What was different this time around?

• Started to invest in some Jiu-jitsu podcasts and books
• Signed up for BOTH no Gi and Gi.
• Inspiring moments

Podcast/Books

No Gi Bracket (3 Fighters)

No Gi bout caught me off guard as the time for it switched to closer than on time. I didn’t have much time to stretch or warm up so I was high-strung but it might have been to my advantage.

No Gi Bout 1

My opponent looked very intimidating but skills always triumph as well as having Coach in my corner (he didn’t have a Coach – I know how that feels based on my 1^st competition .

No Gi Bout 2 – Round 1 + Overtime

“Won by decision” in the second bout meaning we tied 2-2 but the ref said I won (Cool, new experience).

Gi Bracket (3 Fighters)

Should have made use of the downtime. Was stalling too much and I think also was in a cooldown phase after the unexpected adrenaline showdown from being caught off guard before a match in the first No Gi bout. Or maybe I was tired from those two bouts. Now I understand that there’s some strategy in pacing myself throughout the competition.

Gi Bout 1

Gi Bout 2

Inspiration Aftermath

My Coach shared a voice message from my first opponent in No Gi taking the time to show respect to me, Coach, and the Academy. Much thanks to coach and thankful for the opportunity to represent my Academy!

One of my close friends of 10+ years took out time in his busy schedule with a newborn and all to come watch me. He kept his word and came. He couldn’t stay for my Gi matches but still came for support! He told me how inspired he was while watching me and how it made him want to practice Jiu-jitsu.

It was awesome to watch and cheer on my teammates who I’ve been training for the past 6 months. Seeing them compete too was a great end and test. One of my teammate said it was fun watching me fight. A lot of sweat and hours was poured on the mats and seeing them compete for the first time as White Belts and comrades was a special moment…

Till’ next time,

Ossu!

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1. The Ability to Use Visualization for Jiu-Jitsu
2. Learning from Other Coaches and Sources
3. Making a Decision to Compete
4. Conclusion

This is a continuation post after 3rd Month of Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Growth Recap and My First Time at a Jiu-Jitsu Event (IBJJF) as a Spectator.

The Ability to Use Visualization for Jiu-Jitsu

You’ve heard the term shadow boxing before when someone train by themselves – throwing punches in the air fighting against an imaginary opponent. In similar I noticed that I was able to adequately imagine the execution of different techniques in detail as I close my eyes for Jiu-jitsu.

Visualization is common in sports and success. I still remember the time my Cross-Country coach told the whole team to shut our eyes and visualize running our 5K District Cross-Country race mile to mile.

I couldn’t visualize in such details before but I believe all the time in beginner’s class for intricate instructions while going through the motion physically has allowed me to visualize better. It’s a mind and body connection and I felt that this ability to visualize is as fun as it is productive and can be done anywhere and anytime.

Memory and drilling is important to retain knowledge absorbed in learning Jiu-jitsu to be able to execute the proper techniques on demand or when under pressure.

Learning from Other Coaches and Sources

Furthermore, I started to seek out other sources online. I would follow BJJ or combat related profiles so when I open my social media my news feed would consists of snippets of awesome techniques.

Before when I started BJJ, there was a lot that I didn’t know and so I just wanted to focus on one source – the classes offered at my martial arts school, but ever since I started blogging and kind of doing some extra homework on the side it allows me to also refresh my memory of what I learnt.

On the topic of memory, watching videos on particular techniques is a type of mind training in itself which aids into the ability to use visualization.

By other sources I also mean learning from other fighters I have not met before or receiving instructions from another coach (Gi classes) within the same school.

Making a Decision to Compete

After my first time at a Jiu-jitsu event as a spectator, I felt ready to test my skills. I had saw how aggressive the opponents were in competition. Coincidently Coach taught us a Portuguese term, “parrada” meaning; “Go hard!”

So in my 4^th month as a beginner in BJJ, I signed up for my first competition giving me a month to prepare mentally and physically.

I decided to focus mainly on Gi because for me going between Gi and No Gi class confuses me. I wanted to be selective in order to be effective.  Coach also recently hired new coaches (more Gi classes) so I saw a great opportunity to hop on and train Gi for five days a week.

I pretty much went from rolling no Gi often to switching over to rolling in Gi often. Doing Gi five days a week did take a toll in particular to my biceps. I think it was because my training partners weight about 20 lbs more and so my arms felt shot for a couple days a week.

