Importance of Cleanliness in Martial Arts

One of the greatest choices you can make to improve yourself is to train in martial arts. Aside from being an ideal way to get in better shape, improve your self-defense skills, and learn new abilities, martial arts are also fun. Unluckily, you can’t prevent sweating with excellent training.  

It is common to walk off the mat covered in sweat after extreme martial arts training. This means that the gear you were wearing/touching is sweaty as well. That sweaty gear can start to smell without the right cleaning. You are basically asking for trouble if you don’t clean your gears. If you are enrolled in Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu Washington, here are a couple of things you should know about cleanliness.  

Importance of Clean Gear 

It’s extremely important to take care of your gear every time you train. Though a lot of new students won’t consider cleaning a pair of loaner gloves properly, a lot of them tend to ignore the importance of proper care even after they have their own pair.  

There are two major reasons why you should always clean your gear properly. The smell is one of the major reasons to clean your gear. No one wants to be the student in the class known for having a smelly martial arts gear. Your sweat will start to seep into the material if you leave it to sit after class. It is also hard to remove that funk once it sets in. Because of that, you’ve got to clean your gear as soon as you can every time you train.  

However, the most dangerous threat is a lot simpler to neglect because you can’t see or smell it. There is a reason why instructors clean the gym after every session. The damp and sweaty atmosphere is a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. It is simple to transmit bacteria if they are not cleaned away since you’re always in close contact with other students. Aside from being unfair to yourself, it’s also unfair for others at the gym if you use the dirty gear.  

Cleaning GIs 

While the shorts, shirts, and other clothing you wear for martial arts can be normally washed, GIs can be more difficult. You can use a washing machine to clean the material. However, it’s vital to not use a dryer for almost every GI. This is especially true on a high setting. It is advised to always hang dry your GIs. This will help prevent shrinking, especially if you’ve got a cotton GI.  

Personal Cleanliness 

Even if you always clean your GI and other martial arts gears, you might still have a hard time doing personal care. You should always try to shower after you train if your gym has a shower. Also, you’ve got to leave the gym with clean clothes. It’s still vital to bring a new pair of clothes even if there’s no shower in your gym. If you simply leave without changing your sweaty clothes, you are transferring bacteria to your car.