a new tattoo?? it isnt very big, but i hear it can get infected easily, and my trainer advised me not to train for awhile. advice?
I would probably wait about a month. If nothing else just to make sure that it's still not sensitive. Keep some Neosporyn handy. Bandaging it would probably be overkill but you never know.
I have four tats, so I know. Wait untill the scabs on your tat have completely fallen off before you roll. If you don't some of the ink might fall out from getting the scab ground into your gi and ripped off before it's time. Infection is a secondary concern to loss of ink, cuz hopefully you've been keeping the tat clean with mild soap and water. You can still sweat, i.e. train, just don't fight yet. Try drills where there is no friction on your tatoo. treat the thing like a moderate burn or laceration and you'll be fine. After all you paid good money for the thing, and you'll want it to last right?
Bandage it and go. I teach classes outside on the beach and on a grassy field and I got my whole Upper back tatted and I still rolled every day for 8 hours a day teaching and competing with fellow instructors.
I waited for about two weeks after I got my tattoo (around my bicep). It still hurt a little bit, but rolling didn't fuck it up.
