# Are all rash guards created equal?



## OldManJim (Feb 5, 2016)

Okay so now I'm into this bjj, got the Gi ordered, been to a couple of classes, now like any red blooded male comes the equipment buying! (Yes we love it). Anyways, the CEO of oldmanjim enterprises i.e. Mrs Jim is not too pleased with the cost so far, I'm typing this so I'm not dead which is good. This brings me to my question....I need a big boy rash guard to fit a big boy. Something that will last and not too expensive. Are the heat gear type UA shirts worth it? Is a rash guard the same as a simple poly/spandex shirt? The brand name ones that are 50+ $ ...is that just paying for the name/cool design. I know some bjj competition require you to wear your belt color, but I'm far from that. Any help?


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## Bill Mattocks (Feb 5, 2016)

Yes, all rash guards are created equal.  But then, you know, society gets involved.  Some people don't like certain colors, and some feel that some shapes are not as good as others.  Soon, you have a stratified rash guard society where some rash guards are 'more equal' than others, and others, despondent about their existence, turn to drugs, alcohol, and a life of crime.  Generations of rash guards are raised without the values or the hope of their ancestors, and you end up with rash guards that just don't seem as good as other rash guards; they don't even feel that they are worthy themselves.  It becomes a vicious circle and a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So please, folks, I beg you.  Treat all rash guards with dignity, no matter their cloth, their weave, their country of manufacture.  All rash guards are equal in the eyes of the big washing machine in the sky, and all should be treated equally in the ring.

Thank you.


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## Tony Dismukes (Feb 5, 2016)

OldManJim said:


> Is a rash guard the same as a simple poly/spandex shirt?


Yep. All the rest comes down to fashion and paying for a design you like.

I will say that I started out with an UnderArmour shirt and it was ... okay. Later on, someone gave me a Bad Boy rashguard and the 90/10 polyester/spandex blend they used was much more comfortable than the UA shirt (which I believe is 100% polyester). I guess that 10% spandex makes a difference in comfort.


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## drop bear (Feb 5, 2016)

Not all equal.  Some have awsome superheto designs. 

Marvel/DC Comic Superhero Mens Boys Costume T-shirt Long Sleeve Jersey Top Shirt


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## kuniggety (Feb 5, 2016)

I think I paid $50-60 for mine simply because I liked the design. If you do some shopping around, you can find some deals in the $25-$30 range. You should really ask your instructor if he has any restrictions. For the most part, I've found no one cares about your rash guard. It's typically the nogi schools that have restrictions.


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## drop bear (Feb 6, 2016)

On that note you can also get compression gear reasonably cheap if you are willing to stay away from skins.


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## Hanzou (Feb 6, 2016)

Honestly you can get away with a t-shirt and a hot shower after practice if you're looking to cut costs. Beyond that, as someone else mentioned, unless you're at a place that has strict restrictions you can wear whatever you want.

Personally, I'm not spending more than $15 on a RG unless I really like the design.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Feb 6, 2016)

*I have a lot of different rash guards*.  They all work the same.  The question is how much do you want to pay!

My favorite is my piranha gear one.  I have had that one for like forever and it gets worn at least once or twice a week while rolling, swimming, etc. 
Here is there website: 
piranhagear.com/categories/clothing/rash-guards/long-sleeve.html
(now mine was a complimentary one so I didn't have to buy it)


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## FriedRice (Feb 6, 2016)

I have around 20 rashguards and the Fight Sport brand is a very good, economical one.  You should never wear a t-shirt under a gi, someone can get their finger caught and sprained or broken.


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## Steve (Feb 6, 2016)

They're not all the same, although price isn't a reliable measure.  Surf rash guards tend to be thicker and have more of a collar.    You can sometimes get a great deal on these, but might not like the heat.    Some are Lycra, some are spandex and some are polyester, or some blend of those.

Some are cut longer, which is better if you've got a belly like me.  And some are just better made... Stronger stitching, etc.   

And some just look cool.


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## Hanzou (Feb 6, 2016)

FriedRice said:


> I have around 20 rashguards and the Fight Sport brand is a very good, economical one.  You should never wear a t-shirt under a gi, someone can get their finger caught and sprained or broken.



I've been doing Bjj for close to a decade, and that has *never* happened.

If someone is going to get their finger caught in clothes while rolling, you have just as much of a chance (if not higher) getting it caught in the gi itself than a t-shirt underneath it.


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## FriedRice (Feb 6, 2016)

Hanzou said:


> I've been doing Bjj for close to a decade, and that has *never* happened.
> 
> If someone is going to get their finger caught in clothes while rolling, you have just as much of a chance (if not higher) getting it caught in the gi itself than a t-shirt underneath it.



