" yet saw no correlation with his shaving and catching staph where he would nick himself shaving. He is the only person I have ever heard of with staph on their face. 

4) Burns and scratches are usually the entry point for infection… so make sure to clean those areas well after training. Long sleeves/pants help if you are really worried about it. One of the guys that lives with me wears long sleeves and a long sleeve spandex top under his shirt… I think its overkill but he has never had any issues catching anything. 

5) Never assume something is a pimple… I have seen tons of people with "stuff" and they have a "weird pimple" somewhere… its not a pimple dude, go get that checked out. I have told lots of guys in my gym to come down with something, not know what it was because they just aren't familiar with it. Ask someone that knows. 

6) If you have anything… or you see someone else that might have something… bring it to someones attention that knows what they are looking at. This goes along with number 5, but its not just about you… it goes for training partners too. 

I've been training for 13 years and ringworm will pop up from time to time but thats it. Keep an eye out and it shouldn't be that big of an issue. 

(and as a side note, most people get it because their body is so weakened from training that their body can't fight things off. The unfortunate truth is this bacteria is everywhere all the time, and you can catch it anywhere.)

BadrMilk - BJJ is filthy, how surprising! That's what you get for rolling with a bunch of men from the Brazilian favelas. Phone Post 3.0
I got MRSA from a cracker ginger neanderthal. Kind of kills that troll angle. Phone Post 3.0

and people wonder why i wear sweatpants & sweatshirts when i train

I battled with impetigo and staph for about a year on and off before it went away. Way too many antibiotics and a moron doctor. I havent trained since and that was about 4 years ago.

Joe Lauzon -


Tips to avoid nasty skin stuff that goes along with training…



1) Know what things like mrsa, staph, impetigo, ringworm, cellulitis, etc look like so as soon as one pops up, you know what it is. 



2) Always shower immediately after the gym with something like defense soap or antibacterial soap. Never shower before the gym, as that opens your pores and leaves you more susceptible to picking stuff up. In the same vein, try to take a warm-to-semi-cold shower AFTER the gym so you can get clean first and then after clean, warm up the water. You don't have to be crazy about this, just do whatever you can handle. 



3) NEVER shave immediately before or after the gym. We had one guy at my gym that ended up quitting… he caught staph on his face like 3x in a year. I kept telling him why it was happening (he was the only one in the gym with it) and he was like "Well, I had this same problem at my old gym too…" yet saw no correlation with his shaving and catching staph where he would nick himself shaving. He is the only person I have ever heard of with staph on their face. 



4) Burns and scratches are usually the entry point for infection… so make sure to clean those areas well after training. Long sleeves/pants help if you are really worried about it. One of the guys that lives with me wears long sleeves and a long sleeve spandex top under his shirt… I think its overkill but he has never had any issues catching anything. 



5) Never assume something is a pimple… I have seen tons of people with "stuff" and they have a "weird pimple" somewhere… its not a pimple dude, go get that checked out. I have told lots of guys in my gym to come down with something, not know what it was because they just aren't familiar with it. Ask someone that knows. 



6) If you have anything… or you see someone else that might have something… bring it to someones attention that knows what they are looking at. This goes along with number 5, but its not just about you… it goes for training partners too. 



I've been training for 13 years and ringworm will pop up from time to time but thats it. Keep an eye out and it shouldn't be that big of an issue. 



(and as a side note, most people get it because their body is so weakened from training that their body can't fight things off. The unfortunate truth is this bacteria is everywhere all the time, and you can catch it anywhere.)

Solid advice right here--I just copied and pasted this whole thing into my iPhone notes as "Joe Lauzon on Skin Infections" to send to folks who ask.

Prompt cleanliness--for me and my gear--as well as rash guards (short sleeve for gi, long sleeve for no gi) are my primary defenses.

Good tips on the shaving and water temps--I hadn't ever thought of those. Phone Post 3.0

Do 3 things:

1) always take a shower BEFORE BJJ.

2) always shower immediately after BJJ

3) ALWAYS wash your belt.

I've been grappling more than 10 yrs, and never got any skin infection.

But from my experience, very few ppl do all 3, most only shower after BJJ and usually after getting some food and a long drive home. Phone Post 3.0

colloidal silver from purestcolloids.com

I was at a metal concert, up front in the crush and some jackass was in front of me with no shirt on, trying to be a badass. He was all sweaty and shit and the crowd crushed me towards him so I put my forearm out to block me from him. The next day my forearm broke out with little pustules, it was gross as hell. Fuck that nasty ass piece of crap. I put on some creme my roomate had for poison oak, because she thought that was what it was, and I had no idea at the time, and it went away after a week or two. I avoid the shirtless douchebags in the pit now, who knows what kind of Ghonnaherpsyphilaids some fool might have.

Saw it. Damn. :( Phone Post 3.0

I'm no expert, but I'd wager the biggest cause for this problem is people stuffing gi's that are saturated with sweat into gym bags, then not washing them, or reinserting clean gi's into dirty gym bags, bags still moist with old sweat... yeech.

Motivated Penn - I'm no expert, but I'd wager the biggest cause for this problem is people stuffing gi's that are saturated with sweat into gym bags, then not washing them, or reinserting clean gi's into dirty gym bags, bags still moist with old sweat... yeech.
Yeah. If you're a single guy and only do laundry once a week then invest in multiple Gis and gym wear sets.

Also if you're always in a hurry after you train or don't or can't shower at the gym invest in some anti bacterial wipes. Three sheets should be able to wipe down all exposed skin including your head and face. Phone Post 3.0

Motivated Penn - I'm no expert, but I'd wager the biggest cause for this problem is people stuffing gi's that are saturated with sweat into gym bags, then not washing them, or reinserting clean gi's into dirty gym bags, bags still moist with old sweat... yeech.


Stopped using a gym bag for this reason.  I saw someone bundle their gi/pants up with the belt after training and have been doing that. Makes it real easy to carry too.

In Phone Post

Gotta use antibacterial soap when shower as soon as your done, lever 2000 is good, now u need a script to clear it up that Shit is really contagious so don't crouch anyone n wash ur hands a lot Phone Post 3.0

do kickboxing or boxing instead, besides being cleaner, they're also better in streetfights and self defense

cm81 - Do 3 things:

1) always take a shower BEFORE BJJ.

2) always shower immediately after BJJ

3) ALWAYS wash your belt.

I've been grappling more than 10 yrs, and never got any skin infection.

But from my experience, very few ppl do all 3, most only shower after BJJ and usually after getting some food and a long drive home. Phone Post 3.0
Showering before eliminates your bodies natural "fauna" and makes you more susceptible to infection. Your skin has healthy bacteria which protects you web you shower you strip it away.

At least that's what my biologist BJJ professor had told me. Phone Post 3.0

I use hand sanitizer every time I finish rolling or sparring. Any bare skin contact with anything, the mat, canvas, other skin while rolling, I hit it with sanitizer. Then hot shower as soon as I get home. Phone Post 3.0

I have a full proof method of not contracting these skin infections. After years of training and experience - sit home , eat pizza and post on forums instead of actually going to train. This will almost guarantee no infections , maybe a fat roll with sweat will occur on hot days. Works great for me. Phone Post 3.0

Been thinking about looking into BJJ classes in SoCal this summer, but this thread is scaring the everloving shit out of me.