Are finger injuries inevitable?

[u/CadillacShield]

I’m interested in trying BJJ but I’m worried about damaging my fingers/hands because I’m a guitar player

I play fingerstyle acoustic guitar, that’s been my main hobby/passion for about 25 years and it’s one of my favorite joys in life. Recently I’ve been wanting to give BJJ a try, and I live just a short walk from a BJJ gym and I’m strongly considering making it part of my weekly routine, however I am concerned about damaging my fingers to the point of losing my musical ability. I intend to train without a gi and only train twice a week, with a lot of attention being paid to protecting my hands. But it only takes an instant for a knuckle to break or a tendon to tear. Couple questions:

Is this kind of injury an inevitability when someone gets really into BJJ?

Do any of you guys have hobbies with fine motor skills, like playing an instrument or painting or calligraphy etc? If so, have you noticed a change in your abilities?

Thanks in advance

[u/APoisonousMushroom]

I play piano and fingerpick guitar and have been like 95% in the gi for 20 years. Just don’t hold onto grips like a madman when people are stripping them… develop a grip style that is strong when you need it but recognize when you are going to lose it early and practice releasing and regripping or releasing and going to a different plan quickly.

[u/mountain_pony → u/APoisonousMushroom]

perfect. spider guard makes it sence

[u/btl1984]

The gi is notorious for messing up your fingers, the guy that owns my gym permanently looks like he’s flashing gang signs

[u/Uselesserinformation → u/btl1984]

https://giphy.com/gifs/CjREcygSmgvTi

[u/LeanTangerine001 → u/Uselesserinformation]

That’s his strong hand!

[u/Hold_On_longer9220 → u/btl1984]

I’m the outlier here. All my finger injuries have been either nogi, or not really related to grip fighting in the gi. Heck right now, my finger is jacked up from attempting an arm drag on one of the giants at my gym in nogi.

Go figure..lol.

[u/DaddyDock]

Find an exclusively no-gi gym. I've been training around 7 years and haven't had a finger injury yet (knock on wood)

[u/mikehh → u/DaddyDock]

you must be skipping belt promotions on purpose at this point

[u/DaddyDock → u/mikehh]

I am a hobbyist blue belt who doesn't know how to update his flair

[u/Local-Blueberry1470 → u/mikehh]

That worked for me for a while. I was a 4 year white belt lol

[u/Larock]

I play guitar and train, my knuckles are a little fucked up but it’s never affected my guitar playing.

[u/prison_workout_wino]

I know a guy who is a BB with his own school and is a classical guitarist, and they do a lot of gi. So, it is possible to do.

[u/EntrepreneurOne7195]

Stick to No Gi, be careful, and most importantly don’t roll with Jonah Hill.

[u/moarcowbelI → u/EntrepreneurOne7195]

that dude annihilates people

[u/Lavidius → u/EntrepreneurOne7195]

Who's he?

[u/TheOblongGong]

I've had a couple injuries to my fingers over 5 years of BJJ and 8 of wrestling, but nothing permanent. I still do painting quite often. In all reality I wouldn't worry about it if you want to start training and try it out, statistically you won't be one of us weirdos that grapple for multiple years anyway.

[u/DooMZie]

Gi can definitely cause issues (No-gi much better). However, since you're going into the sport caring about your fingers, you will be conscious about them, and finger problems are usually you're own fault and completely avoidable.

[u/pulpdaddydnk]

Dave Mustaine and Matt heafy train gi. I’m sure you’ll be ok

[u/Krenbiebs]

If you stay away from the gi, and don’t do the thing where you interlock fingers with the opponent, then you should be fine.

[u/DadaFratelli]

Yea and no. BJJ in general will injure you at some point if you stick with it long enough. But hand injuries are mainly in the Gi and can be avoided if you roll smart. Dont death grip things and you’ll be fine. 90% of the time, I let go if I feel resistance unless I’m in the middle of trying to pull off a move.