The guy who owns one of the gyms that I train at and owns multiple gyms and has 40+ years of training, competing & instructing is the one who doesn't allow T-shirts under gi's.  Like when new people tryout and comes in with a T-shirt and shorts, he lets them train but when they get their gi, then no t-shirts underneath. It must have happened enough times already for him to have this rule.

If there's a chance getting caught with a gi, then why raise that chance with a t-shirt. The gi is unavoidable with gi training but not the t-shirt.   I never got hurt neither with dudes at other gyms w/t-shirts on, but this rules makes sense to me.


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## Paul_D (Feb 6, 2016)

FriedRice said:


> The guy who owns one of the gyms that I train at and owns multiple gyms and has 40+ years of training, competing & instructing is the one who doesn't allow T-shirts under gi's.


So how do the female members protect their modesty?


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## kuniggety (Feb 6, 2016)

Paul_D said:


> So how do the female members protect their modesty?


I think the idea is they should be wearing rash guards and not t-shirts. I've rolled with girls who just wore a sports bra though.


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## Hanzou (Feb 6, 2016)

FriedRice said:


> The guy who owns one of the gyms that I train at and owns multiple gyms and has 40+ years of training, competing & instructing is the one who doesn't allow T-shirts under gi's.  Like when new people tryout and comes in with a T-shirt and shorts, he lets them train but when they get their gi, then no t-shirts underneath. It must have happened enough times already for him to have this rule.
> 
> If there's a chance getting caught with a gi, then why raise that chance with a t-shirt. The gi is unavoidable with gi training but not the t-shirt.   I never got hurt neither with dudes at other gyms w/t-shirts on, but this rules makes sense to me.



Considering that you're grappling with a fairly loose kimono and pants on. Given that, I don't see how a t-shirt significantly raises your chances to the point where they would need to be banned entirely. Further, a form fitting t-shirt would be just as tight as a rash guard. The only exposed area of the shirt is the collar area, and with the gi especially there's little reason to be gripping the t-shirt underneath.

In any case, every gym has their rules, good rules and just plain stupid rules.


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## OldManJim (Feb 6, 2016)

I just bought me a 3xl 95 poly/5 spandex at the Wally mart. It's a little loose but I wear a 2xl tall and that's even harder to find. It was like $10 but it'll have to do until Mrs Jim gets her valentines present or she sees me get a rash. I've had a body glove swim shirt for the longest time that I never even would've considered a rash guard. I guess I really never gave much thought to it. I mean I'd see these $50 RG's and thought there must be something about them. I'm guessing the material and construction are a bit different but I'll use what I got for now.


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## FriedRice (Feb 6, 2016)

Paul_D said:


> So how do the female members protect their modesty?


 
rashguards.


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## FriedRice (Feb 6, 2016)

Hanzou said:


> Considering that you're grappling with a fairly loose kimono and pants on. Given that, I don't see how a t-shirt significantly raises your chances to the point where they would need to be banned entirely. Further, a form fitting t-shirt would be just as tight as a rash guard. The only exposed area of the shirt is the collar area, and with the gi especially there's little reason to be gripping the t-shirt underneath.
> 
> In any case, every gym has their rules, good rules and just plain stupid rules.




Wait, you trained nearly 10 years in BJJ and only experienced "exposed area of the shirt" being "the collar area"?  The gi gets yanked all over the place, and the belt often comes completely apart during sparring... and is thrown off to the side during the round....so now the jacket is wide open.  Then there are techniques where you yank yours or the opponent's jacket loose from their belt to use it against them.


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## Hanzou (Feb 7, 2016)

You do know that when you begin a roll you're supposed to have the gi tied right? When the gi is tied, the only exposed area of the shirt that could possibly catch your fingers is the collar area. But seriously, why would you be grabbing the t-shirt collar instead of the gi collar?

However, let's dive a bit further into your scenario where the gi is open, and your belt is thrown off; At that point in the roll, the t-shirt STILL wouldn't be that much of a threat to your fingers because the gi is a much better target for your grips. If your finger is going to get caught, it's going to get caught on the gi which as you've just pointed out is far more looser than a sweaty t-shirt stuck to your body.

In fact, I'm trying to think of a scenario where I would grab my partner's undershirt instead of the gi and I can't think of a single reason why I would go for a t-shirt grip over a gi grip or a natural grip. The control simply isn't there, and I stand a good chance of ripping my partner's shirt for no reason. If I want to control his body, I'd do under hooks and natural grips. If I want to control his neck and head, I'd either grab his gi collars, or grip the back of his neck.

