How Often Should BJJ and MMA Athletes Get Remedial Massage?
There's no single right answer — it depends on how often you train, how hard you're going, and whether you're in a competition block or just ticking over. But there are some sensible starting points, and after working out of a combat sports gym, we've got a reasonable sense of what tends to work.
Why combat sports are different
Most general fitness training is fairly predictable. Grappling isn't — someone else is actively trying to move you in directions you didn't plan for. Grip fighting hammers the forearms and hands, guard retention loads the hips and lower back, and scrambles put your neck and shoulders in positions they weren't expecting. Striking adds repeated impact through the shoulders, hips and legs on top of all that.
A reasonable starting point
Training two to three times a week
Once a month is often enough to stay on top of general tightness — more maintenance than recovery at this volume.
Training four to five times a week
Every two to three weeks tends to work better, before things start compounding.
In a competition camp
Weekly or fortnightly is common, shifting from maintenance to keeping you training consistently through a hard block.
Straight after competing
A session in the following week can be useful for the specific tightness a comp tends to leave behind.
What to raise in the session
Being specific helps: which positions feel restricted, whether it's worse before or after training, anything that's hung around more than a couple of weeks, and what you're training towards.
Massage isn't a substitute for the boring stuff
It works best alongside adequate sleep, sensible load management and some mobility work. If something is persistently painful rather than tight, get it properly assessed — our osteopath also treats combat sport injuries.
Book a session with Nick
Nick Mann works out of our clinic inside Renegade MMA at 92 Parsons Street, Kensington, and works with combat athletes regularly.
Book online or call the clinic on (03) 4054 1621.
More on remedial massage in Kensington.
Nick Mann stretching a client's leg inside the Mixed Osteo clinic at Renegade MMA
