Brazilian jiu-jitsu may be the soft art, but that doesn’t mean it is always soft on your fingers. When you’re constantly grabbing a thick gi worn by an adult who is fighting tooth and claw to get away from you, you’re going to do a number on your fingers.
Luckily, BJJ black belt and Grapplearts founder, Stephan Kesting is here to help. In the above video, Kesting gives his viewers three ways to protect their fingers during practice.
Here they are:
Tape Your Hands
Buy athletic tape, rip it into thirds, and tape your fingers. Stephan encourages doubters to tape one hand but not the other, then compare how the two feel. Based on his own experience, you’ll see a noticeable difference.
Limit Gi-Grip-Intensive Guards
Guards such as spider guard and De La Riva would certainly fall into this category. Yes, they are effective, but your fingers will pay the price. Try limiting the number of times you do them, especially if you don’t tape your fingers.
This is also a good excuse to try out some of the guards you use less often.
Train Some No-Gi
Training without the gi will give your fingers a break while allowing you to improve your skill. As Stephan says in the video, there’s a lot of carryover between gi and no-gi. Training no-gi can help your gi game, and vice versa. It’s a win-win situation not only for your fingers, but your jiu-jitsu.
