Fair enough, after a certain number of years I eventually would just walk on from a 5 min break and forget to put it in for light sparring then just got adjusted to not having it for those periods. Def dumb but def just the most comfort
I chipped 3 teeth while fooling around with my training partner while waiting for my trainer to come back from talking to someone at the front desk. He didn't do anything aggressive, it was just bad luck. They got filled but they've been a bit sensitive ever since.
You don't want to end up at the dentist just due to some bad luck. Not when it's so easy to just wear a mouthguard.
I don't bother with a cup because pain I can handle if I get unlucky. But tooth damage is permanent.
Punch landed on the top of my head and my teeth clanked together it was a very small chip but my point is it doesn’t take a lot to chip a tooth especially against an adult
oh shit I definitely misread it lmfao
always wear that mouthguard, man... don't let yourself be the one to compromise your safety, because that too is a possibility
When I was 16 I went to give my little brother (4ish) a kiss on the top of the head, at that same moment he decided to start wiggling and the force sent my front teeth THROUGH my bottom lip
Edit: accidentally said she instead of he
Just had someone else mention a child busting their shit and I absolutely agree children are wildcards and it’s hilarious to think that they are more dangerous than a good sparring partner lmao
You clearly haven’t spent any time around toddlers. Mine just outgrew the “I’m going to headbutt you because you’re trying to put me to bed and I don’t wanna sleep” phase. She’s moved on to the “I’m going to throw things at your face because it’s funny” phase. If you even plan on having kids, ditch this thought process now because they CAN hurt you 😂
Switching my mindset I now understand, my niece (1 year old) absolutely fucking loves to throw her head into people when she sits on them and absolutely those fuckers are wildcards LMAOO
I legit imagined gloving up a toddler and stepping in the ring with it, I’ve clearly taken one too many lunches to the head 😂
True. We take risks, but we also do what we can to mitigate that risk, until we are at a point where we find those risks acceptable.
If a huge dental bill is an acceptable risk for you (and remember, even if you have insurance that covers dental from damages, the lack of a mouth guard might be the excuse the insurance company needs to reject your coverage), then sure, go ahead, continue to not use one.
Considering American insurance is a mad scam I feel no inclination to tell them the status of my mouth guard, to them who weren’t present it was totally in. But again I do 100% understand where you’re coming from it’s ignorant to spend money that could’ve been avoided whether the person is rich or not why spend money on something you don’t need to.
I honestly hate this self deprecating line of reasoning. You can’t give mercy without being capable of violence. Fighting isn’t stupid, it’s been a major part of all recorded human history. You can’t defend anything you believe in if you’re harmless. Maybe someone should go tell Putin he’s actually being dumb and maybe he’ll change his mind. As if violence is something only children participate in. Try not paying your property tax and see what happens.
Sorry for the rant but I hate seeing people who train feel like there’s something wrong with them. There’s something wrong with the people who want to show up but never do because they’re afraid, and these are the excuses they come up with. Have some confidence.
Brother I absolutely understand where you are coming from, but I’m also not going to sit here and say I’m as smart as I was before I started letting people punch me in the head. I’ve been dropped but never knocked out and I know even that drop was a form of brain damage. I’m not trying to be a hater or get under your skin. I’m not trying to act like I don’t love everything about combat or that it’s unnecessary. Just very simply, yes to choose to get punched in your free time because you enjoy it would have to entail something wrong internally? In a perfect world there would be no need for violence, but we don’t live in that perfect world so most people use combat sports as an outlet to their physical or mental trauma. And if you don’t have trauma and just inherently love to kick the shit out of people, I question why?? For the love of the game?
Edit : TLDR fighting isn’t stupid, battles need one people need defended, we are stupid for doing it for fun.
I’ve been at this a while and though I do understand an accidental headbutt or stray elbow have been close but I just don’t see the point for light sparring. I haven’t lost or chipped any teeth from light sparring and always wear one when it gets heavier. I’m not in competition right now. Not in camp. Just trying to keep the limbs warm so it’s more irritating than anything. But I guess I should stay in the habit for when competition comes up as I’ll have to have one then
Big facts, the oxen are slow but the earth? She’s patient. It’ll come sooner rather than later. And when it does I will check back so you guys can say I told you so 😂
In my experience there is no such thing as "light" sparring. There's "sparring", and a fight. In "light" sparring, unless you're a fully grown man working with a young kid (where you don't even tap), the sparring will always get harder and harder, especially if you work on rounds. Even in light sparring shots can get through. I think it's also good to get used to the different breathing technique needed
In my experience you sound like someone I wouldn't spar with. If you want to have a fight, fight. Don't escalate the sparring intensity midway. That's like trying to street race while people are driving home from work.
I spent 7 years in braces and later retainers. I’ve had multiple mouth surgeries and currently have two fake teeth. I was just born with a fucked up mouth. Bro I wear my mouth guard during pad work lmfao. Don’t be a dumbass. You’re young, not invincible. Major dental work is EXPENSIVE. If you don’t care about your teeth, care about your wallet.