Conclusion

Overall, I believe my knowledge of BJJ has expanded through doing extra homework outside and inside of class. The decision to compete allowed me to set my eyes on a goal to work towards which also made me a more dedicated student of Jiu-jitsu. It’s this fire of enthusiasm and love of learning the art. It’s the building upon knowledge like laying brick after brick as a foundation but for BJJ. It’s the constant growth, challenge, and community that keeps this fire burning within.

Ossu!

*On a side note, I’m still amaze at how much slimmer I’ve gotten. I thought I was already slim and fit but training BJJ/working out has gotten me even slimmer as my pants felt loose without a belt. I went from 7% body fat to 5% body fat in my 5^th month.

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I went on Day 1 out of a 4 Day event. There weren’t that many people as I expected. There were booths in the outer the arena selling acai bowls and BJJ rash guards. There was also the podium for Top 3.

Inside the arena there were about 10 mats total with 5 on each side. Judges wore black suits and masks while the competitors who were blue belts wore rash guards that were blue/black. It was a cool sight to see as there were many different variations of shirts and pants in blue and black. At the time of my visit that morning it was all men competing. I have yet to watch a bout between two female BJJ gals nor children live.

Two final things that I noticed was for one, distinct cauliflower ears and two that the competitors were very aggressive. Some fights had no one cheering for the fighters whereas in other fights, the winner had a whole team to root them on.

Sadly, I did not spend a lot of time at the event nor multiple days because I had other plans and it would have costed a ridiculous amount just to watch with $15/day parking and $17/day passes. Not being able to bring in snacks or water at the gate sort of killed my excited vibe, plus it was COLD – maybe it was just this venue that had tightened up their security as there were shootings here in the past.

Takeaways

– Attending as a spectator at IBJJF sort of calm down my nerves in preparation if I were to attend a competition to fight. I wanted to get a feel for a fight and whether I should compete or not. I didn’t feel like I was ready at the time because I wasn’t “winning” at my home gym.

– The guys there were really aggressive and held nothing back.

– I need to look up the rules and point systems.

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Greetings! Welcome back to bjjears.com. I was compelled to write a follow up to 2nd Month of Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Growth Recap. As you can see in the table of contents below, this article will focus more on the “outer” aspects than the 2nd month recap which was about adapting to learning and acquiring BJJ instructions. We will discuss about the importance of regular attendance, opportunities, what community means for BJJ guys and gals.

Table of Contents

1. Attendance
2. New Opportunities
3. Sense of Community

Automatic Attendance Habit for BJJ Classes

It takes 18-254 days to create a habit and 66 days (two months) on average for a new habit to become automatic. Interestingly enough this seems to be true from my experience. Coming onto the third month is like a speed bump; People fall off during around this time if they haven’t maintained the habit of going to class regularly for two months. A couple of faces I would see in the beginning either dropped out and stop showing up or they showed up only once in a while.

I myself have also missed a couple of classes and felt inconsistent in attendance at times due to outside forces such as invites from friends, visiting family or personal reasons.

The thing that makes me keep on going back though is that for the most part I look forward to going to BJJ class or Muy Thai class because I enjoy learning it and am at awe many times when I am in class absorbing new information. It is also good to relearn things as it makes it easier to stick in memory.

Opportunities Opens Up

What I mean by opportunities are that there were competition and sparing with another school available. There’s actually one really big event coming up in October that I have yet to buy tickets for but the competition is only for blue belts and up (recently got my 2^nd strip as a white belt). I wasn’t ready for any of these opportunities nor had time to prep for these events.

The BJJ school that I go to also teaches Muy Thai and some Judo. We started to practice knees and elbows so that was new. Also, I learned two Judo throws one called the Uchi Mara. It is just so cool and satisfying to throw someone I can’t explain it. I would prefer to learn to throw someone rather learn takedowns which in my opinion leaves me too vulnerable to being attacked or injured 😊.  

BJJ Community Immersion

No longer a stranger I felt that I could call this school a community. I’m not from this town and these are the folks that I get to spend time with while learning this amazing self-defense art.

What is a community? To me it is a team, a family, a brotherhood, and sisterhood. A place to learn, grow, have fun, and socialize.

Here is a list of things that makes it feel like a community:

• People would volunteer to bring crates of water bottle to class
• There’s opportunity to help work on the new school location
• There’s opportunity to help teach the kids class
• We have a group text
• Everyone is humble and respectful towards one another
• Coach would personally reach out through the phone to check up on me
• Coach would host extra classes on the weekends
• Coach would host events outside of class

I would have to thank my Coach for creating this amazing BJJ community.

Conclusion

For my 3rd month of BJJ, my BJJ skills improved drastically compared to month one or two – in particular I am more confident in the arm-bar, triangle choke, and defense. All of this wouldn’t be possible if I did not belong to this great BJJ community that I repeatedly come back to.

