# Grappling and Braces?



## arnisador (Jul 6, 2002)

Does anyone have any experience with grappling for kids in braces? My son has orthodontia and I've added a bit of grappling techniques to the Modern Arnis we principally train but I'm afraid to let him _really_ grapple, even with a mouthpiece, for fear of injuring either his mouth, his bracework, or his opponent. Am I being too careful?


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## Kempojujutsu (Jul 6, 2002)

One of my student's ( a 17 year old) has braces. He use to wear a mouth piece when we grapple. Now he only wears it when we go NHB. His dentist made him a custom mouth piece. It kinda looks like the WIPPS mouth piece.
Bob :asian:


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## arnisador (Jul 6, 2002)

Does it adequately protect his mouth from cuts and his braces from damage, or just lessen those effects? Remember, I'm not just the instructor here, I'm also the parent!


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## Kempojujutsu (Jul 6, 2002)

It more or less limits the amount of cuts he gets. Most of the time when he gets a cut in his mouth it's from trying to get a choke put on him.
Bob:asian:


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## Venos-KSW (Jul 9, 2002)

when I had braces, I just asked my orthodontist if he had any sports mouthpieces for braces, and sure enough he did. was free also... i do remember it being very large though... anyway, it did the job well. i was elbowed in the mouth accidentally playing field hockey while wearing it, and it prevented any damage to my braces and my mouth.


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## FUZZYJ692000 (Jul 10, 2002)

Awwww...braces those were the days .  Most orthodontist have special mouth guards which some have already listed.  I like to grapple so when I did have braces I tried to be careful.  I didn't always wear my mouth piece, actually I hardly ever wore it, and yes I managed to get hit in the mouth plenty of times.  Even now with them off my mother still flips cause I don't wear it and she invested all of that money.  When grappling though I find it hard to breathe with a mouth piece in, plus I have a smaller mouth compared to most so I had to get special mouth pieces to fit.  Just give him a mouth piece, no matter what some how he's going to be a bloody mouth or the braces are going to cut his cheek or something, that's what happens with braces, they are there to hurt the person wearing them....I think my parents did it as torture or to get me not to eat for a couple of days.


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## Seig (Jul 11, 2002)

> _Originally posted by FUZZYJ692000 _
> 
> *Awwww...braces those were the days .  Most orthodontist have special mouth guards which some have already listed.  I like to grapple so when I did have braces I tried to be careful.  I didn't always wear my mouth piece, actually I hardly ever wore it, and yes I managed to get hit in the mouth plenty of times.  Even now with them off my mother still flips cause I don't wear it and she invested all of that money.  When grappling though I find it hard to breathe with a mouth piece in, plus I have a smaller mouth compared to most so I had to get special mouth pieces to fit.  Just give him a mouth piece, no matter what some how he's going to be a bloody mouth or the braces are going to cut his cheek or something, that's what happens with braces, they are there to hurt the person wearing them....I think my parents did it as torture or to get me not to eat for a couple of days.   *


Too.....easy....must....not...........comment.......:rofl:


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## Testdummy (Jul 14, 2002)

I've had braces for over a year now and I grapple a lot with my sister, Fuzzy, and the upper belts in class.  I've had my share of bloody mouths from being kicked and punched, but not from grappling.  I don't always wear my mouth piece either but I do think it is a good idea to wear one when grappling but especially sparring just incase.  :asian:


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## Seig (Jul 15, 2002)

C'mon over into the Kenpo forum!


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## arnisador (Jul 15, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Testdummy _
> 
> *I've had braces for over a year now and I grapple a lot with my sister, Fuzzy, and the upper belts in class.  I've had my share of bloody mouths from being kicked and punched, but not from grappling.  I don't always wear my mouth piece either but I do think it is a good idea to wear one when grappling but especially sparring just incase. *



Thanks for the input. I'm surprised it's never happened in grappling!


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