Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a unique martial art that places unorthodox demands on the body. This means that the physiotherapy management of BJJ injuries differs significantly from that of most other sports. But how is BJJ different?
Ground-based grappling
While most other sports primarily take place on the feet, BJJ is largely a ground-based sport, with positional dominance playing a significant role in the game. Certain positions put your joints at risk before a submission is even attempted. In the scramble for positional dominance, there are many twists and turns acting on the body, often with another person’s bodyweight added to the mix. This means that the demands placed on muscles, ligaments, and joints differ significantly from those in most other sports.
Submissions
Most submissions in BJJ revolve around pushing and twisting joints beyond their normal limits to make the opponent submit by tapping out. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes happen before the tap. Although injuries most commonly occur in the elbows, wrists, fingers, and knees, any joint is susceptible in the dynamic environment of BJJ. When this happens, it is important to understand the nature and severity of the injury.
So how do Physiotherapists fit into this?
They can assess which specific structures have been injured, what type of injury, and what specific rehabilitation plan is needed. Due to its unique nature, rehabilitation for BJJ often looks vastly different from that of many other sports. This is why a Physiotherapist with experience in BJJ is ideal. They can better understand how the injury happened, how to adjust their training during recovery, and how to mitigate the risk of re-injury.
What comes next?
As your rehab progresses and you get stronger, the Physiotherapist guides you in increasing the intensity of your BJJ training again. The goal is not only to rehabilitate your current injury, but also to prevent further injury down the line.
To take your training beyond the rehab stage, the guidance of a trainer can also be helpful. The trainer’s expertise in developing overall strength and fitness helps make the whole body more resilient. Our trainer, Ricky, is a BJJ black belt with extensive experience both in the BJJ competition environment and the Strength and Conditioning field.
References
Hunker, J. J., Tarpada, S. P., Khoury, J., Goch, A., & Kahn, M. (2023). Injuries Common to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioner. Cureus, 15(4), e37502. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.37502
McDonald, A. R., Murdock, F. A., Jr, McDonald, J. A., & Wolf, C. J. (2017). Prevalence of Injuries during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 5(2), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports5020039
Petrisor, B. A., Del Fabbro, G., Madden, K., Khan, M., Joslin, J., & Bhandari, M. (2019). Injury in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training. Sports health, 11(5), 432–439. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738119849112
Scoggin, J. F., 3rd, Brusovanik, G., Izuka, B. H., Zandee van Rilland, E., Geling, O., & Tokumura, S. (2014). Assessment of Injuries During Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competition. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2(2), 2325967114522184. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967114522184