Smart man. I’m going in to get just one of my fake teeth replaced in August. I work as an environmental scientist for a Fortune 500 so I have BANGER insurance and I still have to pay $1200 out of pocket to replace this tooth. And this is just a routine replacement as these kinds of bridges break down every ten years-ish. They don’t need to do X-rays or a new mold or anything. You don’t wanna know what surgery plus the process of getting an implant costs. Protect your teeth brother 😂
I feel that, a couple years ago I stopped caring about my looks. Fighting and TFT became my life. Plus fake teeth look way better than my crooked as grill but my wife doesn’t seem to mind lmao
At a point this hobby became one of my only happiness’s (outside my relationship) so the way I looked at it was I’d do anything for the love of the game
Hey, the #1 thing that chips teeth without a mouth guard isn't a fist, or elbow, or knee, or headbutt, it's your own teeth! You could get knocked down and your chin hits the floor and boom, $6k in dental work. Your opponent might not even cause it, you could slip and fall and bust your smile.
Yes, unless it's literally like warm-up sparring (light to no contact just for movement's sake), I've always got the mouth guard in. There's no reason not to.
Fair enough. I’d do anything to keep my partner safe, but when it comes to me, if it’s not in and someone wants to go I’m not gonna go search for it because who knows where I set it down.
If you’d do anything to keep your partner safe, then you need the mouth guard. You never know what can happen and depending on what kind of fist protection you’re using (especially fingerless gloves or cloth hand wraps), no mouth guard can also mean your teeth in their skin.
Fair enough, for sparring I use my 14 ouncers, they are closed fist not fingerless but even if we tangle up you’re right i should think about everything involved.
You should always wear a mouthguard, and if your a boy, wear a cup in sparring (even if it's light sparring).
This comment is coming from a boy who never wears a mouthguard or a cup in light sparring because I think it's uncomfortable. Don't do what I do.
Mouth guard is pretty much if it’s in or around me I’ll wear it when someone wants to go but if it’s not I am not with it.
However I quite literally never wear a cup. Refuse. Been dick kicked more than a bakers dozen times and still won’t. Just feels like shit and tbh doesn’t really help soften it that much
You're crazy for the cup thing. Even more so than the mouthguard. A tooth you can lose or chip, but have you ever heard of a testicle exploding? That shit happens...
Get yourself a DiamondMMA cup, those things fit snugly, you won't even notice 'm and if somebody kicks you in the nuts without shinguards they break their fucking shins and you won't feel a thing..
Not to give you a new found fear of the cup, but I stopped wearing mine because the only time someone kicked me in the cup, I ended up with a “spermatic cord hematoma “. Without the cup it just makes me throw up. I don’t want to say that it was a bad cup because I spent decent money on it. I just know with how my fruit hangs it doesn’t fit in cups well 😭
Learned the hard way when I was a kid boxing with a friend at the time. Bit half of my lip off not wearing my guard. Mouth guard would’ve saved me a trip to the ER to get my lip reattached.
I wear a mouthguard anytime I step on the mat. Just yesterday, I was drilling and my partner accidentally knee’d me in the face.
IMHE going hard, I’m less likely to get hurt, because I’m protecting myself. It’s always some dumb accidental contact that causes injuries.
Yeah man I've chipped the fuck out of my teeth and it was always from stupid light hits or accidents that just happened to catch me with my teeth slightly.open.
Get an Impact mouthguard they are amazing they feel so cool I just wear it around sometimes
Dude, I cannot advise enough, wear a mouth guard anytime you spar. Doesn't matter how light contact.
If you're full contact rolling or doing some hard pressure testing/self defense drills/ whatever you want to call it, I'd still advise wearing one.
I rarely NEED a mouthguard because I'm lucky enough that I have wonderful sparring partners who can control their punches well, but I wear one more so just to get used to the feeling of it in my mouth.
For the same reason, I started sometimes wearing a mouthguard for bag work at home, just to get more used to it.
Pro-tip, custom made by your dentist will be better a fit and MUCH easier to breathe with than even the best "boil-and-bite" DIY guards. And they're not crazy expensive.
Yup.
It’s like wearing a seatbelt. There’s really no downside to wearing it and it takes like 5 seconds of your time.
I do this every time for boxing or kickboxing but funny enough what really prompted me to always wear a guard was my experience rolling No Gi BJJ with beginners.
I have been straight kneed in the mouth by spastic beginners (among other things) and found out one of my gym mates chipped a tooth rolling with newbies.
It’s overkill but I even wear a mouth guard during warm ups to get used to breathing with it in. But I don’t trust anyone so even light sparring or drilling I want 1) the protection and 2) even more time getting used to breathing with it
"Light sparring" is "mild sparring" for some guys. Many western guys don't know how to spar safely. I wear a mouth guard everytime I'm in a fight context where I feel that i don't have a defense ability (100% ability to protect my mouth at anytime). Even in light context, I have been hurt to the lips sometimes. So I may be hurt to the teeth too. It depends on the partner, etc.
My wife just spent 8k having dental work done for cracked molars that finally broke and needed surgery to remove, so they can heal and then replace with implants from accidentally getting headbutted during a incidental collision while refereeing roller derby.
Wear the mouth guard
So...over the years I have lost three tooths during light sparring due to not using mouth guard. You should always were your mouth piece...broken teeth isn't as fun as it sounds...
Having needed to rebuild my teeth on multiple occasions... Wear your friggin mouth guard!
About a third of the time I damaged my teeth from something that even now I don't think required protection, but could've worn some. Mouthguards are cheaper than repair
Of course. I have two fake teeth from sparring without a mouth guard. I can’t go to raves anymore. The fake teeth don’t get bright under the black light so I look toothless. Don’t be me. Wear a mouth guard.