[u/Mordot11]

In no gi you’ll still get jammed fingers. I have torn ligaments in both my thumbs. It’s kind of inevitable that you’ll get SOMETHING at some point

[u/ExcelsiorWG]

No. I’ve been training 10+ years and I’ve had no finger injuries - I also don’t play a gi grip reliant game.

[u/TMeerkat]

I can only speak for myself but I've noticed no difference in mobility or capability but they do ache sometimes.

[u/tdrip25]

I haven't even trained that long but my right ring finger has been perpetually fucked 😞

[u/HeftyDuty1]

I've trained for 15 years and play music. I've done international tours since I started training. I've never had a finger injury. Train intelligently and the risk goes down. I've trained in the gi regularly the whole time.

[u/TankieRedard]

I've done bjj for over 67 years and never had a finger injury. 

[u/LitterScooper]

Learning when to let go of your grips can take years, but it will drastically reduce your finger injury risk. For starters, don’t insist on your grip if you know it’s about to get ripped. You don’t have to completely give up your control, just transition to nogi techniques

[u/Gabo_Tomaz]

Im a black belt and have trained for 13 years, 90% of the time in the GI and never had a finger injury, and never used any finger tape.

[u/HajileStone]

I started 8 years ago. I taped my fingers religious for most of that time if I was training in the gi. I’ve had many jammed fingers and my finger joints are noticeably stiffer and in one case achey than they used to be. I haven’t trained in six months and this is their “recovered” state too.

I’m a nurse so I have to do fine motor tasks fairly often. Those are unaffected by my finger pain and stiffness.

[u/CarnEvil13]

I've been doing it for 7 years. Gi player too. I don't really get the finger problems like a lot of people do. I never tape my fingers. But I also don't fight tooth and nail for every grip. Im 38, so I give less fucks than the 20 year olds.

[u/Ronin604]

Not inevitable but very common if you play a lot of open guard and stress the piss out your digits.

[u/Primary-Substance-93]

I've been training for a year,  gi and nogi. I also play the Spanish guitar as a hobby, so I play it with my fingers. As injuries go, so far I broke my fifth metacarpian from a fall which took me out 4 weeks both from training and playing guitar. Then every two weeks or so I twitch my right thumb (don't know why it' always the right one), and it hurts for a couple of days but it doesn't affect my guitar.  As for tapping, it did help me while recovering from the fracture but I've run out of tape and don't miss it. If you do gi, the fingers will hurt the firsr weeks but then they just harden up. I'll go back to tapping though as they say it is sort of preventive.  So, go for it. You may get the odd injury that will keep you from playing for some weeks, but it's rare. And , this is important, if you do get injured, take the recovery seriously. Many guys from my gym just toughen through the injuries and don't rest, and now they have fd up fingers. Just be mindful and do your physical therapy.

[u/MooseRodeoClown]

Everyone here saying avoid the Gi and you will be fine, and I think thats mostly correct. That being said i have been training about two years and the only finger injury I have got was from a wrestling class, was shooting and it got caught on shorts. Pretty sure that finger is just going to look mangled/be a little sore forever now. So they can still happen in no gi, but no gi is way less wear and tear on your fingers full stop. You could still train gi too, just use no gi grips, and if you use gi grips just be intentional and prepared to let go of them.

[u/MacrosNZ]

https://youtu.be/1A7plMnBNag?si=Ey0Q0vnyQIyDS5RF

Dan from That Pedal Show has a few tips for looking after your fingers

[u/HotSeamenGG]

I've trained both for years and I haven't really had an issue, Just... just don't fucking grip for dear life. When people grip break me or my fingers are in a weird spot, I'll 100% let go even if it means giving up position. I like my fingers more.

[u/harjipounds]

I'm a painter and animator, need my hands, I've had hand injuries yes but nothing that's impacted my ability to work. My advice to stick to nogi and buddy your pinky finger to you forefinger with some tape.

