# Ear Guards?



## thaistyle (Dec 16, 2007)

I wanted to know if anyone who trains BJJ, submission grappling, etc. wear any ear protection when you train to prevent aurial hematoma (cauliflower ear).  Do they help or get in the way?


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## Brian R. VanCise (Dec 16, 2007)

thaistyle said:


> I wanted to know if anyone who trains BJJ, submission grappling, etc. wear any ear protection when you train to prevent aurial hematoma (cauliflower ear). Do they help or get in the way?


 
Okay I usually only where ear guards after the initial soreness starts. (god is that painful)  This works good for me but I do know friends who were theirs regularly.


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## Danny T (Dec 16, 2007)

I have used them but more times than not do not. About 50% of those training in our ground programs wear them often. Some of the others will occasionally, usually after there has been some injury and due to the soreness. I dislike them but they are effective in preventing injury or further injury to the ears. I know a few people who actually WANT cauliflower ears. It is badge thing for them proving they are ground fighters with the scarring to prove it. They even go so far as to rub their ears on the matting or wall to cause the damage.

Danny


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## Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu (Dec 16, 2007)

I've personally never used them, bring on the cauliflower!


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## Kreth (Dec 16, 2007)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Okay I usually only where ear guards after the initial soreness starts. (god is that painful)  This works good for me but I do know friends who were theirs regularly.


The word you're looking for is *wear*. 



Danny T said:


> They even go so far as to rub their ears on the matting or wall to cause the damage.


This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. If it was me, I'd let them know that if they punch steel plates they can show off their impressive deformed hands too...


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## Andrew Green (Dec 16, 2007)

Kreth said:


> This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. If it was me, I'd let them know that if they punch steel plates they can show off their impressive deformed hands too...



There are plenty of karate / tkd people that want callused and enlarged knuckles, might get some people take you up on that


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## Kreth (Dec 16, 2007)

Andrew Green said:


> There are plenty of karate / tkd people that want callused and enlarged knuckles, might get some people take you up on that


I find the whole idea stupid, along with the guys who kick trees and posts to kill the nerves and toughen their shins.


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## Marvin (Dec 16, 2007)

thaistyle said:


> I wanted to know if anyone who trains BJJ, submission grappling, etc. wear any ear protection when you train to prevent aurial hematoma (cauliflower ear). Do they help or get in the way?


yes to both.
The guards keep your ears from getting damaged but they also get in the way and take a bit to get used to.


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## Eternal Beginner (Dec 16, 2007)

I used to wear them when I first started BJJ.  I used to have a bad habit of putting my head down instead of keeping good posture so I found I often had to pull out of things and thus, I needed them to protect my ears.  I haven't had to wear them in almost two years now though.  

A few guys wear them, but I think out of 40 guys on the mat, maybe two wear.  The other 38 aren't hardcore fighter types who want cauliflower ear either, they just have learned to protect them. Once you teach the newbies not to latch onto useless headlocks and try to pop peoples heads off that way you don't have to worry too much!


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## Aaron Fields (Dec 17, 2007)

I am sorry to say I didn't wear them when I first started and now have cauliflower in both ears, though the right is obvious.  When I am having issues I tape my ears down, using the same approach that rugby players use and have had great luck.

I might use headgear if my right ear fit in the cup, but alas I was young and stupid.  Anybody who goes out to get their ears jacked is silly.  Likley the same ones who must have the "right" dogi and jeans too.  Oh well, I suppose it is better to look like you have mat time than to actually have it eh?

Aaron Fields  
Seattle Jujutsu Club, Hatake Dojo
Sea-Town Sombo
www.seattle-jujutsu.org


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## Marvin (Dec 19, 2007)

Danny T said:


> I know a few people who actually WANT cauliflower ears. It is badge thing for them proving they are ground fighters with the scarring to prove it. They even go so far as to rub their ears on the matting or wall to cause the damage.
> 
> Danny


I know a few of those guys too, the funny thing is they are the ones who don't come to class on a regular basis and like to talk about how good they can roll more than they roll.