Ossu!

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Whether you hate or love Ronda Rousey think again because what you see in media is often an illusion driven by business decisions – not the slightest truth. What we can learn though after setting aside our personal opinions are the success principles how Ronda Rousey became Rowdy Ronda Rousey that the world knows: bronze Olympic medalist, first women’s UFC Bantamweight world champion, and actress. Success leaves clues so here are 3 reasons why Rowdy Ronda Rousey is the success that we come to know today.

1. Rousey Has a Strong WHY

Her Father’s Vision for Her

Since a child, little Ronda was instilled a belief through her father’s eyes to be an Olympic champion. She initially was aiming at swimming but switched over to Judo following the footstep of her mother AnneMaria. Due to a sled accident injury, her father became disabled and health started to deteriorate and didn’t want to be a burden to his family so he unplugged his own tubes and committed suicide when she was the age of 8. Ronda was close to her father so she aims to please him. Even after making it to the Olympics she was still disappointed in herself for not getting the Gold although she received a Bronze medal in Judo for USA. Her strong WHY was for her father as she rise to fame through UFC also.

Motivated by Spite

Ronda is also motivated by spite and therefore wanted to prove Dana White wrong who made a comment that there will never be a women in the UFC. After two years since that comment, Ronda made him swallow his own words.

Rousey vs Correia – Rousey defeated her in 34 seconds after an intense buildup drama where Correia talked trashed about Rousey’s family.

2. Rousey’s Circle of Champions

Her Coaches

1. Gene Lebell – Former professional wrestler
2. Gary Stretch – Former British & WBC International Super Welterweight Boxing Champion
3. Gokor Chivichyan – Armenian judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts instructor. Considered one of the most complete grapplers of all time.
4. Edmond Tarverdyan – MMA Coach

Her Mother

AnnMaria De Mars who was a former USA Olympic gold medalist. Her mother stated that Ronda was better in Judo than herself. Ronda’s mother taught Ronda’s signature move, the arm-bar.

3. Rousey’s Skills and Talent

Her Arm-bar

Her signature move is the arm bar. She’s defeated so many of her opponents within minutes with a takedown using her Judo followed by armbar.

Her Judo skills

She’s skilled in Judo obviously since she was a former Bronze Olympic medalist and trained by the best at an early age.

Her Heart of Gold

Her training partners said she would cry when she gets thrown but she came back harder. She has a desire to conquer her opponent and while never giving up.

She has an insane work ethic. Always showing up to put in the work.

Conclusion

So there you have it the 3 reasons why Rowdy Ronda Rousey is a success. There’s no fluke to success. These are the ingredients if you will that allowed her to achieve such staggering accolades.  It is a combination of internal motivation, environmental surroundings, and talent. See which attributes of Ronda’s success that you can replicate and then you will eventually be near the top too in whichever endeavor you choose.

Questions to think about:

What is your strong internal motivation for what you do?

How far do you want to go and where do you see yourself?

Who are you surrounded by and are they supporting your goals?

Are you putting in the hours and the work?

What are your talents, skills, or attributes?

Share in the comments below.

Resource

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Jiu-jitsu (Jujutsu or Ju-Jitsu) was used during the time of the Samurai in Japan. It was a form of close combat self-defense used against armored warriors. These techniques consist of pins, throws, join locks and the use of a knife.

What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was the adaptation of Jiu-Jitsu by the Gracie brothers. The Brazilians made it their own in particular with the addition of ground fighting techniques such as fighting from the guard position.

Key Figures in the History Who Shaped Jiu-Jitsu

Jigoro Kano

Jigoro Kano was the founder of Judo or “the gentle way” who basically comprised and saved jiu-jitsu from extinction when Japan became westernized. The days of the samurai was over and so there was not a need for jiu-jitsu but Jigoro Kano learned and sought out teachers of the art. At the time Judo and Jiu-Jitsu were used interchangeably. There were more emphasis on throws and locks than the modern day Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of ground fighting. Judo became Japan’s international sport.

Sada Miyako

Sada Miyako was the first to bring Jiu-Jitsu to Brazil. He performed matches in circus. He lost to a well-known Capoeira fighter. But the wave of Jiu-Jitsu did not catch on.