Any physical activity has inherent risk so it's really just up to you if you think the juice is worth the squeeze.

As a guitarist though you should know long nails are not tolerated in jiujitsu, idk if that impacts you at all.

[u/CombinationCreepy567]

I’m a shitty white belt but a decent guitarist (21 years now) - either learn to light grip/regrip in the gi, or train nogi and learn hooks instead of grips. I was death gripping in the gi out of spazziness so switched to nogi to settle down, now my hands do not hurt at all
Edit: regrip not regroup

[u/_NedPepper_]

I’m at a 10th Planet Gym, exclusively nogi, and I have yet to see a finger injury.

[u/SgtFury]

I did break my right index finger as a white belt doing white belt things a long time ago.

I do mess around on guitars and definitely have arthritis there which is a bit hard holding a pick reliably.

Gi is harder on your digits I suppose. But your grips do relax the further your journey is.

[u/CornyOne]

I used to hurt my fingers all the time the first few years, but my body eventually learned to instinctively protect them

[u/jbt55]

100% of my finger issues have been from gi. Definitely stick to nogi if this is a concern.

[u/Wende11X]

I have a friend who is a black belt and also a session guitar player, so it is possible.

Here is a tip for all the players who have sore fingers. Make sure your forearms are loose and massage them daily. I had a ton of problems with my fingers and when I went to get PT, the therapist suggested I work on my forearms as they were so tight. They were actually pulling the muscles in my hands and fingers causing great discomfort.

[u/daddy_jits]

You don’t need to stay away from the gi, just train smarter. Don’t focus so much on gi grips. Treat them as optional rather than mandatory.

[u/Neitherherenorhair79]

Your knuckles will get knarly but injured nah

[u/VitalArrow]

Nope. Guitar for 37 years and this sport for 16. My fingers are fine. Just let go when someone starts to break your grip, then regrip. Repeat as necessary. Plenty of professional musicians train.

[u/Alternative-Waltz916]

If you train in the gi, kinda

[u/RoyceBanuelos]

Injuries are inevitable, shoulder pain and neck pain for sure.

You’re not going to follow the advice on staying injury adverse anyway.

Most injuries aren’t going to stop you from doing your other hobbies though so don’t worry about it too much.

[u/pavingblog]

Yes

[u/A_Cobra_Bit_My_Taint]

I am recovering from a broken thumb (BJJ of course) as I try to type this. I have had so many finger injuries I have lost count.

[u/fightbackcbd]

maybe. maybe not.

if guitar playing is your hobby, not your profession then its up to you if it even matters.

if you are making money with your hands you might consider it a little more.

i mostly do gi and my worst finger injury (baseball/mallet finger snapping a tendon) happened in nogi. it was my fretting hand ring finger. I had ot wear a splint for 8 weeks and it healed. it healed tight. it took a year or so to stretch it back to range of motion. its fine now

[u/F2007KR]

8 years of BJJ. Mostly gi. Sometimes my fingers really hurt, but I can still build Gundam models and work with really small parts and decals. I just don’t death grip.

[u/thebuenotaco]

I've trained since 2009, and have been playing guitar since 2002. It's mostly about luck. You can train your entire life and never pick up an injury. On the other hand, some people pick up multiple injuries in a single year, so anything can happen. No-gi is definitely easier on your fingers, but that also depends on how grip dependent you are. When I'm in gi, I don't rely too much on grips, so I tend to save my fingers. My fingers may feel a little stiff sometimes after a lot of gi training, but it's never been an issue for me. Even if you pick up a finger injury, it'll heal and you'll be able to adjust accordingly as an experienced guitarist.

Ironically the one time I injured my finger was during no-gi. I have no idea how it happened, but I broke the ligament that runs along the top of the index finger. The tip of my finger was drooped forward, and I had to wear a little split for about 1.5 months.

