Ringworm is a huge PITA

Discussion in 'Grappling Technique' started by Big Eck, May 9, 2008.

  1. Big Eck On the mat

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    I've now had ringworm four times so far this year. I've been training for just over a year and a half, the past few months have been my first experiences with it.

    Now I'm a clean guy, I shower prior to and after every class. I seem to have picked it up on my neck from drilling on some dirty university wrestling mat which rarely gets cleaned. Since then, it's spread to three new sores in different areas on my neck, all within the same vicinity. This crap is a pain in the ass, and it's making me lose a lot of time on the mat. Just wondering if anybody else has had a similar experience with this stuff and wants to share their stories.

    I'm just dousing the hell out of it with Lamisil right now. Hopefully this will be over soon
     
  2. Kimuralex Brown Belt

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    never had the worm(fingers crossed), you might want to buy some kenshield(its exensive tho) and use it before you train....that might help man

    get better, it sucks missing time on the mat..its torture isnt it?
     
  3. ahcshon Purple Belt

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    Ive been training for nearly 2 1/2 years and I have never had ringworm or staph. Selsun Blue and Dial soap does the trick for me.
     
  4. Jiu-Jitsu Cop Green Belt

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    I have trained for many years and have had it too many times. Lamisel works great for me. I too shower after each workout but it comes around every now and then. The best advice I can give is to try to catch it early when you see it and treat it. We can not control how mats are always cleaned or how others take care of themselves.
     
  5. 750coop White Belt

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    I have had my share of battles (wrestled for 14 years). I would say make certain you shower right after working out, but DRY OFF effectively! ringworm thrives in damp areas....just my 2cents
     
  6. Toujourpret Black Belt

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    My experience has been university mats are the worst. My university had a mat room that was great because you could go in and roll whenever. In an entire school year i never saw them clean them. Not saying they didn't but it seemed few and far between
     
  7. Calc White Belt

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    Maybe you could have cleaned them?
     
  8. Big Eck On the mat

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    Lamisil definitely works the best. I had some Lotrimin that I used for a week on the first one I got, it did all of nothing. Lamisil gets rid of the worm in about 3-5 days average for me. I usually take a good week off of rolling though just to make sure I don't spread it to any of my teammates.

    Absolutely. That's the exact situation that I was in. I haven't rolled there since I got my first ringworm rash. It was convenient to do some BJJ homework on but definitely not worth it.

    For sure. I've been watching videos and I just want to get back on the mat and train again... this sucks.

    It's not that simple... for me, there isn't a mop and pale anywhere in the gym that I know of. What am I supposed to do? Bring one in my car and hope the water doesn't spill out on the way?
     
  9. TSLx89 White Belt

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    Maybe just talk to an athletic director and ask that you have access to a mop and pale. If not, ask if you can bring one in and leave it somewhere. I really don't see how the director can deny that since YOU'd be the one cleaning the mats for him as well promoting hygiene.

    In wrestling, our mats got cleaned before every practice. In BJJ, our mats are cleaned after the morning classes take place and then after the evening classes take place.
     
  10. jliu6190 Yellow Belt

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    which university? i'm gonna try and NOT go there now...
     
  11. Big Eck On the mat

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    I'd have no problem doing that except that the point is pretty much moot now that my old school has gotten rid of the wrestling mat and replaced it with some fuzzy gymnastics crap mat.

    Montclair State, the blue mat in the gymnastics room in Sprague gym. I haven't checked out the new rec center since I graduated, maybe there's a cleaner mat there.
     
  12. Mike MacDonald Amateur Fighter

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    Staph and Ringworm suck. I used to go to a gym who never cleaned there mats and ppl were covered in bumps it was gross.
     
  13. BillP3 Orange Belt

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    Big Eck,

    Ive had to deal with ring worm before (also, even if you shower directly after rolling theres still a chance you can get ringworm if you have broken skin and the fungal infection gets into it).

    I use a lamisil type of ointment and it works. You should also go see a doctor and they could prescribe a medication called Fluconazole which is a tablet and helps fight ringworm.

    Also theres a chance it might not be ringworm (unless it looks exactly like ringworm) and its always good to get it checked.

    Also on that note does Montclair have a BJJ team or people who roll? Im an officer on the Rutgers BJJ team and i'm trying to find more people to possibly come to in-house tournaments at Rutgers next semester.
     
  14. armbarking Green Belt

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    I would just mop the mats myself prior to use. I'm sure if you talk to whoever's in charge and explain to them the nasty shit that breeds on wrestling mats, they would be happy to let you use a mop bucket and cleaner anytime you needed. I used to train at a Karate school who didn't really wash their mats too well, so everyday before class we mopped them. Then after class always shower and use some defense soap or something of the like. And of course always wash your gi and never leave it in your gym bag after you workout cause your gym bag will become nasty itself.

    I had it once on my face. Right on my cheek staring at the world saying "Look at me! I'm a fungus growing on this guys face!" I was out for a month till it completely went away. That sucked!!!
     
  15. UDfan Yellow Belt

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    if you had it 4 times this year you might not have killed the initial outbreak... sometimes it can seem like you killed it and then you stop treating it but in reality it needs to be treated longer...make sure even after it SEEMS like it dried up you continue to treat (a week - ten days should do)
     
  16. Czyivn Yellow Belt

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    Also, check to make sure you don't have it anywhere else. I got it twice in a month, thought someone kept giving it to me, until I realized that the back of my knee was always itching, looked at in a mirror, and saw a HUGE spot of ringworm the size of my palm. God knows how long it was there, probably months at least. Never had a clue it was there, as I can't see that part of my body EVER. I don't have body length mirrors in my apt or regularly look at my backside in them while naked.
     
  17. Haterade Blue Belt

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    I am just getting over ringworm right now too. We train at this after hours training center where all of these HS kids practice too and are not the best at cleaning the mats. Our team always washes them after class but they really might want to think about doing it before as well. Ringworn is prett nasty
     
  18. infamous mattyd Brown Belt

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    great school in bloomfield, a few blocks outside of montclair.

    http://mbjj.com/
     
  19. BillP3 Orange Belt

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    Yea i know of a few good schools in the general area (trained at a few) but im more hoping for a little inter collegiate competition.
    Thanks for the info though i can still use it
     
  20. Toujourpret Black Belt

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    Occasionally we did but sadly it was not easy to get cleaning supplies from the front desk. My JJ club cleaned them every spring, but they got used 6 hours a day every day, even on weekends.

    We used to have to clean the blood off of the studio floor ourselves when we did stand up work.
     

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