Mitsuyo Maeda

Mitsuyo Maeda or Conde Koma or “Count Combat” was a prizefighter who traveled internationally to spread Judo or Jiu-Jitsu in many countries. He was one of Jigoro Kano’s top students. Maeda eventually settled in Brazil where he started teaching Jiu-Jitsu to the public. He taught Carlos Gracie for three years. At the time, Maeda did not use the term Judo so the art was known as Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil. Also Maeda did not use any belt ranking structure – one would assume he did not try to follow the Kano lineage when he started his Jiu-Jitsu school. Maeda also knows how to fight without a kimino or gi which was commonly worn during practice. Without Maeda, Jiu-Jitsu would not have a strong foundation in Brazil.

The Gracie Brothers

There were five Gracie brothers who practiced Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos Gracie as mentioned above handled the business side while Helio Gracie fought and challenge many fighters from boxers, wrestlers, to capoeira often winning their matches. The Gracie brothers also challenged other Japanese Jiu-Jitsu fighters (there were many Japanese immigrants to Brazil) mostly ending in draws. The Japanese Jiu-Jitsu fighters would have the upper hand when it comes to throwing the Brazilian Gracie brothers but the Gracies adapted to ground fighting. The Gracies invented “the Guard.” This is where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became drastically different than Japanese Judo/Jiu-Jitsu with its emphasis on ground fighting. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became Brazil’s international sport. This is the popular Gracie family name you hear often in modern day.

Masahiko Kimura

Masahiko Kimura also practiced under Jigoro Kano’s lineage. He was one of top fighters and immigrants to Brazil. Helio Gracie had a determination to challenge the best fighters so he sought out to face Kimura. Helio had to face a disciple of Kimura, Yukio Kato before he was allowed to fight Kimura. After winning his bout with Yukio Helio versus Kimura was a widely publicized Jiu-Jitsu event. Kimura won with a joint arm lock (called the “Kimura”) against Helio. Helio retired after his fight with Kimura. The significance of this story is this matched increased the popularity of Jiu-Jitsu and where the joint lock name “Kimura” originated.

Oswoldo Fadda

Oswoldo Fadda was a student who practiced under Mitsuyo Maeda (Japanese who taught Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil). Fadda opened his own Jiu-Jitsu school which became a rival school against the Gracies. Fadda stepped up to the challenge against the Gracies. Although it was reportedly a draw – some say Fadda’s students were decisively the victor. His students were specialized in the straight ankle joint lock. Fadda is worth mentioning because the Gracies were not the only prominent Jiu-Jitsu school around. The Gracies did however had a remarkable public relation and business marketing display of its brand thanks to Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie.

Conclusion

I find it fascinating that the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano adapted Jiu-Jitsu from Samurai fighting to civilian-life fighting and how he was frail and weak but made the art work for him. This shift was also displayed by Helio Gracie who was also weak and frail yet he was very deadly in the guard or ground fighting. Both key figures were weak and frail but adapted and revolutionized Jiu-Jitsu for better.

That is one thing you will notice with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If you practice long enough you will not fear an opponent who’s stronger or heavier than because you have good technical skills.

In a similar light Wing Chug was invented by a Chinese nun. What true warriors who never gave up but turn a “disadvantage” to an advantage.

Ossu!

Resources:

For an awesome YouTube video based on the highlights above check out: Part 1 and Part 2 of The History of Jiu-Jitsu from LateNightStories.

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Hello this is Sa again and I’m back and excited to share with you a recap of my 2nd month of taking upon myself to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I started out a complete beginner in grappling and getting choked left and right on the sweaty battle fields of the mat the first month but by the second month I have notice a lot of growth and changes so let’s go!

Table of Contents

1. A. Learning Curve in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
   • Organizing information
   • Building on Knowledge
2. Adapting to Obstacles in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
   • Bicep and Neck Soreness
   • Ear and Mouth Injuries
3. Attainment of a Relaxed Mental Coolness in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
   • Confidence
   • Perspective-Taking

Learning Curve in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Two key takeaways from helping me understand BJJ are labeling and organization of information as well as continue to build on acquired knowledge.

Labeling and Organization of Information

First and foremost, I can remember being the guy who just didn’t have a clue on a lot of things. I didn’t know the terminologies used like; “Get in the the guard!” There were some techniques with no names to them. Also, I’d get a total brain fart when it’s turn to drill in the technique taught as to how to go about executing the move. There’s actually a lot of details involve in BJJ. The beginning stages was not fun whatsoever. Even when some blue belts were giving me some tips on a technique, I’d just nod my head but didn’t get a full grasp of the idea (no pun intended). I heard from a blue belt to just keep going to class everyday like I have been (5 days a week) and I’ll eventually pick it up. Learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires patience like any other skill.

