Discussing what women should and shouldn’t wear on the mats seems to be quite popular online these days. While anyone new to jiu jitsu could use some info on the culture and proper attire, I find the focus on what women should be wearing extremely annoying. We already have enough to worry about, especially when we’re just starting.
As a woman, stepping into a jiu jitsu gym can be a daunting prospect. For many of us, it takes years to build up the courage. Any extra expectations or judgments only add to a long list of anxieties. We are afraid we don’t belong. We are afraid we will suck. We are afraid we might get hurt. And frankly, those are all legit concerns. The last thing we need is women who are already involved in the sport telling us to be careful about the “vibe” we might be giving off, if God-forbid, our cleavage is showing.
I call bull shit. My cleavage has no bearing on whether or not I'm serious about jiu jitsu!
Wear what makes YOU comfortable and confident! Don’t listen to people who warn you that you won’t be taken seriously or that people will think you’re there for the wrong reasons if you wear certain things. If you’re in the gym, learning jiu jitsu, you’re there for the right reason! Judging someone's motives for jiu jitsu based on the extent of their efforts to conceal their body is the biggest load of sexist bullshit I’ve ever encountered. Your body is not something to be ashamed of in jiu jitsu! It’s your tool to kick ass.
With that out of the way, I do think there’s value to sharing information. As such, I will share with you some of my choices regarding attire/appearance, and address some of the misguided advice I think is out there. Then, it’s up to YOU to decide what is comfortable for you.
CLOTHES
Shorts
I like to wear tight fitting shorts under my gi pants. My gi pants tend to come untied, and I like to know I have a back up layer right underneath so I can just keep going.
When doing no gi, I opt for either longer, tight fitting shorts or stretchy pants. Why? While I’m not particularly modest, loose shorts can reveal your crotch area if your legs are in the air. Short shorts can be a little more revealing than I’m comfortable with. I’m pretty sure I’ve grappled with a butt cheek out before. So, if you’re not into that… longer shorts or pants are best.
Some women I train with wear no-gi grappling shorts that are a little less form fitting. This is also a good option!
Quick tip! Yoga type pants and stretchy shorts are notorious for being see-through in the bum area. I am sure I have inadvertently mooned my class before. Now that I am wise to this, I bend over in front of a mirror (in bright lights) and check out the butt transparency factor of the pants.
Shirt
I don’t have a rash guard, so I usually wear either tank tops or athletic t-shirts under my gi top. While regular cotton t-shirt material tends to get really sweaty and gross, I just go with it. I need to buy more moisture wicking shirts, as those are really the most comfortable. But they’re expensive, so I make do.
Some people forego a shirt altogether and just wear a sports bra. I’ve never done it, but I can see it being a lot more comfortable.
Sports bra
Finding the right sports bra has been a PROCESS for me. As a busty gal, I require a lot of support. While all the support might not be needed while rolling, I don’t want to be flailing around during warm-ups. In the past, I have opted for underwire sports bras that come in traditional bra sizes. While the support is great, I have had the underwire pop out and start stabbing me mid-roll. $60 sports bra ruined. Recently, I found a very supportive sports bra with no underwire. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself! I’m telling you, this thing is awesome.
For those who are not as concerned with industrial strength support, any ol’ sports bra should do. Just be aware that your body will contort into extreme positions, so a snug fitting bra will help prevent run away boobs.
Undies
I wear whatever I have on! There is a chance they’ll peak out the back every once in a while. So plan accordingly.
MAKEUP
I’ve seen numerous times women lecturing other women about wearing makeup to the gym. Again, I think the distaste for makeup is more about shaming women’s sexuality and over-sexualizing women in the gym. If I’m wearing makeup during the day, I’m not going to go out of my way to remove it all before I hit the mats. Some people say it smears on gis, but I’m not convinced. I’ve worn pretty heavy eye makeup while rolling before, and have seen barely a smudge. With all the profuse sweating, bleeding and boogers, a little eye makeup should be the least of your worries. If someone gives you a hard time, tell them they smell and you'd rather not have to carry their stench home with you. So they can deal with it.