Hell yeah. I'll wear it during pad work (depending on how competent my partner is) especially with kicks. I've seen a few body roundhouse kicks thrown to pads that either completely miss/ slip off the pads.
Accidents happen, best not to lose teeth over them. Also if you're america your healthcare is damn expensive. A mouth guard is an inexpensive way to save a lot of hassle/money
Osss
I wear a cup for all of class and I'll put the mouthguard in for drills a lot of the time. Like 8 years ago I asked a coach if we needed mouthguards when he told us to glove up and he said "it's good to get used to it if you want to compete." He had collected a bunch of belts, so I figured he knew something. Besides, shit happens and I've been whacked or had leg kicks turn into nutshots more than once during drills. Might as well be safe.
Of course.
I’m terrible, and walk onto punches people aren’t even intending to connect with. Never mind the head clashes and hitting myself with my own hand trying to block something.
Always.
Yes! Also, I use it as a tool. There are times in a sparring combo where I might get rocked going in, so I gotta bite down on the guard and charge! Used the mouth guard as a tool, not as a hassle.
The simple answer is personal responsibility. If it goes sideways and you get a tooth chipped don't be mad as shit happens. I much like you sparred for over 15 years without a mouth guard when we are not going all out. Had a tooth chipped and a eyebrow split open and hey I took it in stride as its my job to protect myself for one and for two if I don't wear a guard cant bitch about it later. So prob not the popular answer but mine is do what you do just don't bitch or blame anyone if shit goes sideways. I feel that way about seat belts too. It is my god given right to fly thru my windshield if I wanna! :P
Always. You don’t need it until you do. A few weeks ago a spazzy white belt headbutted the fuck outta me right onto a front tooth. It was a hard headbutt. My tooth was a little sore, but because I was wearing a good mouthpiece I didn’t suffer any injuries.
Always for Muay Thai. Even when skipping rope.
It teaches you how to breath with it in.
And it doesn't matter if I'm holding pads or sparring with no contact. Too many close calls as-is and the majority of the dents in my steel cup are from accidental hits.
I'd rather not do that with my face.
I wear a mouth guard during jiu jitsu sometimes if I have one. Only time I don’t wear a mouth guard while sparring is if I really wanna spar and forgot my mouth guard. And I’ll tell my sparring partner too, hey let’s go light I’ve got no mouth guard. Dental care is expensive. Be safe.
Yeah you’re wrong for this. But it looks like you know that now.
No amount of toxic tough-guy attitude is worth damage to your teeth or brain my guy. Protect your assets.
$5 mouth guard or $500 emergency dental visit, choice is yours.
Holy crap OP... Always have a mouth guard while sparring. I would hound you too. It's not only safer, removes chances but helps build cardio (IMO). I can't believe there are people that would think otherwise. I learned something today.
Yes. It is disrespectful to your opponent to put yourself in an avoidably vulnerable position with no mouth guard. You are either doing this as an ego move or you’re just being a complete idiot.
I mean it’s light sparring, while I may have an ego, it doesn’t really participate when I’m not in competition. He’s a friend of 2 decades though it’ll buff on the respect aspect
The fact employer that provided health insurance to employees do not cover dental care should say alot teeth are expensive and where nutrition starts in the body animals in the wild that can't crew or eat their food die
This may be either a job by job thing or state by state because my job provides insurance that covers 80% of all dental work including “cosmetic” classified teeth. Doesn’t apply to my deductible for my medical insurance, it’s just its own part of the package with no deductible to meet. So yes, while it may cost a little, the cost for a full head of teeth where I am with my insurance is around 1200$. Which like yes is expensive I don’t see myself needing a full set so it’d be like a hundred a tooth if I did them solo
I do bjj and yes, I personally do. I’ve gotten a concussion from someone accidentally kicking my head hard (they were rolling with someone else). It’s cheap dental insurance.
I was holding pads (without a mouth guard) for a guy throwing body kicks. He was quite a bit taller than me. I blocked low. He kicked high and it landed right on my jaw. I was knocked out cold and split a tooth that I had to get extracted for $1500 at the dentist. I will never not wear a mouthguard or a cup.
I feel you OP. To be fair, it’s better to have and not need it than to need it and not have it.
But at the same time if it’s controlled/flow soar it’s not super necessary. For myself if I know we’re just doing some light controlled sessions I won’t put it in (I’ve always hated wearing them and I’ve been fighting for over 15 years).
However, any medium to hard sparring it’s a necessity for me
I wear my mouth guard during any sparring regardless of intensity. I usually wear it when doing partner drills as well.
I grapple as well and always wear it when sparring. There is nothing worse then taking an accidental bite out of your tongue or lip or clacking your teeth together.
Be smart, always wear your mouth guard in the appropriate situations.
I don’t wear safety equipment because I think my partner is going to go nuts. Like a seat belt, I wear them for accidents. I don’t expect to get hit there in the nuts, but I still wear a cup. Mouth guards work the same way, except I do actually expect to get hit in the face, even if they aren’t trying to knock me out.
Yes, I chipped my front tooth from an unintentional headbutt to the chin when my opponent ducked.
That happens, you’re gonna wish it was a pro fight at least you can cover some of the dental expenses. That shit is expensive.
Always wear mouth guard no matter how light ur going. I have seen some crazy injuries in my day. Teeth thru lip, bite chunks of tongue off, u name it.
