Are you new to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? If that’s the case – congratulations! You’re in for a ride that you’ll enjoy a lot. However, before you start this ride, you need to get equipped… You need to make sure that you have the stuff that’s necessary for a proper start of your BJJ journey.
Here are 6 essential things that every new (and seasoned) BJJ practitioner needs in their gym bag.

6 ESSENTIAL THINGS FOR EVERY BJJ PRACTITIONER

1. Sandals: one of the most important things for a great Jiu-Jitsu training experience is how clean the mats are. And they will only stay clean if you wear your sandals to and from the mat; never walk barefoot off the mats, because that’s how the dirt and germs get on it.

2. Athletic tape: do your fingers ache a bit after training? Do you have mat burn? Well, by wearing athletic tape, you’ll counter these problems pretty effectively – before they appear at all.

3. Nail clippers: okay, okay. You don’t literally need to have nail clippers in your gym bag… But they’re super important. Use them to keep your fingernails and toenails short at all times, so that you don’t accidentally cut your training partners.

4. Dextrose: this one isn’t super necessary and you can switch it up with some other supplement if it works better for you. But having some sort of a meal replacement as one of those essential things inside your gym bag is going to be a good idea, especially on the days when you don’t have a chance to eat properly before training.

5. Gi & No-Gi equipment: this one goes without saying. You need it for training.

6. Gum or mints: if you’ve had a long day at work and haven’t had a chance to brush your teeth before training, or if you’ve eaten something spicy beforehand, make sure to have gum or mints nearby.
Stinky breath is one of the worst enemies to your training partners. Make them worry about your technique and not your breath, by chewing gum before class.

Nick “Chewy” Albin shares more things that you could carry, on the video below: