Should You Wear a Cup for Jiu-Jitsu?

Training jiu-jitsu comes with the risk of groin pain and injuries. However, deciding whether to wear a cup when you train is a surprisingly complicated topic. 

Although it seems reasonable, there are several reasons why you should not wear a cup for jiu-jitsu. Cups cause excessive pain to your opponent during certain moves like the armbar. Cups are also illegal in many competitions. Still, preventing groin injuries is possible with the right precautions.

It’s natural to want to protect yourself when practicing jiu-jitsu or any other combat sport. But there are some strong arguments against wearing cups while you grapple. This article will look at both sides of the debate.

Reasons to Not to Wear a Cup in Jiu-Jitsu

The reasons to wear a cup for jiu-jitsu are a bit more obvious, so we’ll begin with the best reasons not to. Here are the top three:

• Wearing a cup can injure your opponent.

• Wearing a cup can be painful.

• Some competitions ban cups entirely.

The downsides of wearing a cup may not be obvious at first. The sections below will elaborate on those three top reasons not to wear a cup in jiu-jitsu.

Cups Make Some Jiu-Jitsu Moves More Dangerous

The strongest argument against wearing a cup is that doing so can make some moves drastically more effective. While that may sound like a benefit, wearing a cup can make some techniques so harmful that you can injure your training partners much more easily. The best example of this increased injury risk is the armbar.

It’s possible to break someone’s arm with an armbar with or without a cup. But wearing a cup makes it much easier.

To perform an armbar, you’ll often use your pelvic bone as a fulcrum against your opponent’s elbow joint. When you add a cup to the mix, it raises that fulcrum point, making it more prominent and effective. It will take much less effort and range of motion to hyperextend your opponent’s arm and cause injury.

A similar phenomenon happens when you have achieved the back mount position. In that position, it’s exceptionally easy to drive your cup into your opponent’s back, which can damage their spine. Since cups can make these moves significantly more potent, they are inherently dangerous, especially if you are inexperienced in applying those techniques. 

Cups Cause Discomfort in Certain Jiu-Jitsu Positions

Training jiu-jitsu can lead to some unique body positions that can be incredibly uncomfortable. Wearing a cup can make your experience even more uncomfortable at times.

Those who have worn a cup for athletics know that protecting your groin is not always as simple as wearing one piece of equipment. The parts native to that bodily region can often shift while you train and compete. A cup can act as an unfortunate pinch point if you or your opponent place weight on it at an inopportune time.

Considering the groin is particularly sensitive, many practitioners are more than willing to avoid wearing a cup while they train. While this seems counterintuitive, grappling without a cup often proves to be the less painful option.

Cups Are Illegal in Jiu-Jitsu Tournaments

Our last reason not to wear a cup is that, in some cases, you won’t be allowed to wear one anyway. Tournament organizers recognize the damage a cup can cause, and many specifically ban them during competitions.

The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is one of the leading organizations for jiu-jitsu in the world. They have consistently banned cups in their competitions due to their danger. Many smaller organizations use the IBJJF ruleset as a model and include that same ban on cups.  

Reasons to Wear a Cup in Jiu-Jitsu

The reasons to wear a cup will become apparent immediately when you begin training. Here are the top ones:

• Fast-paced sparring can cause accidental blows to the groin.

• Some positions and techniques are likely to cause groin contact.

It’s common for accidental groin strikes to occur during intense training. And while your opponent may not mean to hit you there, the resulting pain often makes it difficult to consider their benign intentions. Wearing a cup can save you from a lot of pain and potential injury when those blows occur.

You should also know that some jiu-jitsu moves involve contacting the inner thighs. Examples of those moves include butterfly sweeps, knee-cut guard passes, and some judo-style takedowns. With just a slight adjustment, it’s easy for your opponent to hit your groin when attempting those moves. A cup will often lessen the severity of the impact.

How to Wear a Cup Safely When Training Jiu-Jitsu?

If the two reasons above compel you to wear a cup for jiu-jitsu, you should be prepared to do so as safely as possible.

• Know the positions in which your cup can cause serious pain.

• Apply less force than you normally would when performing moves like the armbar.

• Remain aware of your cup to avoid hurting yourself.

Your partner’s safety and your personal well-being should be your top priorities when training jiu-jitsu. If you decide to wear a cup, know that you should alter your grappling style as indicated above.

What’s the Best Way to Keep Your Groin Safe in Jiu-Jitsu?

Since wearing a cup in jiu-jitsu has considerable downsides, it’s sensible to take a different approach to keep your groin safe. If you decide to train jiu-jitsu cup-free, here is what you should do:

• Identify the positions in which your groin is most vulnerable

• Prioritize safety over a competitive mindset during training

Avoiding groin damage in jiu-jitsu is all about knowing when it is most likely to occur. Many guard positions and guard passing styles are more likely to hurt your groin than others. With advanced knowledge and experience, you can anticipate and avoid those outcomes.

Similarly, injuries, including those to the groin, are more likely when two training partners are being highly competitive with one another. A competitive mindset often causes practitioners to sacrifice safety to win their sparring rounds. However, it’s crucial to know when and where to apply this competitive mentality. By default, you should always value safety above competitiveness during training.

Conclusion

In the end, you’ll need to decide for yourself whether you should wear a cup when you train jiu-jitsu. But if you do wear one, make sure you know which moves are most likely to harm your training partners. Otherwise, the best protection you can have is a solid understanding of the grappling situations in which your groin is most vulnerable.