Why you don’t wear shoes in Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu descended from Judo and Japanese Ju Jitsu. Both of these martial arts don’t wear shoes during training, and neither does BJJ. There are several reasons for this which involve a combination of hygiene, tradition, and practicality.

In other words, the reasons that shoes aren’t worn in Jiu Jitsu isn’t just cultural either. Here, we’ll be looking at why you don’t wear shoes in BJJ. However, we’ll also be looking at alternatives in case you have to wear shoes due to medical reasons. Read on for more information.

Why bringing shoes onto the mat is bad

If you’re new to Jiu Jitsu then you may accidentally walk onto the training mats without realizing, whilst still wearing your regular shoes. This is a big taboo in BJJ and can quickly annoy your training partners and the gym owner. The reason for this is that it’s dirty. In general, the training mats should be kept as clean as possible to minimize the risk of skin infections such as ringworm and other illnesses.

Generally speaking, BJJ isn’t the most hygienic hobby to begin with as it usually involves various people sweating on each other’s skin. Now, imagine you’ve got dirt on your shoes and you walk onto the mat with them. This brings germs into a previously clean environment. In other words, there’s a reason why BJJ mats should be cleaned so regularly, as this reduces the risk of staph and other issues. Bringing dirty shoes into the equation can increase these risks.

Not only this but make sure you’re wearing shoes off the mats as well. In some extreme cases, some people will step off the mats without footwear, go to the toilet, and return without ever wearing shoes. It goes without saying that this is incredibly dirty and completely defeats the purpose of not wearing shoes. Basically, the entire point is that your feet should never touch any alien surfaces aside from the mat.

Can you wear wrestling shoes whilst training BJJ?

In some cases, wrestling shoes are allowed to be worn when training Jiu Jitsu. This is especially the case with wrestlers who will naturally wear them. Famously, ex-UFC champion Josh Barnett would often train BJJ whilst wearing wrestling shoes. This was just his style and many other wrestlers will wear them.

Obviously, if you’re going to do this then make sure your wrestling shoes are clean to begin with and that the only time you wear them is during training (and not for general use). You should also clean the soles after training to avoid a build-up of dirt.

Anyway, some places may be against people training whilst wearing wrestling shoes. There may be several reasons for this – and it may just come down to cultural stubbornness from the gym owner. In other words, you may be asked to remove wrestling shoes from the BJJ mats, so don’t be surprised if this is the case. Most of the time, wrestling shoes aren’t needed anyway so they’re not really a common sight anyway inside a Jiu Jitsu gym.

Why wrestling shoes are banned from BJJ competitions

In all Jiu Jitsu competitions, wrestling shoes are banned. This is because they give the person wearing them a few competitive advantages over their opponent. These advantages are:

– The person wearing the wrestling shoes has a better grip because of the shoe sole. Unlike human feet, wrestling shoes are fitted with a grip that adds friction to the floor. This gives people a better base and balance. Although this may not seem like much, it all adds up and gives them an unfair advantage in competition.

– The person wearing the wrestling shoes may be able to defend against leg locks easier. This is perhaps the biggest issue with people wearing wrestling shoes in BJJ. Basically, they literally add a layer of protection to your feet. Imagine trying an Achilles lock on someone with hi-top wrestling shoes. This would make it incredibly difficult to finish the submission as the shoe adds physical protection. Similarly, other submissions such as toe holds would be made harder for similar reasons.

If you need to wear grappling shoes then there are other options

Sometimes, people need to wearing shoes for hygiene reasons. For instance, if they have athlete’s foot then it’s in everyone’s interest not to spread it by having your feet out in the open. Similarly, some people have bad eczema so they prefer to cover their feet to avoid worsening their condition.

Within a gym setting, you’ll probably be allowed to wear wrestling shoes if this is the case. If you speak to the teacher then they should be able to understand your issue and let you train with footwear.

Having said this, there are some alternatives to generic wrestling shoes. The main alternative is wearing specifically designed grappling socks. These are designed to be very light on your feet and aren’t as intrusive or as bulky as wrestling shoes. They will not only keep your feet covered but they’ll also naturally defend your skin against mat burn and other issues.

The good news is that grappling socks are typically pretty cheap and affordable too. Furthermore, they won’t help you against defending leg locks either. Because they’re so light and thin, these won’t cover your tendons or bones like wrestling shoes. This means you’ll be able to train without having a competitive edge either which is only fair to your training partners.

Check The Price Of Grappling Socks On Amazon

Tape your cuts if necessary

If you’ve got a cut on your foot and you don’t want it getting infected then you can also use sports tape to cover it up. Some BJJ tape is designed to be extra secure and sticky which makes it more difficult to fall off whilst sparring. This tape isn’t very expensive and can last for a long time. By using this, you won’t need to go through the pain of wearing socks or shoes when training whilst still giving your open wound the protection it needs.

Check The Price Of BJJ Tape On Amazon

Wearing normal socks whilst training Jiu Jitsu

When it comes to training BJJ, you may sometimes see people training in regular socks as well. Generally, these have less grip compared to grappling socks, whilst they may be thicker too. Again, this is illegal in competition but it is something that is seen in the training room.

Most of the time, if the climate is hot enough then wearing socks won’t be an issue. However, if you have poor circulation and train in a cold environment then you may end up wearing socks. This is because they’ll keep your feet warm and will stop them from freezing. If you live in a hot country then lucky you – but this isn’t the case for many people. Anyway, you should be allowed to wear them if they’re clean and you state your reasons.

Actually, wearing regular socks whilst training Jiu Jitsu will also give you a disadvantage. Not only will they do nothing to defend leg attacks – they’ll also make you more slippery whilst standing up. This is because cotton socks have less grip compared to the soles of your feet. With this said, take extra care when standing and wearing regular socks.

Conclusion

As mentioned, Jiu Jitsu shoes aren’t really a thing, and for good reason. The reason is that they significantly help the person wearing them from defending against leg locks and takedowns. As these two areas play a key part in BJJ and grappling, there’s no need to wear them whilst training.

At the same time, if you’re in desperate need of covering your feet whilst training then there are suitable alternatives. These will allow you to continue training whilst still offering the freedoms and similarities of not wearing shoes as well.