Training Jiu Jitsu if you have or want to get dreadlocks

        A year ago I decided to try a new hairstyle, I got dreadlocks. I always wanted to try long hair because I thought it looked cool, but never knew which direction to go.  When I made the decision to get dreadlocks, one of the first things I thought about was my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ, or Jiu Jitsu) training.  Almost every person that trains Jiu Jitsu, every decision in life from where to travel, a new job, even your diet we consider how it will affect my training.

         
  I searched the Internet to find information about people who train that wear dreadlocks and how they deal with them.  I did a search and found a few message board posts about it, but it was mostly opinions from people that trained with someone who had dreads.  Some of the posts were negative, continuing the myths about dreads. The issue of hygiene has been the main topic that I have read.

I figured, since I haven’t seen or read very much in the way of training and dreadlocks, I would write about my experience over the past year and give tips on dealing with dreadlocks and being able to train regularly.

         
If you already train Jiu Jitsu and want to get locs, the unfortunate fact is you will not be able to train hard for the first 6 weeks.  The starter locs need time to take and that much contact will cause the starter locs to come out.  This is one of the reasons why you see most men that train Jiu Jitsu, at least in the states, with short or bald hair cuts. 

 Hygiene is a big concern for anyone practicing any sport or martial art.  When it comes to Jiu Jitsu, hygiene is the most important thing to consider.  They say you should wash you gi after every class.  I agree with that statement, to a point. Depending on how hard you train, how much you sweat, how many gis you have, and how often you are able to do your jiu jitsu laundry are all factors to consider.  Dreadlocks take on a slightly different course when it comes to hygiene.

People generally believe that you can’t wash your hair. That is a myth. The only time it isn’t advisable to wash your hair is at the beginning when you get starter locks.

It is best to wash your using shampoo and conditioner every two days.  When it comes to training, obviously you have to bathe more often than every two to avoid potential skin infections. When it comes to dreads though, when you are showering and washing the sweat off, you can run warm water through your hair to get the dirt and sweat out. There are other methods of washing between shampoo sessions.  Using vinegar on the scalp is one, but I tend to keep it simple and just use warm water.

The next issue is the use of products.  I bought a jar of beeswax because I read that it helps to hold the locs.  If you are going to use beeswax and train Jiu Jitsu be careful.  I used the black beeswax and it did a good job of holding, but after rolling with a few people I started to see dark smudges on their gis and I realized it was from the wax. I stopped using the wax after that and just stayed natural.

The only products I use now are oils, which I spray in after every shower.  I usually spray it in a few hours before I train though, so I don’t get oil on the mats.

         
Hair length is another factor to understand when deciding to get locs and practice Jiu Jitsu.  When the issue of hair length comes up, I look to see how women deal with it.  A lot of women who train just tie their hair back instead of cutting it short.  Women who train BJJ have hair at varying lengths.

 I want to stay semi conservative and only grow shoulder length dreads.  It is possible to have them longer than that and still train regularly.  Guitarist Zoltan Bathory from Five Finger Death Punch has super long dreads and has been training and competing in Jiu Jitsu for years now.

Here is video of Zoltan training:

The issue I have now is that I have mid length hair, too short to tie back and too long for it not to be an issue while training.  I have found a pretty good solution when it comes to drilling.  I use the scrunci no slip hair bands.

I use these when I workout, or during the drilling portion of class.  This helps to keep my hair from giving my drilling partners a shower every time I am in a top position. The down side is the band slips off frequently when I roll. 

I hope this blog helps anyone interested in getting dreads who train Jiu Jitsu, or anyone who has dreads and want to train but aren’t sure because of their hair.