What I find that helped me was asking questions in class. I’d asked; “What is that called?” to find out the name of the positions or chokes. It definitely helps to hear coach using layman terms such as “turtle,” “push the pedal,” or “shave his neck” when explaining. In addition, after class I tried to visualize the moves that was taught. And another tip that helped me most was to write down what I had learn and how to execute the move as if I was teaching it with paper and pen, keeping a record in a journal. I would organize what I learn under categories such as chokes, positions, escapes, sweeps, takedowns, etc.

I started to realize that BJJ is a full body art of fighting with intricate details to make some chokes or techniques work. Unlike striking which consists of simply punching or kicking that BJJ required manipulation of a combination of my limbs with minute detail placement. It teaches body and spatial awareness.

Continue to Build on Acquired Knowledge

Because I started to organize BJJ information it made it a lot easier to build upon the knowledge. Every class I would try to come away with a nugget or tip not only learning from Coach but from my sparing partners. It’s definitely a cool community as everyone is giving each other tips even though we are rolling or “fighting” against one another on the mat.

It’s like organizing a puzzle to make a big picture. Once I learn what the name of the positions are I can add upon them to make the pieces fit together. With any subject the foundations are important. In BJJ what I would consider your basic foundations are the terminology which includes different positions then knowing which positions are dominate or not. Follow by how to go from one position to another. Then once you know the different positions you also learn about which chokes you can do in each position. After that you learn how to escape from each position. To build on knowledge be consistent going to class to acquire more knowledge, ask good questions, and roll on the mat for experience.

With the acquired knowledge, building on top of it helped me follow in class instructions easily – I can now see a technique and replicate it in detail.

Adapting to Obstacles in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Soreness and injuries can takeout a BJJ practitioner from practicing the art for the long haul that is why these obstacles need to be in check.

Bicep and Neck Soreness

During my first month of BJJ/Muy Thai there were days where my biceps were so sore yet I stayed back for Muy Thai. I’m talking about biceps being so sored that they felt like deadweight and I couldn’t even keep my hands up for Muy Thai. I learn that my soreness came from me using all my upper body strength because I didn’t know techniques. Imagine being crushed under an elephant and trying to push it off. Even a 12-year-old girl was pinning on top of me and I didn’t know how to get off. Using my full upper body strength not only did not work to get her off me but added to the soreness. But that also goes to show how effective BJJ is on the ground if a 12-year-old can pin me down (I weight about 145lbs).

The solution to bicep soreness is to learn how to “escape” or get out of locks and tough positions. Another tip is to only spar against your weight class.

On top of the bicep soreness was soreness around the neck. It got so sore I sought out a massage therapist. The reason for this soreness is because a lot of the times we are on our back on the ground defending or trying to get on top to a better position. It’s like doing sit-ups constantly without knowing that you are doing sit-ups. Plus, your sparring partner would likely try to choke your neck with the rear naked choke or the guillotine. Since I was a newbie in the first month, I didn’t know that I could simply defend by blocking my neck and tucking in my chin therefore I kept getting my neck squeezed.

Now I only get sore around my neck occasionally and when I do, I don’t force it by staying back for Muy Thai or continue going to class. The bicep soreness stopped because I apply techniques rather than pushing off with muscles. I rest and recover when the neck soreness gets out of hand. Also, during the first month Coach would allow us to pair up with any weight division – this was always an uphill battle for me as one of the few a welter weights amongst a handful of heavy weights. Now he suggests we pair up with our own weight class which makes a big difference in sparing too. This is how I overcome the obstacle dealing with bicep and neck soreness.

Ear and Mouth Injuries

The main injury I received was a hematoma to the ear or cauliflower ear from rolling daily the first month but what really did it was getting a lot into headlocks, triangles, and then face planting ear first onto the mat one day. I will not go into great detail about here but you can read about it in my cauliflower treatment post. In short, I bought materials to drain my cauliflower ear, Caulibuds, and Roar ear guard.

The second injury were incisions to the mouth since I got braces the second month. This was solved with a mouth piece designed for braces. In generally I would highly recommend wearing a mouth piece during sparing because I have had bit my tongue when a partner headbutted me to where I was bleeding. It was painful to eat anything after that and you know you need to be well nourished before any type of exercise… Talking was also excruciatin. A decent mouth guard will also protect your teeth from grinding top to bottom.

Attainment of a Relaxed Mental Coolness in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Last but definitely not least is the attainment of this wonderful state of mind which I called the state of relaxed mental coolness. Maybe the right term could be Zen but what I mean is this sense of calmness under high pressure such as sparing with an aggressive opponent. You know the calmness before the storm like Storm Shadow 😊? In this state I feel relaxed and cool perhaps because I am confident to deal with anything an opponent has to pull out in his arsenal of chokes on the mat. I became aware of my calm and coolness state after rolling with some newcomers who visited the gym.

