Question on headgear usage

chungfr, post: 60335, member: 33440

I am rather new to BJJ (less than 8 hours of training as of now) and I train no gi exclusively. Been reading about people getting cauliflower ears while grappling and one of my more experienced training partner has cauliflower ears too. Should I wear a headgear while rolling as preventive measure even though I do not have any ear issues yet?

It's a result of trauma to the ear. There's always the possibility, but it mostly happens from what afulldeck said, or in wrestling from head fighting in a clinch (and lots of gyms are very sparse with standup).

I had some start up, so I wore my headgear until it subsided. If you do have some blood starting to flood in, definitely protect it or it will get worse.

You can still get cauliflower even with wearing a headgear.

Get it, have them at home, and when you do get a bit of ear damage wear it until it heals. Have them on standby. I have cauliflower ear, and I don't mind it a bit, but here is my cautionary tale. I am abroad, and not much wrestling out here. To get anything from Amazon takes 3+ weeks. When my ear got beat up, I had to train the next day, and the day after, etc., so no way I could get headgear. I just pushed through the pain. Well, guess what, it was about 14 weeks of pain because it kept getting damaged more, even when I rolled very defensively. It hurt to lay on one side of my head in bed. Sliding my motorcycle helmet on, ouch.
It started on the outside, but started to work its way to the inside, where it could affect my hearing, then I had to drain it a bit. This could have all been prevented by putting headgear on the next day.

When I started I used headgear, but now I tap. In training the mistake is done much earlier and fighting in late stage is learning bad habbits. (Good to go some times, but better to solve the problem before it gets so tight.)

I use headgear when my ears get sore. Usually only have to wear it for a week or two. You will look like a goofy bastard for the 10% of the time while you are wearing it, but at least you won't look like a goofy bastard the other 90% of the time you aren't wearing it.

Like other posters, I'll throw mine on when I feel my ears getting sore or tender. Four years of rolling and I've been lucky enough to avoid the cauly.

chungfr, post: 60335, member: 33440

I am rather new to BJJ (less than 8 hours of training as of now) and I train no gi exclusively. Been reading about people getting cauliflower ears while grappling and one of my more experienced training partner has cauliflower ears too. Should I wear a headgear while rolling as preventive measure even though I do not have any ear issues yet?

^Followed the above recommended advice and so far no cauliflower ear. There also seems to be a genetic component to getting cauliflower ear as I’ve noticed some people get cauliflower ear within just a few months of training. Others make it to the upper belts without ever getting it.

I don't want cauliflower ears, so I've been wearing headgear for 3 years without an issue. If you don't want them, it's the easiest way to prevent them.

As someone else said above, buy it and keep it at home until you need to use it whilst your ear is healing.

I started wrestling as a kid and wrestled through college and I ALWAYS wore a headgear - consequently, I never got cauliflower ear. After, I started BJJ and I NEVER wear a headgear... strangely, no cauliflower. I suspect it has to do with a combination of factors including your style and your body’s shape as well as I’m sure some people are more prone to it. I’m 44 now, a brown belt, and no cauliflower. It’s popular now to wear as a badge or status symbol of sorts but when I was young it wasn’t... if it was I’d probably do something stupid like smash my ears with a hammer just to get it... oh well who knows.

Sure, if the thought of cauliflower ear is a worry to you, then go for it. I've not worn one in 10 years of BJJ and don't have cauliflower ear, but I know others who do. If you're pre-emptively buying gear you might as well grab some low profile wrestling knee pads while you're at it to give your knees an easier time.

Benny_the_jet, post: 60529, member: 22463

Sure, if the thought of cauliflower ear is a worry to you, then go for it. I've not worn one in 10 years of BJJ and don't have cauliflower ear, but I know others who do. If you're pre-emptively buying gear you might as well grab some low profile wrestling knee pads while you're at it to give your knees an easier time.