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List of BJJ Essentials
So, you just started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and checking off a list of essential items. Perfect, we are here to lay this out for you. Here is our list of BJJ essentials to wear while training this year.
Best BJJ Apparel Roundup
Discover the world of Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu: a holistic martial art, a sport, an approach to life.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi (Kimono)
First on the list of essential items that you will need is a Gi. Depending on how much you’re going to train when you start off, it is best to grab a couple of these. Personally, I have a rotation of three gi’s that I go through. This just helps with laundry loads and gives some a bit of variety when I am training throughout the week.
There are some great options to choose from but from the outside looking in the choices can be a little overwhelming because there are so many. Here is a quick list:
Best BJJ Gi
Best Budget Friendly: Elite Sports
Best Overall Gi: Sanabul BJJ Gi
Best Quality and Comfort: Gold BJJ
Best Lightweight Gi: Hayabusa
Other Additional Options: Best BJJ Gis
Find the top-rated BJJ Gi's here. Helpful information on what to look for, how to find the best gi, and which brands suit you best based on your budget!
Rash Guards
Rashguards are going to be another staple piece of equipment that you will need when training BJJ. In this category, there are so many to choose from. Really, the only thing that will separate good from great is going to be price and design, from a material standpoint, most rash guards are good quality. Jiu-Jitsu gear is something we love spending money on (clearly) so if you don’t mind spending more for high quality there is definitely options for you.
We would suggest not wearing a T-shirt and getting dedicated rash guards.
Best Rash Guards
Best Overall Rash Guard: Future Kimonos
Best Designs: xMartial Rash Guards
Simple Designs: Gold BJJ
Runner-Up (Best Overall): Hayabusa Rash Guards
Budget-Friendly: Elite Sports
Other Additional Options: Best Rash Guards
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Clean, minimalist, and ultralight. The perfect lightweight gear for men, women and kids.
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BJJ Shorts
Now, one thing here in the shorts category, you want to choose shorts that are tailored to grappling. What does that mean though? This means your shorts should not have velcro outfacing that could harm someone else and should not have pockets so anyone’s fingers get caught when rolling. Pretty simple right? You’d be surprised…
Personally, I like my shorts to be mid-thigh and not too long. I am not a fan of certain brands and how they look and feel on my body. I try to optimize for comfort as much as possible and again, don’t mind paying a bit more to get what I like.
Best BJJ Shorts
Best Overall BJJ Shorts: Future Kimonos
Best Budget-Friendly Option: Elite Sports
Most Options (For MMA & BJJ): Hayabusa
Best Designs: xMartial
Simple Design: Gold BJJ
Other Additional Options: Grappling Shorts
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Use code 'GRAPPLERSGRAVEYARD' to save 15% on your entire purchase
Use code 'GRAPPLERGRAVEYARD' to save at checkout
Use code 'GRAPPLERS' to save 10% on your entire order
Stay cool and comfortable with Hayabusa's MMA fight and athletic shorts. Perfect for everyday training and even pro fights, Hayabusa workout shorts are built to last with virtually indestructible fabric and a silicone waistband to keep them locked in place.
FUJI is one of the most well-known brands in the martial arts space. If you are looking for a staple product and a high-quality pair of shorts, FUJI has you covered.
Why do you need high-quality, comfortable and classy BJJ shorts? Because when you’re on the mat, you’re in your second home, your battlefield and your safe haven. You want to always be prepared for what is going to be thrown at you and any and every hindrance in your way can result in your defeat.
Board short inspired, IBJJF legal fight shorts for No-Gi training. Made with a bit less stretch than their Classic Fight Shorts, the brand new Pacific Shorts will be your new daily go-to pair.
Grappling Spats
Spats are just like leggings. Spats are completely optional but I like to wear them both under my Gi pants and under my grappling shorts. One, they look cooler. Two, they protect me from having skin-on-skin contact with another sweaty human and limit the risk of contracting something like staph or ringworm (more so in nogi than gi). For this item you can optimize for going cheap, there is no real difference in spats unless you care about designs, they are all around the same price.
We would suggest getting a couple of pairs here so you have a rotation to go through when training.
Best Grappling Spats
Other Additional Options: Best Spats
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Great as MMA and BJJ spats, and as workout compression pants for men.
Full-length spats, made from a super comfortable moisture-wicking polyblend. The perfect base layer for both gi and no-gi Jiu Jitsu.
Fuji BJJ spats are renowned for being the best compression spats in the market. These spats are crafted with high-quality materials, typically a blend of polyester and spandex.
Elite Sports offers premium gear without breaking the bank. Elite Sports spats are built for high-intensity workouts for both MMA and BJJ.
Mouth Guards
Wearing a mouthguard is optional at the end of the day. I haven’t experienced a situation where someone has severely had some damage but many people have had horror stories that could scare anyone straight. There is only one brand here that I suggest going with because everything else on the market is just cheap plastic.
