We have been writing a bit about rashguards lately here at the FGM blog, and we are continuing the trend this week with one of the most common questions asked: Why wear a rashgaurd in BJJ?
This is a great question and to answer it we have to look at this in two halves: wearing a rashguard under a Gi and wearing a rashguard for No Gi.
So onwards to the first half!
Should I wear a rashguard under my gi?
This depends on a few things. Like we have talked about in our rashguard buyer’s guide it pays to consider; what the weather is doing, your gender and if you are one of those people who sweat a lot.
Wearing a rashguard under your gi can make some people heat up really quickly, in the same way it would if you area wearing a t-shirt under a hoodie when you work out. It traps all the heat and can make you sweat a lot more. Now this might be a good thing if you are looking to lose some weight for a competition or in general.
One of the good things about this though, it if you are a person who naturally sweats a lot the rashguard will absorb a lot of it and stop any random drips from gracing your training partners face if you are in mount.
We have found that generally during the summer months most people train sans rashguard when training in the Gi for the simple reason it’s just a bit more comfortable and easier to cool down.
This is all true for women too, with some preferring to wear a crop top under their Gi as a way of cooling down and still keeping some modesty while on the mats.
Other considerations for wearing a rashguard under a gi include the whole hygiene element. Getting skin conditions like ringworm, tinea or even contracting staph are very common when training in a hot, sweaty environment with others. Wearing a rashguard under your gi gives you another barrier against these things and this can’t be understated. No one wants to be off the mats for a few weeks because of a nasty ringworm infection that could have been avoided.
Should I wear a Rashguard for No-Gi?
In a word: Yes you should you sweaty bugger.
But for the sake of argument let’s explore this a little bit. During No-Gi things are a lot faster paced and there is a lot more contact with your opponents that doesn’t get the benefit of a Gi to act as a barrier.
Like we talked about above, there is a higher risk associated with getting skin conditions or picking up nasty germs when you are going literally chest to chest with someone when training.
Some gyms might be ok with this and it’s really up to you to suss this out, but for the most part, most people prefer to train with someone wearing a rashguard than without.
Conclusion and final thoughts.
So there you have it. I think we have painted a pretty strong argument for wearing a rashguard for most of the time when training. If you are still on the fence feel free to check out our list of the top BJJ rashguards available to get a deeper insight on what to look for in a rashie and why this might be important for you to consider when buying one.
Let us know your thoughts on the subject. Do you wear a rashguard when training? And if you don’t why not. Let me know in the comments.