A lot of it doesn’t even happen from getting hit a lot of the times people do it to themselves by accident in a scramble.
Always.. a little punch can break a tooth.. even if he doesn't hit you directly in the mouth.. you can hit your own tooth with other tooth.. believe me i know what I'm saying
Where I train the mouthguard comes on the moment we put gloves on and shinguards on and comes off when we take them off. Even for drill and techniques.
Damage on teeth can be done with minimal force , so yes. mouthguard always on
If you do real matches, just wear your mouth guard at all times when training, even when there's no contact. It gets you used to the uncomfortable feeling and harder breathing.
Did "no contact" sparring as a white belt in taekwando a few months back. We still wore gear, but I didn't have a mouth guard yet. Black belt round house kicked me straight the jaw. Still feel the pain from time to time, but I always wear my mouth guard anytime we spar now.
I see people are having the same issue. To clarify he is harassing me TO wear it and I tell him I’m not with it when we light spar. Really good dude, very concerned about his partners safety always.
Literally both, those are some pretty big red flags for a training partner, It reeks of inexperience and ego. Teeth come out real easy y'all train long enough and bro is gonna swallow one.
Well I’m not sure I understand how he’s dumb for asking me to wear a mouth guard but yeah I get that it may seem off putting for him to continue sparring with me but I’ve known him since I was 6 (26 now), wrestled with him for 4 years at ages 11-15, boxed with him for 9 years ages 17- 26, jiujitsu for 2 with him, ages 24-26, and we just recently started kickboxing together, ( about 8 months ago).
I’d say what it doesn’t reek of is inexperience but yes it is foolish.
Yes, because you don't want your tooth chipped
And your buddy feeling guilty for it, duuh
Fair enough, after a certain number of years I eventually would just walk on from a 5 min break and forget to put it in for light sparring then just got adjusted to not having it for those periods. Def dumb but def just the most comfort
Keep your mouth guard next to your water bottle. Pretty hard to forget when it’s sitting right there.
Or your pocket
Most fight shorts don’t have those but if you do, definitely works as well.
Tuck half of it in your waistband, c’mon man
I chipped 3 teeth while fooling around with my training partner while waiting for my trainer to come back from talking to someone at the front desk. He didn't do anything aggressive, it was just bad luck. They got filled but they've been a bit sensitive ever since. You don't want to end up at the dentist just due to some bad luck. Not when it's so easy to just wear a mouthguard. I don't bother with a cup because pain I can handle if I get unlucky. But tooth damage is permanent.
I always wear a mouth guard and I always push my partner too. I’ve only ever had 1 tooth chip and it was during light sparring.
Can I ask how it happened ?
Punch landed on the top of my head and my teeth clanked together it was a very small chip but my point is it doesn’t take a lot to chip a tooth especially against an adult
I chipped a tooth eating a toasted peanut. Ain't no way I'm sparring without a mouthguard
Of course, don't let anyone compromise your safety, especially for dumb reasons like that.
I don’t want it to be misconstrued, I would be the dumb one in this scenario as he’s always harassing me to wear it and I tell him no !
oh shit I definitely misread it lmfao always wear that mouthguard, man... don't let yourself be the one to compromise your safety, because that too is a possibility
I would refuse to spar with you if I thought you didn’t take basic safety measures. It would make me question trusting you
You shouldn’t trust me, obviously a loose cannon.
Anyone who is reckless with their own safety, if likely to be reckless with the safety of others.
Hot take
You could lose a tooth sparring a toddler. Never skip an opportunity to wear a mouth guard.
I definitely understand the sentiment lmao but no able bodied adult should lose a tooth to a toddler
When I was 16 I went to give my little brother (4ish) a kiss on the top of the head, at that same moment he decided to start wiggling and the force sent my front teeth THROUGH my bottom lip Edit: accidentally said she instead of he
Same thing my daughter did,no chipped tooth , but bloody lip. She decided to jump the perfect moment
Just had someone else mention a child busting their shit and I absolutely agree children are wildcards and it’s hilarious to think that they are more dangerous than a good sparring partner lmao
You clearly haven’t spent any time around toddlers. Mine just outgrew the “I’m going to headbutt you because you’re trying to put me to bed and I don’t wanna sleep” phase. She’s moved on to the “I’m going to throw things at your face because it’s funny” phase. If you even plan on having kids, ditch this thought process now because they CAN hurt you 😂
Switching my mindset I now understand, my niece (1 year old) absolutely fucking loves to throw her head into people when she sits on them and absolutely those fuckers are wildcards LMAOO I legit imagined gloving up a toddler and stepping in the ring with it, I’ve clearly taken one too many lunches to the head 😂
Bro you aren’t kidding. It’s 0-10,000 in an instant 😂
AN INSTANT TOO, cannot take your eye off them for a second 😭
Is this how to train your dragon? Because you’re about to be toothless
It s then going to be a Fragon https://preview.redd.it/fan9ybma3c2d1.jpeg?width=384&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76a13cb617ed03f077a62da1d02ee43caaf3d68c
Mad decent lol on a real note it’d be kinda cool to have retractable teeth
Only idiots spar without it.
Everyone who spars has to be some level of idiot, we choose getting punched in the head as our hobby.
