BJJ injuries

[belugamd]

Are really serious injuries (fractured cervical spines, dislocations, broken bones) common while training BJJ? I have no martial arts experience & I am considering BJJ training. But because of my job, I really want to avoid any serious injuries. How does the injury rate compare to basketball, hockey, or football?

[Gumbi]

In about 7-8 months training in bjj i've recieved a slight tear in my left rotator cuff. Thats about it, nothing serious. No one i've trained with has injured themselves to any great extent.

[sapatiero]

I've found BJJ causes less injuries than my previous art, JJJ. Yet in BJJ you get to spar much more . I guess it's because there's generally no striking in BJJ, and because the 'tap' system works well.

[Shoot]

You should be concerned

This reply may step on some toes. If it does I apologize.

First, let's talk statistics. Martial arts are "high injury" activities according to sports injury statistics. See this link:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/0418.htm

I don't think that link contains the judo statistic, but Judo is a very dangerous activity from a statistical standpoint. Wrestling is too. I believe that the majority of these injuries are from takedowns and throws.

The striking arts that use full contact sparring are also very dangerous from a statistical standpoint. For example, Taekwondo has a very high incident of injury.

The statistical odds of you being injured from a criminal assault or "streetfight" as an adult is vastly far less than the odds of you being injured in martial arts preparing for self defense. Ironic. The odds of you being injured from an assault decrease vastly if you are male, white, middle class or higher in economic status. About 1/3-1/2 of criminal assaults involve a weapon.

I don't have injury rate statistics for BJJ.

Second, let's talk experience--my experience. I've been injured three times in my life. I'm not talking about aches, pains, and strains. I'm talking about something breaking or bursting inside my body--major injuries where the pain level exceeds an 8 on a 1-10 scale with 10 being equal to having your nuts cut off.

Some young guys believe that injuries are just part of the game that seperate the predators from prey. It's not so romantic when you actually sustain a true injury. Two out of my three injuries were from sports. One from football and one from power lifting. I would give up all the cool memories I have of participating in these sports to not have the injuries.

You are smart for asking about injuries. I've studied BJJ for several years. I'm never consistant with it, but know enough to be one of the better people in any given class. I'm not one of the "obsessed" who train in it everyday and know 1,000 submissions etc... I say this just so that my observation hopefully carries some weight with you. Here's the step on the toes part. I've rolled (wrestled) with many people and I can tell you that a great percentage, I couldn't say exactly what percentage are not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. Some would rather break your damn ankle or arm than "lose" on the mat in any given class. Some are on steroids and go into a rage on the mat. Some are just ego maniacs and are on a macho trip with you in their way. When you're messing around with an art that could kill you or break a limb you should be concerned about who you wrestle with. That is my major warning to you. Go to a good school with good people. The beauty of BJJ is that you don't get repeatedly struck as in striking arts and you typically don't do a lot of takedowns. It is usually low force on the ground--low impact. But, there is a risk of major injury to the neck and limbs.

Here's the other step on some toes part. Some striking arts aren't very effective in the real world in a self defense setting. Big shock there. I'm not going to argue about Taekwondo here or name names of martial arts that might get you killed on the street from throwing high kicks in rapid fire succession. Yes, this offends some people. But, here's my point. Why in the heck would anybody place themselves at a high risk of injury engaging in a martial art that is of little utility for self defense?

BJJ is not for everyone. for someone who wants to increase their percentage chance of survival in a physical confrontation but isn't concerned about being the next champion of the universe I suggest going to a school with a smart instructor and a curriculum that focuses on conditioning with lots of drills and little sparring. Get in shape. The curriculum should be geared for self defense covering all ranges. It should not involve dangerous sparring or takedowns. Drills, drills, drills. Some systems come to mind. There are usually schools in most towns known for this approach.

I also suggest that you learn how to use a legal weapon, such as a knife. Take Kali or some other weapons based art. Some of these schools I've mentioned will teach this. If your life is threatened, then a weapon will greatly increase your percentage chance of surviving.

[belugamd]

Thanks Shoot. Your post has really addressed my major concerns regarding injuries.

[sapatiero]

I think you're right - the BJJ classes should be pretty injury free PROVIDED there's no idiots around. The better BJJ students don't always spar like a tourney, they are relaxed, and never crank anything on.