Personal Confession I’ll admit to sometimes dabbing on a little concealer and liner before heading to the gym. It makes me feel fresh and put together. And sometimes that’s how I want to feel. So suck it.
Quick Tip Any makeup you do wear will likely sweat right off your face. It will also give you raccoon eyes. So if that bothers you, either wipe it off after rolling, or skip the mascara. I usually just rock the raccoon look. But again, up to you girlfriend!
JEWELRY
This one is a safety issue. Hard medal on your finger, wrist, neck or ears can be injurious to you or your partner. Take it off, and keep it in your bag. To prevent my earrings from getting lost in the abyss of my bag, I like to secure them to clothes or socks or something.
HAIR
Listen up. This can be a real hindrance. I have had my hair ripped from my head in glorious fashion. I have been known to pin myself down with my own hair, and I frequently have to ask my training partner to kindly free my hair from their grip. I have not found a fail proof system. Usually I just go with a regular ponytail, using a really tight hair band. A tight french braid might do the trick, but I don’t know how to do it and it sounds time consuming. I’ve seen people wear hair caps, so I suppose that’s an option. I’ve just accepted that having long hair gets in the way.
NAILS
Length
Alright, this one’s a bit contentious. When I started doing jiu jitsu, I had moderately long fingernails. I claimed that it gave me extra traction on my grip. I think I was onto something. But here’s the prob, nails are real good for scratching people in the face. This goes for fingers and toes. And while we’re looking to put an ass-whoopin’ on, I don’t think clawing someone across the face and drawing blood is what we had in mind. I think for the safety of your partners, keeping them on the short side is nice.
Polish
I’m a nail polish fiend. Sometimes it rubs off on the mat, leaving streaks behind. I figure it’ll wash off at some point! What concerns me is that my manis and pedis get ruined fast. But I guess it’s the price you pay!
I hope you found this helpful in some way. Remember, your appearance has no bearing on why you’re doing jiu jitsu. And any reason you choose to do jiu jitsu is a great reason. Covered or not covered, go forth and conquer!
As a woman, stepping into a jiu jitsu gym can be a daunting prospect. For many of us, it takes years to build up the courage. Any extra expectations or judgments only add to a long list of anxieties. We are afraid we don’t belong. We are afraid we will suck. We are afraid we might get hurt. And frankly, those are all legit concerns. The last thing we need is women who are already involved in the sport telling us to be careful about the “vibe” we might be giving off, if God-forbid, our cleavage is showing.
I call bull shit. My cleavage has no bearing on whether or not I'm serious about jiu jitsu!
Wear what makes YOU comfortable and confident! Don’t listen to people who warn you that you won’t be taken seriously or that people will think you’re there for the wrong reasons if you wear certain things. If you’re in the gym, learning jiu jitsu, you’re there for the right reason! Judging someone's motives for jiu jitsu based on the extent of their efforts to conceal their body is the biggest load of sexist bullshit I’ve ever encountered. Your body is not something to be ashamed of in jiu jitsu! It’s your tool to kick ass.
With that out of the way, I do think there’s value to sharing information. As such, I will share with you some of my choices regarding attire/appearance, and address some of the misguided advice I think is out there. Then, it’s up to YOU to decide what is comfortable for you.
CLOTHES
Shorts
I like to wear tight fitting shorts under my gi pants. My gi pants tend to come untied, and I like to know I have a back up layer right underneath so I can just keep going.
When doing no gi, I opt for either longer, tight fitting shorts or stretchy pants. Why? While I’m not particularly modest, loose shorts can reveal your crotch area if your legs are in the air. Short shorts can be a little more revealing than I’m comfortable with. I’m pretty sure I’ve grappled with a butt cheek out before. So, if you’re not into that… longer shorts or pants are best.
Some women I train with wear no-gi grappling shorts that are a little less form fitting. This is also a good option!