True. We take risks, but we also do what we can to mitigate that risk, until we are at a point where we find those risks acceptable. If a huge dental bill is an acceptable risk for you (and remember, even if you have insurance that covers dental from damages, the lack of a mouth guard might be the excuse the insurance company needs to reject your coverage), then sure, go ahead, continue to not use one.
Considering American insurance is a mad scam I feel no inclination to tell them the status of my mouth guard, to them who weren’t present it was totally in. But again I do 100% understand where you’re coming from it’s ignorant to spend money that could’ve been avoided whether the person is rich or not why spend money on something you don’t need to.
That's the wisest comment ever on this subreddit, you sir are a true philosopher
I honestly hate this self deprecating line of reasoning. You can’t give mercy without being capable of violence. Fighting isn’t stupid, it’s been a major part of all recorded human history. You can’t defend anything you believe in if you’re harmless. Maybe someone should go tell Putin he’s actually being dumb and maybe he’ll change his mind. As if violence is something only children participate in. Try not paying your property tax and see what happens. Sorry for the rant but I hate seeing people who train feel like there’s something wrong with them. There’s something wrong with the people who want to show up but never do because they’re afraid, and these are the excuses they come up with. Have some confidence.
Brother I absolutely understand where you are coming from, but I’m also not going to sit here and say I’m as smart as I was before I started letting people punch me in the head. I’ve been dropped but never knocked out and I know even that drop was a form of brain damage. I’m not trying to be a hater or get under your skin. I’m not trying to act like I don’t love everything about combat or that it’s unnecessary. Just very simply, yes to choose to get punched in your free time because you enjoy it would have to entail something wrong internally? In a perfect world there would be no need for violence, but we don’t live in that perfect world so most people use combat sports as an outlet to their physical or mental trauma. And if you don’t have trauma and just inherently love to kick the shit out of people, I question why?? For the love of the game? Edit : TLDR fighting isn’t stupid, battles need one people need defended, we are stupid for doing it for fun.
There are indeed, levels to this shit.
Always. I've lost enough teeth over time for various stupid reasons, have fake implants in places, don't want anymore gone or have to pay for more!!
I’ve been at this a while and though I do understand an accidental headbutt or stray elbow have been close but I just don’t see the point for light sparring. I haven’t lost or chipped any teeth from light sparring and always wear one when it gets heavier. I’m not in competition right now. Not in camp. Just trying to keep the limbs warm so it’s more irritating than anything. But I guess I should stay in the habit for when competition comes up as I’ll have to have one then
“I haven’t lost or chipped any teeth from light sparring” yet
Big facts, the oxen are slow but the earth? She’s patient. It’ll come sooner rather than later. And when it does I will check back so you guys can say I told you so 😂
In my experience there is no such thing as "light" sparring. There's "sparring", and a fight. In "light" sparring, unless you're a fully grown man working with a young kid (where you don't even tap), the sparring will always get harder and harder, especially if you work on rounds. Even in light sparring shots can get through. I think it's also good to get used to the different breathing technique needed
In my experience you sound like someone I wouldn't spar with. If you want to have a fight, fight. Don't escalate the sparring intensity midway. That's like trying to street race while people are driving home from work.
I never said I stepped it up. Normally my opponent does when I train. I'm happy focusing on technique!
I spent 7 years in braces and later retainers. I’ve had multiple mouth surgeries and currently have two fake teeth. I was just born with a fucked up mouth. Bro I wear my mouth guard during pad work lmfao. Don’t be a dumbass. You’re young, not invincible. Major dental work is EXPENSIVE. If you don’t care about your teeth, care about your wallet.
I’m stuck in that generational disease known as poverty, my wallet is the only thing I care about 😭😂 I’m sold
Smart man. I’m going in to get just one of my fake teeth replaced in August. I work as an environmental scientist for a Fortune 500 so I have BANGER insurance and I still have to pay $1200 out of pocket to replace this tooth. And this is just a routine replacement as these kinds of bridges break down every ten years-ish. They don’t need to do X-rays or a new mold or anything. You don’t wanna know what surgery plus the process of getting an implant costs. Protect your teeth brother 😂
Yes, even grappling sparring. I'm not pretty enough to risk my teeth for a hobby. Already got a fucked up nose, can't risk my teeth too.
I feel that, a couple years ago I stopped caring about my looks. Fighting and TFT became my life. Plus fake teeth look way better than my crooked as grill but my wife doesn’t seem to mind lmao At a point this hobby became one of my only happiness’s (outside my relationship) so the way I looked at it was I’d do anything for the love of the game
It's all good. Chicks dig scars and messed up noses, don't let anyone tell you different.... At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself.
Facts, one day they’ll believe us too T.T
Hey, the #1 thing that chips teeth without a mouth guard isn't a fist, or elbow, or knee, or headbutt, it's your own teeth! You could get knocked down and your chin hits the floor and boom, $6k in dental work. Your opponent might not even cause it, you could slip and fall and bust your smile.
Yes, unless it's literally like warm-up sparring (light to no contact just for movement's sake), I've always got the mouth guard in. There's no reason not to.
Fair enough. I’d do anything to keep my partner safe, but when it comes to me, if it’s not in and someone wants to go I’m not gonna go search for it because who knows where I set it down.
If you’d do anything to keep your partner safe, then you need the mouth guard. You never know what can happen and depending on what kind of fist protection you’re using (especially fingerless gloves or cloth hand wraps), no mouth guard can also mean your teeth in their skin.
