Injury prevalence among Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners globally: a cross-sectional study in 881 participants

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a rapidly growing combat sport characterised by ground fighting and submission techniques. There are limited data regarding BJJ injuries. This study described the incidence and characteristics of injuries in BJJ practitioners.

This retrospective survey targeted BJJ practitioners globally who trained at least once per week. The survey was distributed online and via posters at multiple Dutch BJJ competitions. Data collection took place from 15 February 2024 to 17 March 2024. We collected training, competition and injury data from the past 12 months. Complaints that required medical attention caused time loss (≥1 week) or led to training modification (≥2 weeks) were defined as an injury.

Of 881 participants, 817 (90%) were male, and the average age was 30.8 years (SD 8.6). Injury information was provided on a total of 888 injuries. The injury incidence was 5.5 (95% CI 4.9 to 6.1) per 1000 hours in training and 55.9 (95% CI 38.8 to 73.0) injuries per 1000 matches, with a higher rate observed among participants with a higher belt level. Most injuries (n=789, 89%) occurred during training, mainly (n=620, 79%) during sparring. The knees (n=223, 25%) and shoulders (n=114, 13%) were the most affected body regions.

This study found an injury incidence of 5.5 per 1000 hours of training and 55.9 per 1000 matches for BJJ practitioners. Future preventative practices should focus on the free sparring part of training to be most effective. Future studies should also monitor BJJ practitioners prospectively to understand injury aetiology better.