If you don’t want to become a breeding ground for bacteria and put your reputation for good hygiene in limbo, you will want to follow these simple yet effective tips:

1. Come to class in properly washed and dried gi – Putting on a gi that was not properly washed and dried is quite risky to you and your training partners. Aside from smelling funky, it is a sure carrier of bacteria. If you regularly roll in such gi, you may develop a staph infection, MRSA infection, or ringworm, which your training partners may also acquire.

2. Trim finger and toe nails regularly!!!!! – Before coming to class, make sure you trimmed your finger and toe nails short, regardless whether you’re a man or a woman. You can cut your partner’s skin and eyes with your long nails when you train. You may also injure yourself when they get caught up by your partner’s gi.

3. Do not roll when sick – There’s a big difference between being dedicated to your training and being a complete jerk. When sick, do your traning partners a favor: don’t come to class until fully recovered.

4. Freshen breath before coming to class – Your training partner doesn’t need to know that you had grilled garlic salmon for lunch or garlic chicken for dinner. Before putting your gi on, make sure you have brushed your teeth or used mouthwash.

5. Do not go the restroom barefooted – If going off the mats to go to the washroom,  you need to have your footwear on, most especially if you are going back to the mats. No matter how clean-looking your gym floor is, tons of bacteria are on it.

6. Take a shower after class – Taking a shower after class is important as it lessens chances of you incurring skin diseases, plus it prevents you from smelling like a gym rat.

7. Tie your hair back if it is long – Sporting a long hair is accepted in jiu-jitsu. Many women practitioners have long hair and some men as well. But if you have long hair, just make sure you tie it back so it will not go in your and partner’s way while sparring. If you can braid your hair and tie it back, that would be better.

8. Do not roll wearing jewelry – Before going to the mats, remove your ring, earrings, necklace, anklet or any other jewelry. Being fashionable will not award you points unless your are Matt Gordon. Wearing jewelry while training also puts you and your partners at risk as it could result in cuts.

9. Wear deodorant before coming to class – Your partner’s face will definitely be close to your armpit while rolling. Save your reputation for good personal hygiene, always wear deodorant before going to class.

10. Properly wrap any cuts with tape – If you have minor cuts, you can still go train but make sure to wrap them good with durable medical/athletic tape. You don’t want your cuts to get worse by getting infected with bacteria.

There are more items for this list, but the rule of the thumb is: be sensitive to your training partners. You have reasons why you are doing jiu-jitsu, and getting skin problems or injuries and getting your training partners infected should never be among them. It is never bad to take your jiu-jitsu hygiene seriously. Roll clean. Roll good.

The above article was excerpted from the web site bravestclothing.com.