New Sense of Confidence

I got this new sense of confidence because I have grown so much from the first couple of weeks I came to class. Having been able to apply the techniques learned successfully in class keeps me wanting to learn more and boost my confidence when I can choke my sparring partner or escape from his/her chokes.

It’s the ability to know that I can defend myself with my striking background as well as handle ground fighting by pinning someone down someone if push comes to shove.

It’s the vibe that a fighter gives off as he moves slowly, yet deliberately from one room to the other with head held high and a relaxed shoulder. He has great situational awareness, spatial awareness, and is in full control of his body.

Perspective-Taking

It was not until I started seeing newcomers and sparing with them that I noticed how much they reminded me of myself. They were very frantic like a crazy cockroach trying to make headway to the shadows when lights turn on. They didn’t know how to choke or what to do to get to a dominant position.

I drilled some techniques with someone on his second day compared to myself who have been training for two months and also saw how he behaved like myself in the beginning, missing minute details in executing techniques.

Generally, the newcomers are not used to the high pressure when rolling on the mat. I was like this – I had never done BJJ before and would be very gentle whereas my more experienced training partners would be very aggressive and pretty much man-handled me.  But throughout I started to acquire the sense of aggression and dominance gained by sparing with the more experienced partners. Also, they were very calm and cool dominating top positions and switching positions with ease.

So now when I roll with a blue belt or any belt I smile, breath, flow, and have fun in my relaxed mental coolness state of mind knowing that “everything will be alright” as Bob Marley would say.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed the recap of the growth that I have attained through training BJJ for two months. As you can see, I love to learn and grow on this journey. It’s definitely a beautiful process from trying something new and then looking back to see how far I have grown.

Do you remember your first time trying out BJJ and then how was that compared to when things started to click?

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• Cheap Household Alternatives
• Current Products on Market
  • Caulicure
  • EarSplintz
  • Rescue Ear
  • Calibuds
• Why I chose Calibuds

Introduction

The first time I got a cauliflower ear injury within the first month of practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I did research on what products were on the market. One of the major key to cauliflower ear prevention that was missing on a lot of YouTube ear draining videos was to apply compression after drainage. There were only a handful of products on the market in regards to having anything to do with cauliflower ear – most of which focuses on ear compression. Below is a product review and analysis of the handful of products in regards to cauliflower prevention and healing.

Cheap Household Alternatives to Cauliflower Ear Treatment

Now there are those on the web who suggests using household items such as hair clips, small chip clips, stuffed gauze, swimming clips, and even small metal magnets (not recommended). I actually tried the metal magnets which not only did not work, was painful, but it gave me a cut. I was also worried about the metal magnets possibly giving me an ear infection so I closely wipe it down with alcohol and applied ointment occasionally. All in all, try at your own discretion at least now you are forewarned not to use that non-silicone, regular, metal magnets method recommended by some Youtuber.

Caulicure – It Works While Wearing It On or Off the Mat

 I came across a video on Youtube from Caulicure – it was the only product that had videos sponsoring this kit. It is retailed at $156.99 USD which is the most expensive product/treatment for cauliflower ear (unless seeing an ear, nose, and eye Doctor would be more expensive?). At this price point you get a box full of magnets of 4 different sizes. 4 for “discs” for off the matt and 4 discs to wear while on the matt making a total of 8 discs. You also get a headband for additional compression at night while you sleep. This Product has only 23 reviews most of which says it works.

EarSplintz – A Mold for BEFORE Receiving Cauliflower Ear Trauma

EarSplintz allows you to create two molds for each ear within 5 minutes but this BEFORE you have any ear trauma. These molds have unlimited uses it proclaims. They also claim that the molds are better than magnets since it keeps the ears intact unlike ear magnets where the blood can flow around the damage area. With 34 Amazon ratings; the consensus is half say the molds don’t work and half say they do work. Both parties agree that this product is overpriced. Personally I wouldn’t have bought this product since it was too late since I already got a puffed up ear. Ask yourself would you take the chance on an expensive product compared to other products on the market and also that MIGHT or might not work?

Rescue Ear – One Size Silicon Ear Magnet Clip

Currently unavailable at the time of this article but I remember the price point being around $50 USD. It is a simple product with one double magnet covered in silicon and shaped like a clip. With 60 ratings most people says it works while there are always some mixed reviews of it being too weak or it doesn’t work or that he/she wished the magnets were a little bit larger to cover their hematoma. I did not choose this product because of this reason as well – the price point was close to if not more than Caulibuds but did not offer different sizes for different ear trauma location.   

