When starting martial arts, you may feel eager and restless. The idea of learning self-defense, after all, is often exciting! Still, excitement isn’t an excuse for reckless behavior. Safe practice is a vital part of your martial arts journey. Without it, you’ll end up harming yourself or your peers. Fortunately, we at Global Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can help you out. To that end, follow these four safety tips so your self-protection efforts bear good fruit.
Warm Up with Stretches
As you might know, many sports benefit from warmup stretches. Martial arts aren’t an exception — they can hurt your body if stretching isn’t done first. Jumping in with no warm up is not recommended when it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. In order to be ready for the demands of BJJ training, you need to be loose, properly warmed up, and in the right state of mind.
You see, martial arts are vigorous and use many muscles. They rely on your whole body to work. As such, engaging in them without prior stretches can cause over-extension injuries. In BJJ, a hyperextension injury of the humeroulnar joint may result in a sprain or strain of the surrounding ligaments and/or muscles, depending on the severity.
Given these facts, make sure to warm up before martial arts practice. Try doing standing hamstring stretches, side lunges, splits, etc.
Listen to Your Instructor
Just as football coaches protect their players, martial arts instructors keep their students safe. The guidance they offer prevents bodily damage.
Remember, the instructor is a martial arts expert. They’re very well-versed in their field’s techniques and methods. If you don’t follow their instructions, you’ll likely hurt yourself or a fellow student.
That said, listen to your instructor. They’ll ensure you learn self-defense safely and without needless injuries.
Wear a Mouthguard
It’s always a good idea to wear a mouthguard for vigorous activities. That fact, however, especially applies to self-defense exercises.
Needless to say, martial arts are contact sports by nature. They involve body blows and other forms of physical touch. If you don’t wear the right gear, your mouth, teeth, and gums might suffer hits.
Luckily, a mouthguard solves this issue by protecting your oral cavity. Therefore, get one from your local dentist or sporting goods store.
Respond Properly to Accidents
Despite your efforts, not all martial arts accidents can be prevented. You’ll thus need to have plans ready for when they occur. That way, you can respond correctly as the situation develops.
For instance, imagine that an accident chips one of your teeth. You’ll want to see a cosmetic dentist for this problem. With their help, you could hide your new flaw with veneers or dental bonding. Your smile would then look as good as new!
Ultimately, the goal of martial arts is physical protection. Let it accomplish that purpose, then, by adopting the tips above!