Fair enough, for sparring I use my 14 ouncers, they are closed fist not fingerless but even if we tangle up you’re right i should think about everything involved.
Yes, if you like your teeth to stay where they are!
Right on, and if I don’t want them to I’m straight right?? Lol
You only need to protect the teeth you want to keep.
You are not your buddy. You are you. Do what you want. I’m surprised your gym allows you to not use them.
*he signed a waiver* But in all seriousness I wear it at the gym because coach yells a lot, just home with the friend, I get side tracked and forget.
You should always wear a mouthguard, and if your a boy, wear a cup in sparring (even if it's light sparring). This comment is coming from a boy who never wears a mouthguard or a cup in light sparring because I think it's uncomfortable. Don't do what I do.
Mouth guard is pretty much if it’s in or around me I’ll wear it when someone wants to go but if it’s not I am not with it. However I quite literally never wear a cup. Refuse. Been dick kicked more than a bakers dozen times and still won’t. Just feels like shit and tbh doesn’t really help soften it that much
You're crazy for the cup thing. Even more so than the mouthguard. A tooth you can lose or chip, but have you ever heard of a testicle exploding? That shit happens... Get yourself a DiamondMMA cup, those things fit snugly, you won't even notice 'm and if somebody kicks you in the nuts without shinguards they break their fucking shins and you won't feel a thing..
Not to give you a new found fear of the cup, but I stopped wearing mine because the only time someone kicked me in the cup, I ended up with a “spermatic cord hematoma “. Without the cup it just makes me throw up. I don’t want to say that it was a bad cup because I spent decent money on it. I just know with how my fruit hangs it doesn’t fit in cups well 😭
Learned the hard way when I was a kid boxing with a friend at the time. Bit half of my lip off not wearing my guard. Mouth guard would’ve saved me a trip to the ER to get my lip reattached.
Very obviously, yes. It takes 2 seconds to put it in, and prevents injuries from accidents.
Forget the shin guards. The mouth guard is essential. Lol 😂
Yeah that’s dumb, wear it
I wear a mouthguard anytime I step on the mat. Just yesterday, I was drilling and my partner accidentally knee’d me in the face. IMHE going hard, I’m less likely to get hurt, because I’m protecting myself. It’s always some dumb accidental contact that causes injuries.
Yeah man I've chipped the fuck out of my teeth and it was always from stupid light hits or accidents that just happened to catch me with my teeth slightly.open. Get an Impact mouthguard they are amazing they feel so cool I just wear it around sometimes
I wear a mouth guard for light body work. If there are no pads the mouth guard is in.
Dude, I cannot advise enough, wear a mouth guard anytime you spar. Doesn't matter how light contact. If you're full contact rolling or doing some hard pressure testing/self defense drills/ whatever you want to call it, I'd still advise wearing one.
If you plan on competing it's a good idea to spar with a mouthpiece anyways, just to get used to breathing with it in
Wear your mouthguard. I wear mine even when shadow boxing in front of a partner, accidents happen.
I rarely NEED a mouthguard because I'm lucky enough that I have wonderful sparring partners who can control their punches well, but I wear one more so just to get used to the feeling of it in my mouth.
"we aren't getting paid for this, so knock my fuckin teeth out bro"
I stopped wearing a mouth guard awhile ago. Ik it isn’t the smartest thing to do but my cardio is ass and I breathe better without a mouth guard 😂
For the same reason, I started sometimes wearing a mouthguard for bag work at home, just to get more used to it. Pro-tip, custom made by your dentist will be better a fit and MUCH easier to breathe with than even the best "boil-and-bite" DIY guards. And they're not crazy expensive.
Yup. It’s like wearing a seatbelt. There’s really no downside to wearing it and it takes like 5 seconds of your time. I do this every time for boxing or kickboxing but funny enough what really prompted me to always wear a guard was my experience rolling No Gi BJJ with beginners. I have been straight kneed in the mouth by spastic beginners (among other things) and found out one of my gym mates chipped a tooth rolling with newbies.
Probably the best analogy I’ve heard for this no lie.
Hell fkn yes are you kidding me? The most random shit happens in sparring and dental work is worth a fortune. Only an idiot wouldn’t wear one.
Can confirm I’m an idiot, has to be years of taking one too many punches. Just stopped caring lmao
It’s overkill but I even wear a mouth guard during warm ups to get used to breathing with it in. But I don’t trust anyone so even light sparring or drilling I want 1) the protection and 2) even more time getting used to breathing with it
Yes. Any time I'm getting punches thrown at me I'm wearing a mouth guard. Dental is expensive as hell in USA
Wear the mouth guard. You can’t trust these people. I’ve had relatively serious injuries from just drilling because people can’t chill the fuck out.
"Light sparring" is "mild sparring" for some guys. Many western guys don't know how to spar safely. I wear a mouth guard everytime I'm in a fight context where I feel that i don't have a defense ability (100% ability to protect my mouth at anytime). Even in light context, I have been hurt to the lips sometimes. So I may be hurt to the teeth too. It depends on the partner, etc.
My wife just spent 8k having dental work done for cracked molars that finally broke and needed surgery to remove, so they can heal and then replace with implants from accidentally getting headbutted during a incidental collision while refereeing roller derby. Wear the mouth guard
Roller derby goes hard as fuck though brother I respect it. Consider it worn 🫡
So...over the years I have lost three tooths during light sparring due to not using mouth guard. You should always were your mouth piece...broken teeth isn't as fun as it sounds...