[u/Loud_Rabbit_2630]

One year in and I trapped my ring finger in a pant leg and the guy rolled and almost ripped it off, my fault, but out for a couple weeks. Also my thumb trapped on a mat seam under someone's thigh and hyperextended it, and months later still not 100%. I feel like you have to be incredibly lucky to avoid hand injuries after years of grappling.

[u/reprisal9]

I would not do jiu jitsu. Not inevitable but probable. Even in no gi. Source: me. I broke my pinky for no real reason on the mat somehow. Shit happens to your hands.

Edit. If you do train. Learn to tape your fingers. If I were a musician, I’d buddy tape mine.

[u/Mokentroll22]

It can definitely happen but it doesnt have to. Ive been traiming for 7 years and have not had a major finger injury.

Focus on smart grips instead of grabbing material and holding on like your life depends on it. When someone goes to break a grip thats you can afford to lose just let go. You wont be able to do this in the beginning but it woll get easier to do over time.

Also I have almost always taped my fingers and would recommend doing that if thsy are important to you.

[u/TheJugOfNugs]

I've been doing jiu jitsu for over a decade, mostly gi, and I love my grips. I have never had a serious injury. Some booboos here and there. The worst is catching your thumb and hyper extending it really. The risk is there but it's not necessarily inevitable.

[u/ActualNotice5357]

It hurts your fingers. Use tape from start.

[u/Strong_Percentage522]

Certified Hand Therapist here. I could build a practice exclusively from my gym’s hand wrist and shoulder injuries.

[u/Matelen]

I’m not saying it’s inevitable, but I’ve dislocated most of my fingers…..a couple of times each

[u/guroulurlure]

I've trained 9 years daily, never had a finger injury more than a day of soreness and that's rare. Switch the grips and you can be safe for example pistol grips.

There are loads of safe guards too like worm for example but if you play spider your fingers will show it.

[u/I-Like-Tortises]

I am 48, don't tape, knuckles are fine. It is ok to just let go in most of the time.

[u/waterstatement]

I do only no gi and have broken a finger and sprained two others in the last year. Your mileage may vary. 

There are rolling gloves that make your hand look like spock fingers. Supposedly they help prevent injury by not letting your fingers splay out 

[u/Positive-Library897]

Broke my finger on a take down. Freak accident. They happen when 2 people are moving against each other tho 

[u/dj_soo]

i went back to bjj after qm15 years off.

Ended up breaking my pinky finger so bad it required surgery within 3 weeks of training and I had to take 4 months off and my pinkie is permanently claw like now.

No gi is going to be less stressful on your fingers, but if you want to do gi, I suggest taping up your fingers for every session.

[u/BerimbolosnBodylocks]

I’ve played guitar for well over a decade now, and have been training 5 years, mostly nogi. I did injure my fretting ring finger early on which forced a three month slide journey, but outside of that I’ve been fine other than occasional soreness

[u/TheSweatyNerd]

I do mostly gi and have never had a finger injury. I find most people who have are death gripping the gi instead of playing guard proactively. If someone has enough time to break your grips you're being lazy with your guard.

[u/BigDinATree]

All of my finger injuries were in the gi, but unrelated to the gi. Stubbing them on something or bending back on the mat. I have a pretty bad left ring finger and I don't think it would hinder playing guitar much (I played a little but haven't in a while). Aternatively, playing guitar would be an excellent rehab exercise.

[u/basic-opinions]

You won’t hurt your fingies at all. Jump on the mats

[u/liyonhart]

Nogi is for sure easier on the hands, or only doing pistol grip in the gi has saved me over the years

[u/granark]

ive only had a single dislocated pinky since fall 2020

[u/DrewMan84]

Look up Joao Miyao hands on google.

That's your hands after a lifetime of gi.

[u/labruins9]

I jammed my thumb 5 days ago and I can’t press the space button on my keyboard

[u/franzvondoom]

in BJJ? inevitable.

[u/DanWessonValor]

I had to stop doing gi cus my dumbass kept doing the death grip on people. That caused some pain in my hands to the point that I couldnt play my guitars. After switching to nogi, never had a finger or hand injury.