Maybe you can help me out here?


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## drop bear (Feb 7, 2016)

OldManJim said:


> I just bought me a 3xl 95 poly/5 spandex at the Wally mart. It's a little loose but I wear a 2xl tall and that's even harder to find. It was like $10 but it'll have to do until Mrs Jim gets her valentines present or she sees me get a rash. I've had a body glove swim shirt for the longest time that I never even would've considered a rash guard. I guess I really never gave much thought to it. I mean I'd see these $50 RG's and thought there must be something about them. I'm guessing the material and construction are a bit different but I'll use what I got for now.



Yeah mabye in a compression top.  But just a standard rash guard.  Nope. 

Even no gi they shouldn't be trying to rip the thing off you.


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## FriedRice (Feb 7, 2016)

Hanzou said:


> You do know that when you begin a roll you're supposed to have the gi tied right? When the gi is tied, the only exposed area of the shirt that could possibly catch your fingers is the collar area.



Dude no kidding that the gi is tied by the belt at the beginning. Obviously I'm talking about it coming loose during sparring. 



> But seriously, why would you be grabbing the t-shirt collar instead of the gi collar?



After nearly 10 years of training, you should know that it can happen. You've never grabbed some shirt by accident, ever?  Even when someone's wearing a t-shirt too big or it gets pulled and stretches into a mess? 



> However, let's dive a bit further into your scenario where the gi is open, and your belt is thrown off; At that point in the roll, the t-shirt STILL wouldn't be that much of a threat to your fingers because the gi is a much better target for your grips.



If you want to play dirty, you can grab the t-shirt and collar choke him or something....and your finger(s) can still get caught.



> If your finger is going to get caught, it's going to get caught on the gi which as you've just pointed out is far more looser than a sweaty t-shirt stuck to your body.



I even agreed that I never got hurt with the t-shirt....I'm just saying that it's possible so why risk it when it makes sense...but it's the Brazilian guy who owns these gyms, a 5th dan and been in the business for 40+ years with his father being in it for over 70 years of Judo and a 10th dan....they are the ones who set up this rule b/c obviously it happened before, especially in Judo with the throws. 



> In fact, I'm trying to think of a scenario where I would grab my partner's undershirt instead of the gi and I can't think of a single reason why I would go for a t-shirt grip over a gi grip or a natural grip. The control simply isn't there, and I stand a good chance of ripping my partner's shirt for no reason. If I want to control his body, I'd do under hooks and natural grips. If I want to control his neck and head, I'd either grab his gi collars, or grip the back of his neck.
> 
> Maybe you can help me out here?



Like if you miss the lapel or he breaks your grip, you can get some t-shirt to work back to the lapel. Standup throws can be a big hazard if your finger(s) get caught in the t-shirt.

Have you ever competed?  T-shirts aren't allowed in most tournaments because they can be used as an advantage for you or against you. Even rashguards aren't allowed in most tourneys, under a gi, for the same reasons. The other reason is the risk of spraining or breaking fingers. So if most to all BJJ classes are "Sports BJJ", wouldn't it make sense to stick closest to the rules adopted by most to all BJJ tourneys worldwide? 

This is not a


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## Paul_D (Feb 8, 2016)

FriedRice said:


> rashguards.


Is there a substantial enough difference between rash guards and t-shirts for the instructor to ban one but not the other?


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## FriedRice (Feb 8, 2016)

Paul_D said:


> Is there a substantial enough difference between rash guards and t-shirts for the instructor to ban one but not the other?



Well the texture alone between the two, it's easy to see why your fingers can get caught in 1, way more than the other. The guy who set up this rule is a 5th dan in BJJ and something like 4th in Judo with 40+ years of exp.  His father is 10th dan in Judo and that's his life/business pretty much. This is their rule, as well as other gyms including most (to all), BJJ tournament federations.  

Personally, I never got hurt by a t-shirt, but why risk it? I've gotten my fingers sprained before by the gi, so I know that it can happen, so why risk it further  by adding in such loose/stretchy materials of a t-shirt for? 

The main argument as to why people want to wear a t-shirt vs. a gi....is probably b/c they don't want to spend the $20+ each, on decent rashguards vs. using some worn, out, old t-shirt that's due for the dumpster. But if you train hard, rashguards are worth their money b/c there's a lot of protection to your flesh and cuts down on catching bad stuff from dirty people too.


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## Tony Dismukes (Feb 8, 2016)

In all my years of training I've never seen someone get hurt by getting their fingers caught in a t-shirt under a gi. I suppose it's theoretically possible, but it seems like rather a low-probability danger to make a rule against. I have no problem complying if someone has a rule against it in their gym, but it seems a bit pointless.