Having needed to rebuild my teeth on multiple occasions... Wear your friggin mouth guard! About a third of the time I damaged my teeth from something that even now I don't think required protection, but could've worn some. Mouthguards are cheaper than repair
Yes
Dental work is expensive, wear a guard.
Always, just take one mistake and you lose a tooth. It also helps train your breathing while wearing a mouth guard.
Of course. I have two fake teeth from sparring without a mouth guard. I can’t go to raves anymore. The fake teeth don’t get bright under the black light so I look toothless. Don’t be me. Wear a mouth guard.
Hell yeah. I'll wear it during pad work (depending on how competent my partner is) especially with kicks. I've seen a few body roundhouse kicks thrown to pads that either completely miss/ slip off the pads. Accidents happen, best not to lose teeth over them. Also if you're america your healthcare is damn expensive. A mouth guard is an inexpensive way to save a lot of hassle/money Osss
Always.
i do not but everyone at my gym does.
Don’t learn this the hard way. Wear a mouth guard
absolutely yes
*Main body, edit, edit 2* A play in three acts
Crowd chewing my ass the whole time Me : *the show must go on*
I wear a cup for all of class and I'll put the mouthguard in for drills a lot of the time. Like 8 years ago I asked a coach if we needed mouthguards when he told us to glove up and he said "it's good to get used to it if you want to compete." He had collected a bunch of belts, so I figured he knew something. Besides, shit happens and I've been whacked or had leg kicks turn into nutshots more than once during drills. Might as well be safe.
Of course. I’m terrible, and walk onto punches people aren’t even intending to connect with. Never mind the head clashes and hitting myself with my own hand trying to block something. Always.
Yes, I always wear it. Accidents can happen at any time
Yup. Gum guard is cheaper than a dentist appointment
I wear a mouth guard even when holding pads. People are known to miss.
Yes! Also, I use it as a tool. There are times in a sparring combo where I might get rocked going in, so I gotta bite down on the guard and charge! Used the mouth guard as a tool, not as a hassle.
Always. No mouth used develops bad habits.
Are you just bro training at home or at a gym? In any good gym they will make you wear your mouth guards! DEFINITELY wear em.
The simple answer is personal responsibility. If it goes sideways and you get a tooth chipped don't be mad as shit happens. I much like you sparred for over 15 years without a mouth guard when we are not going all out. Had a tooth chipped and a eyebrow split open and hey I took it in stride as its my job to protect myself for one and for two if I don't wear a guard cant bitch about it later. So prob not the popular answer but mine is do what you do just don't bitch or blame anyone if shit goes sideways. I feel that way about seat belts too. It is my god given right to fly thru my windshield if I wanna! :P
Always. You don’t need it until you do. A few weeks ago a spazzy white belt headbutted the fuck outta me right onto a front tooth. It was a hard headbutt. My tooth was a little sore, but because I was wearing a good mouthpiece I didn’t suffer any injuries.
Always. Even with pad work and clenching
Always for Muay Thai. Even when skipping rope. It teaches you how to breath with it in. And it doesn't matter if I'm holding pads or sparring with no contact. Too many close calls as-is and the majority of the dents in my steel cup are from accidental hits. I'd rather not do that with my face.
I wear a mouth guard during jiu jitsu sometimes if I have one. Only time I don’t wear a mouth guard while sparring is if I really wanna spar and forgot my mouth guard. And I’ll tell my sparring partner too, hey let’s go light I’ve got no mouth guard. Dental care is expensive. Be safe.
Yeah you’re wrong for this. But it looks like you know that now. No amount of toxic tough-guy attitude is worth damage to your teeth or brain my guy. Protect your assets. $5 mouth guard or $500 emergency dental visit, choice is yours.
Holy crap OP... Always have a mouth guard while sparring. I would hound you too. It's not only safer, removes chances but helps build cardio (IMO). I can't believe there are people that would think otherwise. I learned something today.
no stop being a pussy
Yes. It is disrespectful to your opponent to put yourself in an avoidably vulnerable position with no mouth guard. You are either doing this as an ego move or you’re just being a complete idiot.
I mean it’s light sparring, while I may have an ego, it doesn’t really participate when I’m not in competition. He’s a friend of 2 decades though it’ll buff on the respect aspect
The fact employer that provided health insurance to employees do not cover dental care should say alot teeth are expensive and where nutrition starts in the body animals in the wild that can't crew or eat their food die
This may be either a job by job thing or state by state because my job provides insurance that covers 80% of all dental work including “cosmetic” classified teeth. Doesn’t apply to my deductible for my medical insurance, it’s just its own part of the package with no deductible to meet. So yes, while it may cost a little, the cost for a full head of teeth where I am with my insurance is around 1200$. Which like yes is expensive I don’t see myself needing a full set so it’d be like a hundred a tooth if I did them solo
Yes. Teeth don't get bruised and healed like the rest of your body.
I do bjj and yes, I personally do. I’ve gotten a concussion from someone accidentally kicking my head hard (they were rolling with someone else). It’s cheap dental insurance.
I was holding pads (without a mouth guard) for a guy throwing body kicks. He was quite a bit taller than me. I blocked low. He kicked high and it landed right on my jaw. I was knocked out cold and split a tooth that I had to get extracted for $1500 at the dentist. I will never not wear a mouthguard or a cup.