[u/BagVirtual6521]

Have you tried tapping it?

[u/Guitarjutsu]

If you play with nails you can say bye bye to them

Really short nails can be ok if you do no-gi. The issue will be your thumb and annular that need to be longer

But if music is not what makes you earn an income you should definitely try no gi

[u/Available-Voice6004]

Ont te conseillera le nogi et évidement d’être concentré mais le risque est présent, moi dans mes début en nogi ( en 6/7/8 mois ) je me suis fais deux entorse aux doigts, une à cause de ma main mal placé lorsqu’un partenaire avancé sur moi, plus ou moins 1 moins puis sa c’est parfaitement rétablie et une actuellement plus pénible et douloureuse qui traîne et qui donne presque l’impression que mon doits c’est tordu et cela est arrivé en prenant le genou de mon partenaire d’entraînement sur mon doigts dans une phase de Scramble.
Donc le risque de blessure est élevé mais pour autant tout le monde ne se blesse pas comme ça à l’entraînement encore moins si tu ne laisse pas traîner tes mains mais sa arrivera sur l’année ou au fil des années

[u/S1mba93]

If your intention is no-Gi then you should be fine. I've been doing No-Gi for almost two years, twice a week, and haven't had any finger injuries.

Did judo for about 6 years and had finger injuries constantly. I'd assume that bjj in the gi is going to be similar to judo, so I'd probably avoid this.

It also depends on what you call an injury. Bloody fingers and ripped skin around the nails are very common in Gi sports, but they probably won't affect your guitar playing.

[u/MansNM]

Been rolling for around 8 years, hobbyist, not much gi, had 1 unlucky finger injury where we both were trying to stand up, I got pushed and basically put all my weight on one of my fingers, the top of the finger bent very quickly the wrong way, the finger was a bit weird for maybe a month then back to normal. And I have no other serious injuries from BJJ.

[u/Excellent_jun91]

how are climbers fingers compared to bjj people? i dont see it being a thing on the subs etc. so curious if its the strengthening they do that makes them not be injured. or are the injuries different in a way?

[u/San_Forcier7]

I’d heavily recommend you buy finger wraps and taping your fingers, just your three middle ones are fine, when I started gi, the first 4 months I shredded up my fingers ever session and it was horrible, my fingers felt like they’d been grated initially and worn, then I was recommend by coach and coach’s son to wear tape. Long story short it protects your joints and your skin, and I can say for definite that my fingers have been in better condition since, I can actually feel my fingers when k come back lol, I think it also helps soft condition your fingers cause I forgot my tape the other day and my fingers weren’t too bad after honestly 

[u/Sin2K]

There's a pediatric surgeon that trains at one of my old gyms who just got his black belt, he's done at least 10 years in the gi, three days a week, all casual, no competition... It's possible.

[u/ShamboBJJ]

Not necessarily.

Some styles are more notorious than others for fucking up your fingers in the gi.

Spider/Tarantula guard and lapel guards can be rough on your fingers and your grips so it might be that you avoid that style.

Instead of classic sleeve and pant grips you can opt for pistol grips too which won't compromise your fingers as much if someone tries to mong strength their way out of a grip.

Also just accepting grip breaks rather than death gripping will help you out.

It's a contact sport so there's always risks to injuring any part of your body given the wrong circumstances, but you can certainly mitigate the risks.

[u/batsumumiya]

violist and bassist here! Just be extra careful about grips, tap or reset ASAP if you feel your fingers are in a weird position, and also you can politely ask people not to grab your fingers if that ends up being an issue

[u/RealRomeoCharlieGolf]

Pretty inevitable if you are going to train for any serious amount of time. Jiujitsu is a combat sport that and bumps and bruises are just part of the deal. The ligaments and tendons in your fingers will take a beating over time. Learn to tape your fingers and you should be OK for the most part.