If that is your cup or tea, go for it. The mouthguards from Impact Mouthguards are made with dentist-grade material and are good for those who have braces.
Best Mouth Guard
Best Overall Mouth Guard for Combat Sports Athletes: Impact Mouth Guards
Custom dental grade mouthguards that will fit your mouth perfectly. Breathe better than you have ever before with your mouthguard in
BJJ Bags
Having a bag that is dedicated to slug around all your gear is going to be necessary. If you want to be old school and just carry everything in and out, again, be our guest, but that is not what we do. Bags are more of a preference thing, I just went and bought a Nike duffel bag from Amazon that works incredibly well.
Best BJJ Bags
Protective Gear for BJJ
The following gear items for to protect parts of your body that may start to get achy over time while training Brazilina jiu-jitsu. It is not a surprise, that BJJ is a physical sport that may have some wear and tear on your body over time. For us, our knees have always been an issue and taking shots (wrestling move) was always a bit on the harder side.
(Wrestling) Headgear
If you don’t want cauliflower ear, we suggest getting a pair of wrestling headgear. Don’t go for the cheap options here, we have tested and tried out about every set of headgear you could imagine and the cheap option is not worth it. Our personal favorite is going to be the Wrestling/BJJ headgear from Matman.
Fits well to the head, protects the ears, and has minimal movement when rolling around.
Best Headgear
Best Overall Headgear: Matman Headgear
Most Comfortable: Adidas Headgear
Runner Up: Cliff Keen Headgear
Other Additional Options: Best Wrestling Headgear
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(Wrestling) Knee Pads & Braces
Awh, protecting the knees like a true old man (I am only 26). There are several options to choose from here and depending on your need of protection there is a little something of everything out there for you. Again, we have tested out several pairs and like to believe we have found some of the best to choose from.
Knee pads help prevent further injury on the knees and things like mat burn.
Best Knee Pads
Best Overall Option: Amazon Brand
Runner Up: McDavid Compression Leg Sleeve
Best Single Leg Knee Pad: Rudis Knee Pad (Cushion is Extremely Comfy) *only comes with one
Runner-Up: Cliff Keen (Super Protective Cushion) *only comes with one
Other Additional Options: Best Wrestling Knee Pads
Home Accessories (Optional)
Now, if you really start to get addicted to Jiu-Jitsu (like I did) and decide to join the cult (like I did) you’ll want to possibly bring the practice home and get some extra training opportunities in when you can. At the end of the day, the only way you progress (as fast as possible) is by drilling technique and getting an ample amount of mat time, a great way to do that is to get the items that help do just that.
Grappling dummies
One grappling dummy to another, there really isn’t any huge difference in how they perform. They all will get the job done. What you really want to make sure you do is properly fill the dummy. The last thing you want is some limp noodle to roll around with at home, your kids and wife will look at you funny and you honestly could just find that at your local white belt class.
If you want to you can even use a punching bag as a way to drill if you wan to get unique in your approach.
How to Fill a Grappling Dummy (Properly)
Best Grappling Dummy: Century Martial Arts (Pre-Filled), Combat Sports Store (Pre-Filled on Amazon) or Grappling Dummy (unfilled)
Punching Bags: Century Martial Arts, Everlast, Or Fuji
Other Additional Options: Best Punching Bags
BJJ Mats
If you end up getting a grappling dummy or a punching bag to drill on, chances are you are going to need mats. Unless you want to be the psycho that rolls around on the cement. You probably chew on nails too so remind me not to mess with you… Most jiu-jitsu practitioners will have some mats at home. Here are the best to choose from:
Best Overall: FUJI Home Rollout Mats
Runner Up: Century Martial Arts
Other Additional Options: Best BJJ Mats
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Find the best All-Around BJJ Mats at Fuji! Use code 'GRAVEYARD' at checkout for a 5% checkout!
Century Home Roll-Out Mats are the best way to create your ideal home gym.
Zebra is the world’s leading training facility outfitter. They offer premier-quality flooring, mats, and more backed by experts who design, install, and maintain outstanding facilities.
Foam Rollers and Massage Guns
Recovery and taking preventative measures is going to be your new norm when you start training BJJ and it would be a sin for me to not talk about this side of the sport in a list of essential items. You can get really creative with how you look after your body through supplementing but we will focus more on the equipment side of things in this article. If you are interested in taking your overall nutrition to a high level check out our website (Best Supplements for Athletes).
Best Foam Roller
Best Massage Gun
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Pro Tips
Many people that start training jiu-jitsu are immediately hooked. Training BJJ has many benefits, many of which being, mental and physical. It is a given that you will lose weight and you may experience more mental clarity.
One thing you want to avoid though is skipping weight training. I know, I know, the gym is very boring and not necessarily something you may want to go to but you need to stay lifting weights or you may end up getting yourself hurt.
A couple of times per week will do the trick if you are mixing regular BJJ training in. If you end up getting more serious about your BJJ training the gym is going to be a must.