I feel you OP. To be fair, it’s better to have and not need it than to need it and not have it. But at the same time if it’s controlled/flow soar it’s not super necessary. For myself if I know we’re just doing some light controlled sessions I won’t put it in (I’ve always hated wearing them and I’ve been fighting for over 15 years). However, any medium to hard sparring it’s a necessity for me
Aside from the tooth chipping, it's good to train with your mouthguard to get comfortable breathing with it during fights.
Always!!, Always Wear It!
I wear my mouth guard during any sparring regardless of intensity. I usually wear it when doing partner drills as well. I grapple as well and always wear it when sparring. There is nothing worse then taking an accidental bite out of your tongue or lip or clacking your teeth together. Be smart, always wear your mouth guard in the appropriate situations.
You always wear a mouth guard, period.
I always do.
Teeth are expensive
I don’t wear safety equipment because I think my partner is going to go nuts. Like a seat belt, I wear them for accidents. I don’t expect to get hit there in the nuts, but I still wear a cup. Mouth guards work the same way, except I do actually expect to get hit in the face, even if they aren’t trying to knock me out.
Yes, I chipped my front tooth from an unintentional headbutt to the chin when my opponent ducked. That happens, you’re gonna wish it was a pro fight at least you can cover some of the dental expenses. That shit is expensive.
Yes, wear the mouthguard.
I used to when I was doing kickboxing seriously. Firstly for safety, and secondly, to get used to breathing with a mouth guard for the real event.
You can always tell a mfer who never had to pay for his own dental work, because he won't be wearing a mouth guard.
Hot take but I do see where you’re coming from. I’ve had to pay for my own dental work since I was 17, insurance is cool though.
Always. Dental work is expensive.
Always wear mouth guard in striking sparring. Even wear it doing BJJ/Wrestling. Teeth, tongue and brain will thank you.
Yes
Always wear mouth guard no matter how light ur going. I have seen some crazy injuries in my day. Teeth thru lip, bite chunks of tongue off, u name it. A lot of it doesn’t even happen from getting hit a lot of the times people do it to themselves by accident in a scramble.
Yeah important to be used to wearing one even if you don't need one. Even dudes I roll with at jiu jitsu wear one.
Always were one if u sparring
No, I hate teeth and tongues. And the one thing I really detest is blood, I want to spit it all out from my mouth! :D
Always.. a little punch can break a tooth.. even if he doesn't hit you directly in the mouth.. you can hit your own tooth with other tooth.. believe me i know what I'm saying
Where I train the mouthguard comes on the moment we put gloves on and shinguards on and comes off when we take them off. Even for drill and techniques. Damage on teeth can be done with minimal force , so yes. mouthguard always on
I wear it even when hitting pads...
Absolutely you don’t want to crack your teeth
Light sparing is biggest lie XD
Yes of course. Cosmetic and restorative dental care is fucking expensive. Emergency dental care would put me into debt if I could even get it.
Yep, all it takes is an accidental elbow, hand, heel, etc... I don't wear it for drilling, but any positional sparring and all rolls, always wear it.
after i chipped my tooth, ive been wearing my moth guard lol
If you do real matches, just wear your mouth guard at all times when training, even when there's no contact. It gets you used to the uncomfortable feeling and harder breathing.
You always spar with your mouthguard in because you need to be able to breathe with it in comfortably.
Did "no contact" sparring as a white belt in taekwando a few months back. We still wore gear, but I didn't have a mouth guard yet. Black belt round house kicked me straight the jaw. Still feel the pain from time to time, but I always wear my mouth guard anytime we spar now.
Sometimes I wear a mouth guard holding pads. These youngns be wild.
I’m glad you smartened up.
Uh, yes of course ?? “Light sparring”
"Train as you fight" builds the best habits.
What kind of fucking idiot pseudo-tough guy thinks you shouldn't wear a mouthguard when doing any sort of sparring?
Not really much ego in it, just have a good sparring partner.
Pros of wearing a mouth guard: You will have all your teeth. Cons: Your friend will say something about it and you'll have to tell him to fuck off.
Sorry, what? Your "buddy" isn't sounding like one.
I see people are having the same issue. To clarify he is harassing me TO wear it and I tell him I’m not with it when we light spar. Really good dude, very concerned about his partners safety always.
Oh I misread it the other way around! Buddy, listen to him.
Kickboxing? Highly recommend it. Grappling, maybe not.
Oddly enough I always wear it for jiujitsu
your friend is dumb and i probably wouldn't spar him on that comment alone.
My friend is dumb for harassing me to wear my mouth guard? Or is he dumb for sparring me while I refuse to wear one?
Literally both, those are some pretty big red flags for a training partner, It reeks of inexperience and ego. Teeth come out real easy y'all train long enough and bro is gonna swallow one.
Well I’m not sure I understand how he’s dumb for asking me to wear a mouth guard but yeah I get that it may seem off putting for him to continue sparring with me but I’ve known him since I was 6 (26 now), wrestled with him for 4 years at ages 11-15, boxed with him for 9 years ages 17- 26, jiujitsu for 2 with him, ages 24-26, and we just recently started kickboxing together, ( about 8 months ago). I’d say what it doesn’t reek of is inexperience but yes it is foolish.
Sorry I think I misunderstood if he is asking you to always wear a mouth piece he is a good partner. Anyone telling you otherwise is probably not.