How to Prevent Injuries in Jiu-Jitsu (and Stay on the Mats Longer)

The Injury Loop (And How to Break Free) You’re finally picking up momentum in Jiu-Jitsu… Then boom—another injury. The nagging elbow that never seems to heal. The shoulder tweak that keeps coming back. You take a break to heal, but now your skills are slipping. Ever caught yourself thinking, “Is it always going to be like this?” You’re not alone: Around 68.8% of BJJ athletes report at least one injury causing two weeks off in a 3-year period youtube.com+15pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15submissionshark.com+15bjjselfhelp.comen.wikipedia.org. Another study shows 5.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of training—most happen during sparring scienceforsport.com+2pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+2bmjopensem.bmj.com+2. If you want to stop repeating this injury loop, you need a plan. 1. Train Smart: Choose Your Partners Wisely To learn how to prevent injuries in Jiu-Jitsu, start by training smart, not recklessly. Trust is key. When practicing deep submissions or escape drills, your partner must respect your safety. Elite grapplers maintain a consistent, trusted core of training mates, not random irregulars. 2. Tap Early, Tap Often Tapping early...