Protective Gear in BJJ - The Mouth-Guard

The importance of wearing a mouth-guard in BJJ

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Teeth are kind of a big deal. You need them to eat (even 3 times per day or more!), and your smile definitely looks better with teeth in your mouth.

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I’m mentioning this because I see so many BJJ practitioners not wearing a mouth guard, for several reasons

1) They think it looks stupid

While that may be true, you have to keep in mind that having teeth is still better than looking stupid.
Please, who cares how you look while rolling? Nobody! You don't actually examine a person’s physical attributes while you’re fighting, there’s just no time for that. Also, if you came to an academy and are more worried about your looks than training, maybe you should switch hobbies

I know the pink gi looks stupid too, but hey I don't care...lol

2) They think they don’t need one

This point is one I’d like to elaborate on, since it’s an important one.

I used to think that I didn’t need one, until I saw a black belt ripping out a perfectly healthy tooth from a friend of mine, with the sleeve of his gi while rolling. It happened really fast, and we were all in shock about how easily a tooth could come out!

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Please keep in mind that unlike hair or nails, teeth don’t grow back. Once they’re out, they’re out for good.

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After that day, I bought myself a mouth guard, and trust me I don’t care how stupid I look or that I’m the only one wearing one. I just want to make sure not to end up like that friend, who didn’t have the funds to replace his front tooth, and didn’t dare to smile for several months.

I’m mentioning this little story, because it happens often to get a knee in the face while sparring, and not necessarily by spastic white belts. BJJ is a contact sport and a martial art, and accidents happen. Some injuries you cannot prevent, like fractures, joint or muscle tears, but missing or broken teeth and chipped lips are something that is 100% preventable, for only $3 to $5 bucks. I think that’s worth the investment, compared to expensive dentist bills.

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Since I’m wearing mine, I feel a lot more confident while rolling. I’m a cautious person by nature, and always have possible injuries in mind while rolling. Now that I don’t have to worry about my teeth anymore, I go a lot harder. I also tend to bite and lock my jaw when I’m concentrated, and generally that’s a bad thing for your teeth. A mouthguard saves my teeth from destruction.

If I was a guy, I would probably wear a cup too as I’ve been guilty of kicking guys in the balls on a few occasions (never on purpose, I swear!)

Do you wear a mouth-guard while sparring?

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