I have a little bit on my left ear, fortunatly we have an in-house medic who drains the ear when it does happen.

here is an article about the process

http://www.emedicine.com/proc/TOPIC82793.HTM


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## Gentle Fist (Dec 20, 2007)

Marvin said:


> I know a few of those guys too, the funny thing is they are the ones who don't come to class on a regular basis and like to talk about how good they can roll more than they roll.
> 
> I have a little bit on my left ear, fortunatly we have an in-house medic who drains the ear when it does happen.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for the link!


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## Gentle Fist (Dec 20, 2007)

Who in the right mind would want "Dogged Chewed" ears?

I have a touch of it on both of my ears but it is more from my beginning days of jiu-jitsu and judo.  Once you start taking top more and avoiding the annoying head popper holds then you don't have to worry about it so much.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Dec 20, 2007)

fistlaw720 said:


> Who in the right mind would want "Dogged Chewed" ears?
> 
> I have a touch of it on both of my ears but it is more from my beginning days of jiu-jitsu and judo. Once you start taking top more and avoiding the annoying head popper holds then you don't have to worry about it so much.


 
Yes I have a little though I wish I did not. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Ah but I was young and did not wear ear guard.  Fortunately on me it really does not show much.


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## cohenp (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm starting to get it in my right ear a bit from wrestling. In wrestling it comes out of dragging out of things and the like mostly. It hasn't been a problem yet so I'm not going to concern myself with it. If in the future it gets worse I'll either tape my ears down or start wearing head gear.


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## halfnote19 (Jan 29, 2008)

Could someone explain what Cauliflower ear is? And how one gets it?


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## halfnote19 (Jan 29, 2008)

Okay so I generally now know what this is... 
Are ear guards the only way to prevent this?
How do you know if this happens to you?

I like the way my ears look and want to keep them that way.


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## jks9199 (Jan 29, 2008)

halfnote19 said:


> Could someone explain what Cauliflower ear is? And how one gets it?





halfnote19 said:


> Okay so I generally now know what this is...
> Are ear guards the only way to prevent this?
> How do you know if this happens to you?
> 
> I like the way my ears look and want to keep them that way.



Cauliflower ear is a type of scar tissue of the ears; it's caused by blunt trauma and/or pulling and grinding on the ears as happens in wrestling and jujitsu.  

Preventing the trauma is the first step in preventing cauliflower ear.  That's where the ear guards and similar things come in.  A good doctor can use other techniques to minimize the damage when trauma has occurred, including methods of packing the ears to maintain their shape once drained.  If you do a web search, you'll come across this sort of information.


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## MMAkid1 (Feb 28, 2008)

I have cauliflower ear in both ears, but fortunately it is imperceptible. it comes from wrestling. I would suggest using them when going live, though they aren't so neccesary when drilling, at least with most technique drills. Hope this helps.


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## Bodhisattva (Feb 29, 2008)

thaistyle said:


> I wanted to know if anyone who trains BJJ, submission grappling, etc. wear any ear protection when you train to prevent aurial hematoma (cauliflower ear).  Do they help or get in the way?



I use a set of BRUTE brand headgear.  It is neoprene on the outside with neoprene straps.  It is GREAT.

I wear it for both stand up and ground training.

For stand up training it protects my ears from punches, but doesn't give me the negatives of a full boxing head gear.

In the clinch, it keeps people's forearms from sliding over my ears and bending them in the double neck tie.

On the ground, it protects my ears when pulling my head out of a triangle or a guilotine.


I recommend the neoprene covered variety over the hard plastic variety.  I think the hard plastic wrestling head gear are bulky and could even hurt your training partner.


The one I have was $25 purchased in St. Louis at Johnny Mac's sporting goods.


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## Skpotamus (Mar 10, 2008)

When I first started grappling (around 96), my instructor had us massage our ears before we'd roll and recommended we do it daily to help prevent cauliflower ear.  In high school, my wrestling coach said the same thing.  

After a bit, your ears start to feel kind of soft and more pliable.  It's not scientific, but none of the guys at our gym ever got cauliflower ear and noone wore ear guards.


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