RANDOM THINGS ONLY JIU JITSU PEOPLE GET

2x European Champion, Emilia Tuukkanen, looks at 15 little things only jiu jitsu people understand.

1. You can never have enough kimonos. Or rashguards.

2. If you find a kimono that fits you perfectly, there is no shame in getting it in all the possible colours and even some colours twice.

3. Fingertape. Everywhere.

4. Unconcious need to underhook your grandma while she gives you a hug.

5. You always search for cauliflower ears wherever you are. And when you find them, you give that person the nod of approval.

6. You named your dog Renzo, Kimura, Marcelo or Kyra.

7. You don't really know why acai is such a thing among jiu jitsu people, but eat it at every competition anyway.

8. You don't even bother to count your injuries anymore. Unless you hear someone complaining about theirs, then it is your time to shine and put them to shame.

9. You plan ahead carefully what gi to wear on which day so you can do your laundry accordingly and look fly as hell.

10. That nervous feeling when finding out some new black belt is coming to the weekly open mat.

11. The deep pain and shame of not having cauliflower ear / jiujitsu fingers.

12. You learn that you can't judge anyone by their looks. Specificly, you learned it after that 50kg 14-year-old girl choked you out.

13. You can't help but laugh when some gym maniac / fitness chick complains about their muscles being sore. Honey, you haven't even felt pain before waking up after last night's 2 hour open mat where you were the smallest one. You literally have to check your body limb by limb if everything is even attached anymore.

14. You now know that eating a lot before training is not a good idea, if you wish to keep that food from violently coming out of (hopefully just) your mouth. That one knee-on-the-belly definitely made sure you will remember it for the rest of your life.

15. You have friends all over the world just because they also like to hug people while covered in mostly other people's sweat, while wearing funny-looking pyjamas.