Caulibuds – The Best Valued Cauliflower Ear Product

Aside from its cute elephant design, these earbuds come in a variety of colors. CauliBuds ($39.00 USD) cost 3 times less than Caulicure or EarSplintz. This product has the most reviews (110 ratings). The majority of the reviews are from happy customers who successfully restored their ears with CauliBuds. It was a no brainer for me when I chose to purchase these silicone magnets over all the other brands with the price point, multiple silicon magnets, and raving positive reviews. Since I have purchased this product I can give a more detail review on them. It was a bit tad late for me though when I ordered these because my ears were beginning to hardened but I put them on anyways. They do hurt after awhile but you can easily fix this problem by adding a gauze padding between the magnets and your ear.

I was ecstatic to find out that this company was located in Dallas, TX after doing detail research on their website. They are military friendly and offer a 10% discount to all active and retired military. Since you made it this far as a guest of bjjears.com, use discount code: “BJJEARS” at checkout for 15% off your entire purchase. There are more colors as well as other cool products like apparel at CauliBuds.com. You can also save more by buying in bulk to share with friends or family.

Here’s a video on draining a cauliflower ear and then using CauliBuds to compress it.

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Embrace Your BJJ Ears

In Brazil where BJJ is widely practiced, it is common to have these “BJJ ears.” It’s seen as a sign of pride actually to have these ears. The more damaged the ears the more passively is demonstrated how experienced the fighter is so BJJ fighters with cauliflower ears wear it like a badge of badassery. If you were on the street and happened to cross paths with someone with BBJ ears – beware of his stellar ground game! Some girls, especially ones in the sport even find them attractive. I’ve heard people have gotten hired because of these ears. Say the hiring manager or boss also practices BJJ and you go into an interview with BJJ ears – you’d already have a mutual connection! Or you could be going to the beach and you bump into a couple of BJJ grapplers and become instant friends.

Protect Your BJJ Ears

On the flip-side, professionals who work in settings where image is important (sales, business, hospitality) or where you work often around people than you would prefer your ears to look normal rather than with beaten up cauliflower ears. To people who are not familiar with BJJ ears you appear as if you are on the same categories of criminals or mugger. Sad to say but it is true that people judge others by the book of the cover. You only have one chance to make the first impression. If you are single or in a relationship how would your potential mate or significant other find you in terms of attractiveness? Would it get you a swipe right or left on Bumble?

Consider Your Category

If you got to reading this far into the article and still decide to train and roll without any ear protection – to train as you go type of mentality than at least invest yourself some Caulibuds magnets (%15 Off Discount Code: BJJEARS) for precaution so you can keep your ears intact from swelling one day after BJJ class if your ears turn red and aches. I belong to the second group and have worn ear guards during class every time since my ordeal with cauliflower ears a month into learning BJJ.

So it comes down to your line of work and how you want others to perceive you. These are things to consider and could make or break your ear (no pun intended 😊). Do you want to wear your cauliflower ears as a badge of honor or do you want a low key look like everyone? You look normal but can choke and submit people like a BJJ ninja?

There can be an underlying ego self-preservation or peer pressure to not wear ear protection because you think you’d be the one or you’d think people in your dojo think that you’re a wussy. You only have two fragile ears protruding outward from your face. Yes, you can get it surgically fix, a blue belt in my class did this and he looks normal but that comes with costs and risks in its own. There are also a select few of individuals who just don’t get cauliflower ears – I had to roll to find out the hard way from experience. My inner ears’ cartilage are harder than the outer so my first experience with cauliflower damage occurred in the inner ear rather than the outer ear.

Comment and share your thoughts below and thanks for reading.

Ossu!

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What is Cauliflower Ear?

Discretion* Note that what I am sharing is merely my experience with cauliflower ear in the following paragraphs and not medical advice. Please seek medical attention if you choose to do so.

I’m glad you asked! No it’s not some nasty infection of the ear or something edible.

It was what I referred to as “BJJ ear” because I couldn’t remember the proper term. In medical term it’s called a hematoma of the ear or swelling of the ear where blood is rushed into the area that received cartilage damage. The blood is what fills up the damage area making it look swollen looking like a cauliflower. You can see this deformity of the ear commonly on MMA fighters or BJJ practitioners. Some boxers or wrestlers also have cauliflower ears.

How Does it Occur and What are the Symptoms?

