Cauliflower Ears

[Alan Armstrong]

Dealing with Cauliflower ears.

Is this something that relates to you?

[sensei8]

For all of the years that I've been on the floor, I've been fortunate enough to have avoided that side of grappling, and yes, Shindokan does a lot of grappling.

[TJ-Jitsu]

You don't really get it from training as much as you get it because you never stop training to let it heal....if that makes any sense

[Tempest]

If you took off the belts, and the gi's, and asked me to pick out the most skilled grapplers from a lineup of random people, one of the things I would look for is at least a bit of ear damage. Maybe not a huge amount, but if you do this long enough, and intensively enough, you are gonna get some. Hopefully you learn after a bit ways to reduce it, but especially in the beginning, it's like getting scars on your knuckles from the makiwara, it's just one of those things that happens.

[JR 137]

Interestingly enough, in my 10+ years of competitive wrestling and several years coaching on the mat, I never got it nor did anyone I practiced with. We all wore wrestling head gear throughout practice, except conditioning and warmup, so I’m attributing it to a lack of ear protection.

Wrestling headgear is designed to protect the ears, not the head.

Skin conditions such as ringworm are another matter though. I never got any, but I’m one of the very few.

[MatsuShinshii]

Cauliflower ears and ringworm? You guys are making a strong argument for the striking arts.

[bushido_man96]

Interestingly enough, in my 10+ years of competitive wrestling and several years coaching on the mat, I never got it nor did anyone I practiced with. We all wore wrestling head gear throughout practice, except conditioning and warmup, so I’m attributing it to a lack of ear protection.

Wrestling headgear is designed to protect the ears, not the head.

Skin conditions such as ringworm are another matter though. I never got any, but I’m one of the very few.

I've met some college wrestlers with biscuit ear, but I think by and large its starting to go by the wayside, as headgear is required for wrestling in most areas now, at least at the kid level.

I did take my boy to a tourney in Nebraska, though, and some of the age groups weren't required to wear headgear. For the most part, though, they did, which I think speaks to the awareness that's been put out there about it.

That's on the wrestling side of it. I'm not sure how prone BJJ grapplers are to getting it, if they are at the same percentage as wrestlers.

[JR 137]

Cauliflower ears and ringworm? You guys are making a strong argument for the striking arts.

I worked the NCAA Div I tournament the year Cael Sanderson made history by being the only wrestler to go all 4 years without a single loss and winning a national championship every year. (2002?)

I’m permanently scared by what I saw at weigh-ins - a team of dematologists checking every square inch of each wrestler’s skin like a prison intake. They were all equipped with magnifying glasses and flashlights. Herpes was an instant disqualifier. Ringworm was so mild compared to everything else. For a while, it was thought that skin conditions would kill the sport.

Some things, you just can’t unsee. Thanks for the reminder. And I was an intern, so I didn’t get paid.

[JR 137]

Interestingly enough, in my 10+ years of competitive wrestling and several years coaching on the mat, I never got it nor did anyone I practiced with. We all wore wrestling head gear throughout practice, except conditioning and warmup, so I’m attributing it to a lack of ear protection.

Wrestling headgear is designed to protect the ears, not the head.

Skin conditions such as ringworm are another matter though. I never got any, but I’m one of the very few.

I've met some college wrestlers with biscuit ear, but I think by and large its starting to go by the wayside, as headgear is required for wrestling in most areas now, at least at the kid level.

BJJers and Judoka seem to have a strong dislike for headgear.

I did take my boy to a tourney in Nebraska, though, and some of the age groups weren't required to wear headgear. For the most part, though, they did, which I think speaks to the awareness that's been put out there about it.

That's on the wrestling side of it. I'm not sure how prone BJJ grapplers are to getting it, if they are at the same percentage as wrestlers.

As long as they wear it and keep it somewhat clean, headgear works. It’s mainly caused by rubbing against the mat and each other. I think it’s fungal too, but don’t hold me to that. Possibly bacterial.

[TJ-Jitsu]

Ringworm is the same exact strain as is athletes foot just merely somewhere else on the body. This explains why it’s so prevalent. You could keep your mats and equipment clean as possible yet someone with poor hygiene trains and they’ve got some funk on their foot- you could get ringworm.

Impetigo is s little more aggressive but also much rarer.

Herpes.... god that’s awful.

Most bjj competitions do not check for skin conditions despite claims they do or will....