Judo is one of those sports where if you injure something as small as a little finger, you can be out of action for quite some time. Therefore it is critical that you look after your physical body.
Fingers
There are a few things you can do that will prevent finger injuries when doing Judo.
Care for your fingers by:
– warming them up before practice
– keep your nails cut short
– don’t entwine your fingers within your opponents gi
– do finger strengthening exercises
– tape them every session.
I tape my fingers every session, whether it is with one my clients, drilling, a technical session or a Randori session. For me personally I ‘feel’ stronger when I’m taped up, and if something as simple as taped fingers makes me feel stronger when fighting, then I’m going to do it.
Mouth guard
Mouth guards aren’t very common in competitive Judo unless you have braces. I always encourage my students to wear mouth guards because there are times when a stray knee or elbow can smash your teeth together resulting in a few chipped teeth. In the end a mouth guard costs 10 dollars but broken teeth can cost thousands of dollars.
Wear shin pads
There are times at Judo when you or your opponent kicks you with a badly timed foot sweep. These attacks usually end up with someone getting hit pretty hard in either the knee or shin. After a few training sessions these repetitive hits can start to form huge bruise on your shins. If this is a common occurrence or you then I advise you to invest in some soft foam shin pads (not plastic ones). These shin pads are comfortable and will prevent you getting any more bruises in the front of the shins.
Wear head gear
Another fantastic piece of equipment to buy is head gear, also known as “cauli stoppers.” These are great especially if your ear is starting to get red and swollen and could result in a cauliflower ear. Headgear retails of around 90 dollars but is cheaper than paying a doctor a few times to drain your swollen ear.
A few old wrestlers advised me to warn your ears up before every training session. They believe that by warming them up and increasing the blood flow will prevent Any blood getting clotted resulting in a cauliflower ear.
Wear a rashie
Wearing a body boarding rashie under your Judogi reduces the amount of cuts and abrasions you get on the chest and arms as well as prevents that common gi burn feeling around the neck. If you train all the time a rashie is the best 30 dollars you can ever spends.
By using these various protective equipment, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of Judo for years to come.