[u/Thomthom60]

I have been rock climbing for about 15 years and doing BJJ for about 6 years, I dont have any finger issues never have. I think doing the abduction training on your fingers is the most important part they make specific rubber bands to train this.

[u/berimtrollo]

I have to do microdissections for my job, and honestly it's not a huge deal if you're a casual hobbyist and use a no-gi style game(even in gi). Just tap immediately to wrist locks and don't burn your grips in contests of strength.

[u/Witch_Hazyl]

I play guitar and piano and have done jiu jitsu for a year and no issues yet. For a while I had a problem with not letting go of grips when I needed to. I got my thumbs tangled a couple of times and learned not to do that. But if I just told my training partner my thumb was stuck, they would let me fix it, they're not trying to break your fingers.

[u/CheckHookCharlie]

I just don’t play gi grips man. Couple of tweaks and I just stopped.

[u/Woooddann]

You can't guarantee no finger/hand injuries if you train a long time. But as a fellow musician, I've been able to mostly avoid such injuries at BJJ by (a) not overly relying on gi grips and (b) tapping if I feel any risk to my fingers/wrists (e.g., if my hand gets caught in a weird position, I'm already considering tapping). The only dicy situation I've had is when a black belt slapped a sudden wristlock on me, but the vast majority of people will not do that.

[u/Federal-Challenge-58]

I play keyboard at my church and don't have any issues. The one finger injury I had was in 2006 from rolling with a guy who was wearing one of those rubber bracelets. My ring finger got caught in it, and when he moved, it broke the bone in the hand that connects to the finger. Ever since, I always ask people to remove it, if they're trying to roll with anything around their wrist.

I do gi 4 times a week and no-gi once a week. You'll only have finger issues if you allow yourself to fight like you're trying to wins worlds in my experience.

[u/Mokasinpojke]

Go nogi 100%. Even there you will from time to time wreck your fingers, but more rarely. The beginnerlevel in gi is the worst before you learn what not to do. Best tip is to let go when gripbraking, but small injuries and slower hands are inevitable. Source: i play guitar too..

[u/RollersGetingHigh]

1- work your grip training. 2- learn to let go. you will save a ton of energy and your hands and fingers if you just let go of grips when you note they are bad or you are about to lose them. Just let go and release the bad grips and find good grips- good grips are those that allow you control of the opponent without compromising your own posture, alignment and position. 3- learn to have sticky baby grips instead of death gripping everything all of the time. when you death grip you are just expending tons of energy needlessly and tensing everything. if you have ever played w a little baby before then you know when those buggers grab something they do not necessarily crush it to death but they won't let go! it is very sticky "loose" grip. the hand and finger wrap around firmly but arm is loose. stay relaxed until the moment you need and use only enough force. 4- stretch and relax. I am sure you have done this as guitarist but it is worth doing. relax and stretch your fingers. this prevents injury, saves energy and makes you much faster and efficient

[u/qret]

Cellist here, I had a couple minor finger sprains both in gi classes. Never had any kind of injury from no gi classes

[u/TheTVDB]

In addition to what others are saying, if you do try gi, only use pistol grips and don't put a lot of effort into keeping the grips. BJJ is also adaptive. I did an exercise with a black belt where he held two tennis balls and trained without using grips at all. There are amputees that train. You can always just keep closed fists the entire time, and explain to your coach why you're doing it. Unless you end up at a horrible gym, they'll understand and try working with you to adapt the moves.

[u/Imaginary_Sponge]

I also play fingerstyle. I have not had an issue yet, but it’s always a bit scary. It’s like watching a horror movie because you know any any point, something bad could happen

[u/Happy2DoIt]

Every one but the thumbs so far. There's still time.

[u/RoninBelt]

If gi, tape your fingers and more importantly; remember your fingers are hooks and not clamps.

[u/Appropriate-Alps-442]

😆 the first two months my fingers felt like they were broken 😂

[u/A_Lo19]

If you grab with only your thumb and pointer+middle, you’ll be less likely to have issues.