Quick tip! Yoga type pants and stretchy shorts are notorious for being see-through in the bum area. I am sure I have inadvertently mooned my class before. Now that I am wise to this, I bend over in front of a mirror (in bright lights) and check out the butt transparency factor of the pants.
Shirt
I don’t have a rash guard, so I usually wear either tank tops or athletic t-shirts under my gi top. While regular cotton t-shirt material tends to get really sweaty and gross, I just go with it. I need to buy more moisture wicking shirts, as those are really the most comfortable. But they’re expensive, so I make do.
Some people forego a shirt altogether and just wear a sports bra. I’ve never done it, but I can see it being a lot more comfortable.
Sports bra
Finding the right sports bra has been a PROCESS for me. As a busty gal, I require a lot of support. While all the support might not be needed while rolling, I don’t want to be flailing around during warm-ups. In the past, I have opted for underwire sports bras that come in traditional bra sizes. While the support is great, I have had the underwire pop out and start stabbing me mid-roll. $60 sports bra ruined. Recently, I found a very supportive sports bra with no underwire. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself! I’m telling you, this thing is awesome.
For those who are not as concerned with industrial strength support, any ol’ sports bra should do. Just be aware that your body will contort into extreme positions, so a snug fitting bra will help prevent run away boobs.
Undies
I wear whatever I have on! There is a chance they’ll peak out the back every once in a while. So plan accordingly.
MAKEUP
I’ve seen numerous times women lecturing other women about wearing makeup to the gym. Again, I think the distaste for makeup is more about shaming women’s sexuality and over-sexualizing women in the gym. If I’m wearing makeup during the day, I’m not going to go out of my way to remove it all before I hit the mats. Some people say it smears on gis, but I’m not convinced. I’ve worn pretty heavy eye makeup while rolling before, and have seen barely a smudge. With all the profuse sweating, bleeding and boogers, a little eye makeup should be the least of your worries. If someone gives you a hard time, tell them they smell and you'd rather not have to carry their stench home with you. So they can deal with it.
Personal Confession I’ll admit to sometimes dabbing on a little concealer and liner before heading to the gym. It makes me feel fresh and put together. And sometimes that’s how I want to feel. So suck it.
Quick Tip Any makeup you do wear will likely sweat right off your face. It will also give you raccoon eyes. So if that bothers you, either wipe it off after rolling, or skip the mascara. I usually just rock the raccoon look. But again, up to you girlfriend!
JEWELRY
This one is a safety issue. Hard medal on your finger, wrist, neck or ears can be injurious to you or your partner. Take it off, and keep it in your bag. To prevent my earrings from getting lost in the abyss of my bag, I like to secure them to clothes or socks or something.
HAIR
Listen up. This can be a real hindrance. I have had my hair ripped from my head in glorious fashion. I have been known to pin myself down with my own hair, and I frequently have to ask my training partner to kindly free my hair from their grip. I have not found a fail proof system. Usually I just go with a regular ponytail, using a really tight hair band. A tight french braid might do the trick, but I don’t know how to do it and it sounds time consuming. I’ve seen people wear hair caps, so I suppose that’s an option. I’ve just accepted that having long hair gets in the way.
NAILS
Length
Alright, this one’s a bit contentious. When I started doing jiu jitsu, I had moderately long fingernails. I claimed that it gave me extra traction on my grip. I think I was onto something. But here’s the prob, nails are real good for scratching people in the face. This goes for fingers and toes. And while we’re looking to put an ass-whoopin’ on, I don’t think clawing someone across the face and drawing blood is what we had in mind. I think for the safety of your partners, keeping them on the short side is nice.
Polish
I’m a nail polish fiend. Sometimes it rubs off on the mat, leaving streaks behind. I figure it’ll wash off at some point! What concerns me is that my manis and pedis get ruined fast. But I guess it’s the price you pay!
I hope you found this helpful in some way. Remember, your appearance has no bearing on why you’re doing jiu jitsu. And any reason you choose to do jiu jitsu is a great reason. Covered or not covered, go forth and conquer!