Best Advice for Hygiene in a Martial Arts School
“Cleanliness is important, and more than that is the physical fitness to attain healthy body and mind.” – Sandeep Singh
This quote is spot on when it comes to training in martial arts. Personal hygiene is crucial because it teaches you discipline and helps you avoid health risks. By being in such close proximity with training partners when you have a cold, skin infection, or other health problems may spread an illness quickly. Any illness brought into the dojo becomes everyone’s problem and will be looked upon as disrespectful.
We have provided the following tips when it comes to hygiene:
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Shower before and after training.
Shower before training, especially if you have a manual labor job and have been sweating. Taking a shower after class is important as it reduces the chance of you incurring skin diseases. A warm shower helps relax the body after working out.
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Wear deodorant.
Deodorant helps keep your underarms smelling fresh. Deodorant includes alcohol and/or other chemicals, which eliminates or reduces bacteria.
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Wash gym clothes regularly.
Bacteria can grow from sweat-soaked clothing over time; therefore, you do not want to keep your sweaty, dirty outfits sitting in a laundry bin. Keeping your gym clothes clean and fresh is essential for the atmosphere of The DoJANG.
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Wash your hands after using the bathroom.
You are guaranteed to get germs on your hands, especially when lifting the lid, wiping, flushing the toilet, and opening the door.
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Tie your hair back.
There are a few martial artists that have learned the hard way when they did not tie their hair back when training. Hair gets caught easily and can be accidentally pulled or stepped on. Depending on your length of hair, you may want to braid it. Keeping your hair tied back allows you to stay focused on the task at hand.
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Avoid wearing jewelry.
Wearing jewelry as you train can be dangerous, as it can catch on clothing or other items and cause injury. It is a distraction for you and your fellow martial artists. Any rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and watches should be removed before entering the dojo or any competition event.
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Wrap your injuries, especially open wounds.
Make sure to properly wrap any cuts with bandages or tape. Wrapping helps protect your injuries from further damage and prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses. It will also limit exposure to other martial artists from being exposed to blood-borne pathogens and other potential contaminates.
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Avoid touching your face during training.
Keeping your hands away from your face reduces the risks of germs from spreading, which may cause you from getting sick. Also, making sure hands are kept away from your face shows that you have self-control, especially when you are training.
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Report feeling sick immediately