You can get it through repetitive irritation to it often in contact sports such as boxing, MMA, wrestling, or BJJ through direct force. Common ways of getting it in BJJ is through rolling with your classmates. When you roll you could be landing face plant diving ear first onto the mat HARD like I did – my hands and legs locked by my partner to brace myself. Someone could also accidently knock your ear with their dangling knee. Another common occurrence is when you try to pull your head out of a guillotine or headlock. Also during takedowns I would rub my ears against my partner which added to the damage.

After a couple of classes, both my ears turned red but in particular, my right ear became swollen.  I didn’t know any better at the time and even took a nap on it and when I woke up it hurt! It was ringing and even something as common as putting on a shirt or taking off a shirt was a painful ordeal. Any type of pressure to it like just pinching it caused it to ache tremendously.

I Searched the Internet for Cauliflower Ear Pain Relief Treatment

So the next thing I did was direly look up information about treating it because I didn’t even want to bring it up in class fearing that people will judge me and think that I am weak and crying like a baby. So I scoured all the YouTube videos I could find on it.

What I found was that there were many videos showing how to drain the cauliflower ear but few talked about compressing it properly. There was one and only one video in particular that demonstrated the use of magnets so then I created my own how to video. Others had mentioned using a hair pin or small chips clip.

There were also recommendations for products sold on Amazon but quite few far in between as this is apparently a new market; products to treat cauliflower ear. Another product recommended was to wear ear guards.

Another video recommends seeing a specialist such as an ENT Doctor but at the same time I hear many horrors story of going to one because of the costs and time but also that people’s ears were worst off because the Doctor would make incisions to it than if they were to drain it. And even if the Dr. does drain it couldn’t you just do this yourself and save the time and money?

The consensus was to drain the swollen ear 2-3 times a day which was ridiculous to me but colleagues have also suggested this and done this themselves but again, most videos don’t talk about compression which is key to keeping the ears from swelling up again and again.

The Method of Cauliflower Ear Treatment I Tried

I didn’t know it at the time but I took action after a couple of days of research. I even broke the news to a couple of blue belts to get their opinion and they said the same thing to drain it and that they can offer to drain it for me or you can DIY.

So after gathering the essential tools from Walgreens and Walmart I drained it for the very first time and there was a huge sense of pain relief because I saw the cauliflower ear had deflated drastically while the pain went away. Since I was still going to class and doing heavy cardio it would swell up again. This one video also suggests taking about a week or two off from BJJ class but I didn’t listen because I didn’t want to miss class.

I noticed how the fluid would keep coming back – it’s just how it is when you get a hematoma. Your body wants to fill in the gap but since no video really emphasized the need to compress it, many BJJ practitioners who get it drain it repeatedly more than they need to if only they compressed their ear.

Even in the comments section of YouTube videos when people figure they need to compress it no one knew how long to compress it. Also which tool is the proper way to compress the ear? Should you use magnets, a hair pin, or chip bag? Compression keeps the front and back skin of the ear together.

Out of desperation, I tried the magnet method of putting two magnets between my ears and then taping it around leaving it on for two days straight (48 hours) while waiting for my order of Caulibuds and ear guard from Amazon. Not only did the magnets not work but it gave me a cut!

My Recommendation for Cauliflower Ear Treatment & Prevention

After draining this one hematoma of the right ear for about 17 times 3 weeks in with no success, my right cauliflower ear started to hardened; I could no longer could I drain any excess blood from it. It still looked puffy but not as bad.

There’s a time limit of 3 weeks before the cauliflower hardens so as soon as you get cauliflower ear order what you need ASAP online and hit the drug store for the right tools for treatment.

It was already too late when my Caulibuds and ear guard came in the mail, although I still tried the Caulibuds on to savage what I could of my cauliflower ear hoping it would lessen the damage. The difference between regular magnets compared to CauliBuds is that CauliBuds are covered in silicone so it doesn’t cut your ear when left on for a long duration. Also they come in two sizes to fit your needs.

Check out my review of Caulibuds here.

Save on 15% when you use discount code: “BJJEARS”

The solution was clear after my trial:

1. Drain the ear
2. Compress it (with Caulibuds) for at least two days or when it heals
3. STOP going to class (avoid any strenuous heavy cardio)!
4. Wear ear guards

If you decide to go to BJJ class anyway, put on the compression magnets underneath your ear guards.

Personally, I would add to recommendation to wear ear guards all the time when rolling despite being what others think. Just own up to it. There are more benefits to protecting your ears than to get it looking jacked up.

So there you have it – my process and a clear guide to cauliflower ear treatment without any missing information from my honest first-hand experience. This is a comprehensive guide I wish I had found when I was in frantic about the whole grappler’s dilemma.

Ossu!

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