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## Paul_D (Feb 9, 2016)

FriedRice said:


> Well the texture alone between the two, it's easy to see why your fingers can get caught in 1, way more than the other. The guy who set up this rule is a 5th dan in BJJ and something like 4th in Judo with 40+ years of exp.  His father is 10th dan in Judo and that's his life/business pretty much. This is their rule, as well as other gyms including most (to all), BJJ tournament federations.
> 
> Personally, I never got hurt by a t-shirt, but why risk it? I've gotten my fingers sprained before by the gi, so I know that it can happen, so why risk it further  by adding in such loose/stretchy materials of a t-shirt for?
> 
> The main argument as to why people want to wear a t-shirt vs. a gi....is probably b/c they don't want to spend the $20+ each, on decent rashguards vs. using some worn, out, old t-shirt that's due for the dumpster. But if you train hard, rashguards are worth their money b/c there's a lot of protection to your flesh and cuts down on catching bad stuff from dirty people too.


Ok thanks, as they say - every day's a school day ;-)


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## FriedRice (Feb 9, 2016)

Tony Dismukes said:


> In all my years of training I've never seen someone get hurt by getting their fingers caught in a t-shirt under a gi. I suppose it's theoretically possible, but it seems like rather a low-probability danger to make a rule against. I have no problem complying if someone has a rule against it in their gym, but it seems a bit pointless.



Me neither....never injured by a t-shirt....but then again, never encountered many t-shirts due to this rule.  Now I have gotten my finger sprained by a gi during hard sparring, so if a gi can do it, why increase the chance by a lot or even by a little, by allowing another layer of clothing that's very stretchy and loose?

Most BJJ gyms don't do the same amount of vigorous throws that Judo gyms do. And these Brazilians that I'm talking about, are from a long lineage of Japanese Judokas, so maybe they see much more of such fingers getting caught especially with all the grip fighting, transitioning right into various hip throws that full of power and built up momentum  Also note that most to all BJJ tournaments, worldwide, don't allow t-shirts under gi's....and many, no rashguards under gi's neither.  And in no-gi competition, it's definitely no t-shirt. Why not get used to such rules since most BJJ classes are tailored towards such Sports BJJ tourneys?


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## Steve (Feb 9, 2016)

I  don't understand why this is a big deal either way.  If it's the rule, it's the rule.  And also, I've never heard of anyone being injured.    

But regarding the competition thing, many people wear a cup in class even though it's illegal in IBJJF competition and I'm not going to suggest they stop just because.  


FriedRice said:


> Me neither....never injured by a t-shirt....but then again, never encountered many t-shirts due to this rule.  Now I have gotten my finger sprained by a gi during hard sparring, so if a gi can do it, why increase the chance by a lot or even by a little, by allowing another layer of clothing that's very stretchy and loose?
> 
> Most BJJ gyms don't do the same amount of vigorous throws that Judo gyms do. And these Brazilians that I'm talking about, are from a long lineage of Japanese Judokas, so maybe they see much more of such fingers getting caught especially with all the grip fighting, transitioning right into various hip throws that full of power and built up momentum  Also note that most to all BJJ tournaments, worldwide, don't allow t-shirts under gi's....and many, no rashguards under gi's neither.  And in no-gi competition, it's definitely no t-shirt. Why not get used to such rules since most BJJ classes are tailored towards such Sports BJJ tourneys?


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## Harry Flannagan (Feb 26, 2021)

It is meant to give extra protection and yes it might seem pointless but hygienically it's still serving it's purpose plus good quality rash guards like this brand and scramble with moisture-wicking technology helps keep you from just soiling under your gi.


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## drop bear (Feb 26, 2021)

Hanzou said:


> Considering that you're grappling with a fairly loose kimono and pants on. Given that, I don't see how a t-shirt significantly raises your chances to the point where they would need to be banned entirely. Further, a form fitting t-shirt would be just as tight as a rash guard. The only exposed area of the shirt is the collar area, and with the gi especially there's little reason to be gripping the t-shirt underneath.
> 
> In any case, every gym has their rules, good rules and just plain stupid rules.



My foot has been caught playing guard against an open gi.
No injuries though.

They all come from shrimping on jigsaw mats.


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## drop bear (Feb 26, 2021)

Paul_D said:


> Is there a substantial enough difference between rash guards and t-shirts for the instructor to ban one but not the other?



Yeah. Rash guards are form fitted and don't catch limbs. T shirts do. Kickboxing is where I first was told it was an issue because it would catch body kicks. And was solved back in the day by tucking the shirt in.


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