Also, pure BJJ clubs tend to have a more relaxed style than BJJ/MMA clubs as wrestlers/MMA and even judo guys often have a more aggressive attitude towards grappling. Not a problem IF they know what they're doing. I'm lucky in that I train in a club where there's a good relaxed bunch of guys. We've told the odd idiot that it's not for him, and we've taught the beginners to try to relax and flow through the moves.

I think the main culprit is ego. You show me a guy who wants to prove he's the greatest, and I'll show you a guy that'll cause injuries, and never learn as fast as the others. If I'm trying to focus on my armbar escapes, then I let guys armbar me - how else can we learn....

I'd say to give BJJ a go, but go to a few classes & watch how frantic the grappling is before deciding.

Hope this helps!

[Shoot]

I think you're right - the BJJ classes should be pretty injury free PROVIDED there's no idiots around. The better BJJ students don't always spar like a tourney, they are relaxed, and never crank anything on.

Also, pure BJJ clubs tend to have a more relaxed style than BJJ/MMA clubs as wrestlers/MMA and even judo guys often have a more aggressive attitude towards grappling. Not a problem IF they know what they're doing. I'm lucky in that I train in a club where there's a good relaxed bunch of guys. We've told the odd idiot that it's not for him, and we've taught the beginners to try to relax and flow through the moves.

I think the main culprit is ego. You show me a guy who wants to prove he's the greatest, and I'll show you a guy that'll cause injuries, and never learn as fast as the others. If I'm trying to focus on my armbar escapes, then I let guys armbar me - how else can we learn....

I'd say to give BJJ a go, but go to a few classes & watch how frantic the grappling is before deciding.

Hope this helps!

Excellent advice and observations. When I moved a few years ago I had to find a BJJ school. Before I studied informally with friends who were into martial arts (this is when there were no real BJJ schools). I tried out a few MMA oriented schools and felt like they were too aggressive and dangerous. I felt like I was in a real fight every time I went to class. Unless you like injuries, that's no way to learn BJJ and it gets very old very fast. I had great success at a school known more for sport BJJ. The gi slows down the grappling and makes it technical. Although, I have to say that I learned more from books, tapes, and passed around knowledge practicing with friends than I've learned at any school. BJJ is a MA that can be learned rather well if you have a friend who is willing to practice it with you in a methodical way.

I wish that BJJ schools would not even allow newbies to grapple. In most striking arts you have to get to something like a green belt level before you're allowed to spar. I imagine this is to avoid the tense, frantic sparring that newbies engage in that causes injuries. I think that learning basics through technique practice and then DRILLS would be more effective for beginners. Then, they would start to relax and not endanger themselves and others. Of course I've known some experienced guys who are too serious about class. It's all in the people.

[SweepEm]

two broken bones from playing basketball with my very spaz friend-nose and arm.

All the rest of my serious injuries have been from Jiu Jitsu

and, it true; it gets worse as you get older

[Combatant]

In about 7-8 months training in bjj i've recieved a slight tear in my left rotator cuff. Thats about it, nothing serious. No one i've trained with has injured themselves to any great extent.

How did you diagnose torn rotator cuff? Think I may have gotten one from oma plata....

[Britt]

I understand knee injuries are big concerns because you won't feel pain from a submission until well past the point of permanent damage. On most other joints, you'll feel enough pain to know when to tap, or your opponent will know when to stop by your yelps of pain, but a knee could blow out without the submisee even knowing.

[Gumbi]

How did you diagnose torn rotator cuff? Think I may have gotten one from oma plata....

I went ot the doctor for something else, told him about my shoulder, and he moved it around, and from where I said it hurt, he said I had damaged my rotator cuff? So i'm not much help there. but I did do it from an omaplata, where I tapped but then my arm got caught in the pant leg and tweaked it a bit.

[Combatant]

Thanks

I went ot the doctor for something else, told him about my shoulder, and he moved it around, and from where I said it hurt, he said I had damaged my rotator cuff? So i'm not much help there. but I did do it from an omaplata, where I tapped but then my arm got caught in the pant leg and tweaked it a bit.

Thanks Gumbi - sounds like I have done the same, its been sore for months now. Omaplatas are often more painful when the person is trying to let you out than trying to submit!

[Gumbi]

All I did for mine was rest it for 7-10 days. That sucked, but it doesn't hurt anymore. But yeah getting out of omaplatas is no fun at all haha.