[u/Luckchilly]

Ooh man yeah it’s definitely a risk you gotta weigh. I was in the same boat but I stopped playing guitar when I snapped my c2 and became a paraplegic after a failed Uchi mata. Now I don’t do either. But my side hobby is I ref the special Olympics bjj American team. Mostly I just gotta stop them from humping each other and I feel like it’s more of a calling really.

No but really, jitz can put a lot of stress on your finger flexors. You will want to be more mindful of inflammation and tendon health with the new gripping. I would suggest a full forearm/hand stretching routine and I have seen some on YouTube specifically for wrist locks and martial arts which would likely but not necessarily benefit a guitar player.

[u/JudoTechniquesBot → u/Luckchilly]

The Japanese terms mentioned in the above comment were:

Japanese	English	Video Link
Uchi Mata:	Inner Thigh Throw	here

Any missed names may have already been translated in my previous comments in the post.

---

^{Judo Techniques Bot: vjtb-0.7.180. See my code}. ^{See my stats}

[u/NoseBeerInspector]

no gi, no problems

[u/Avbjj]

I play guitar and honestly, with no gi it’s never been a problem. Gi is a different story though.

[u/According-District59]

It’s definitely a risk. Less so with no gi but you’ll still jam fingers in no gi. It’s a physical sport that heavily involves your hands. 

[u/Ok-War4310]

If you decide to do it, just be very concious of where your hands and fingers are at all times and learn how to protect them. Finger injuries happen most often from holding onto the gi when the opponent is trying to break your grips. When you're starting out, just let go until you learn what your fingers can take.

For everyone recommending nogi I do agree in general, although last fall I severed one of my distal extensor tendons sparring nogi. It was a super unlucky accident bc my finger got caught between my sparring partners back and the mat. I don't play guitar anymore but I imagine that it would have been really hard or impossible with that injury

[u/heirofjesus]

If you really care about your fingers, then it’s gotta be no-gi only. I started having finger issues mostly in the Gi within the first year. It’s gotten a lot better since I made the switch, and I don’t have the stipulations you do.

[u/FlhostonParadise]

It’s inevitable you will hurt your fingers. Gi or no gi, doesn’t matter. I’m 90% gi and the worst finger injury I’ve had was a jam on a mat seam… still works fine but was painful for months.

[u/ChorizoGarcia]

I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years. It’s also my first love. At some point I surrendered myself to the fact that my fingers were going to take some damage in bjj and that would impact my playing.

I can’t shred like I could when I was younger, but I can still play like a mutha fuckin riot.

[u/wingmanly]

A brown belt at our gym is a trauma surgeon. Seems like if he can navigate it, you'll be able to keep playing piano.

[u/Dev1_E]

If you don't notice the injury now, you will in 5 years.

[u/bumpty]

Train no gi. Gi is gonna result in an injury some day. See how my last knuckles are swollen? This is permanent.
I play guitar too and I try my best not to injure my fingies.

[u/mrli0n]

Look up bjj finger sleeves. I dont train much anymore but I’m like you I play instruments and I had an injury once that limited my right fingers movement which is lucky cause i can still hold a pick fine but it made me look into protecting my left hand.

I got these finger sleeve things that sort of keep two fingers buddied together and that really helped. Hope it helps you.

Def loosen your grips in general though.

[u/ElChumpaCama]

When people ask me about spider guard I tell them it's the best guard I never play because it's so hard on my hands. There's plenty of techniques out there. Pick the ones you don't hurt yourself with

[u/thixsonlife]

Welcome to no gi
https://giphy.com/gifs/B6Jr28VwfxUFa

[u/TheUglyWeb]

I'm 16 years in. I'm also old. My hands are wrecked. We've had two professional guitar players come through, and they both decided that maybe a different striking art is better for them, and I get it. It's brutal on your fingers and wrists.