The Definitive Guide to Not Getting a BJJ Staph Infection

Getting a BJJ staph infection could just be the worst thing that could happen to you during training. Picture this: it’s Wednesday night Muay Thai. You’re on the mats, you have done your warm-up, your wraps are on, and as always, it’s a packed house. Mitch, our TFC trainer, yells out, “We are just going to start by doing a few minutes of clinch sparring!”

You pair up with the closest person. Luckily, they have all the gear and are roughly your size. Perfect! They will know what they are doing. Then training begins and your partner initiates the clinch. And finally, it hits you: a smell so foul you taste the nutritious energy drink and four N’ twenty you smashed at lunch.

“Did this person soak their gear in a bucket of week-old roadkill and then keep it in their boot for a week?” Unsurprisingly, you can’t focus on anything but the stench and strategize to get fresh air breathers. You fall for every sweep set up on purpose for the next few minutes.

Training ends, you go home, have a quick rinse off in the shower, and go to bed. Five days later, you notice a red bumpy rash the size of a dollar coin on your arm. Oh no, please, God, don’t let it be… You got STAPH!

I know what you are thinking; “Jake, you’re being so dramatic. I have been training for years and never once got Staph”. Yes, fine, OK, you got me. I am dramatic, and if you’ve ever seen me after doing assault bikes, you already know this. But did you also know that 1 in 3 perfectly healthy people have Staphylococcus Aureus? You really would want to get a BJJ staph infection and be part of this statistic.

It’s not surprising, given it’s a bacterium that makes up a large percentage of normal human microflora. Now I bet you’re wondering, “if it’s so common, how come I haven’t gotten a Staph infection yet?” A fair question!

Staph is not usually a problem when simply present on the skin. However, when Staph enters through breaks in the skin, then you’ve got a problem.

Think of all the mat burns, scratches, cuts, and grazes that are common in combat sports. Any minor cut gives Staph the chance to enter the bloodstream and cause some serious damage. Don’t believe me?

Want to see the damage that a BJJ Staph infection can cause an elite combat athlete? Google “Kevin Randleman Staph” or “Mark Hunt Staph.” I hope you’re not squeamish! These are two of the worst cases I can think of, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

LINKS FOR THE LAZY

Kevin Randleman Staph Infection
Mark Hunt Staph Infection

But fear not! Because TFC has your back! Here you will find our definitive guide to avoiding Staph infections while training Muay Thai, Boxing or BJJ at TFC!