Taping Fingers for BJJ: Why It Matters and How to Do It (Without Overcomplicating It)

Taping Fingers for BJJ: Why It Matters and How to Do It (Without Overcomplicating It)

If you train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu regularly, your fingers take a beating long before the rest of your body does. Gripping collars, sleeves, and pants round after round puts constant stress on the small joints, tendons, and skin of your hands. Over time that can mean swollen knuckles, sore ligaments, split skin, and time off the mats.

Finger taping is a simple way to reduce that damage so you can train harder and longer, especially if you’re a gi player who lives on grips. Whether you’re learning fundamental positions like closed guard or competing at advanced levels, protecting your fingers ensures you can maintain the grips necessary for effective technique.

Why Tape Your Fingers in Jiu Jitsu?

Taping isn’t only for big injuries. Used consistently, it helps with:

• Joint support: Extra stability around the knuckles and middle joints reduces painful hyperextension and irritation from strong grips
• Tendon stress relief: Limiting the end range of motion takes some load off overworked flexor tendons​
• Skin protection: A thin layer of tape over fingertips or around knuckles protects against friction from the gi and prevents small cuts from reopening
• Longevity on the mats: If your fingers hurt less, you’re more likely to show up, grip strong, and keep progressing​

It won’t magically fix serious injuries, but it can make the difference between “I have to skip training” and “I can still roll, just taped up”. This becomes especially important as you advance through the BJJ belt system and spend more years accumulating grip-related wear and tear.​

What Kind of Tape Should You Use?

You don’t need anything fancy, but a random, thick pharmacy tape usually feels bulky and peels off quickly with sweat. Quality finger tape is just as important as choosing the right BJJ gi for your training needs.​

For BJJ, look for:

• Width: About 0.3–0.5 inches (8–13mm). Narrow tape is easier to wrap joints and fingertips without a huge “cast” feeling​
• Material: Non-elastic cotton or zinc-oxide athletic tape for support. Slightly stretchy tape works if you mainly want skin protection​
• Adhesive: Strong enough to stay on during hard rolls, but not so aggressive that it shreds your skin when removing
• Length: Look for rolls offering 10+ yards (30+ feet) for good value​

Pro tip: Quality BJJ finger tape should leave no sticky residue when removed and maintain adhesion through sweat. Consider it part of your essential BJJ gear alongside your gi and rash guards.

​

Simple Ways to Tape Your Fingers for BJJ

You don’t need complicated patterns. These three basic methods cover almost everything you’ll see on the mats. Once you master these techniques, they’ll become as routine as tying your BJJ belt before class.

1. X-Pattern / Figure-8 Taping (Joint Support)

Best for: Sore knuckles, preventing hyperextension from strong sleeve/collar grips

1. Cut a 12–15 inch strip of narrow tape​
2. Anchor the tape just below the joint you want to support
3. Cross the tape diagonally over the front of the joint, then around the back to make a loose “X” pattern​
4. Wrap 2-3 times to create coverage over at least two-thirds of the joint​
5. Secure with a final anchor ring just above the joint​

You should still be able to bend the finger, just with a bit of resistance and less “give” at the end range. This technique is particularly valuable for players who use heavy grips in positions like spider guard and lasso.

2. Buddy Taping (Linking Fingers Together)

Best for: Mild sprains, jammed fingers, or unstable joints that hurt when they move independently

1. Position the injured finger next to a healthy neighboring finger
2. Anchor both fingers together at the base with a ring of tape​
3. Add a second anchor point near the middle of both fingers to create stability​
4. Optional: Use X-pattern between the anchors for extra support​

The healthy finger becomes a “buddy” that shares the load and keeps the injured one from twisting or bending sideways. Make sure both fingertips stay warm and pink—if they go numb or pale, retape looser. This method allows you to keep training while minor injuries heal, though serious injuries require proper medical attention and rest.

3. Fingertip Wrap (Skin and Nail Protection)

Best for: Split fingertips, torn skin near the nail, or thin skin from lots of gripping​

1. Start just below the fingertip pad
2. Spiral the tape over the tip, overlapping each turn by about half the tape’s width​
3. Stop after 2–3 layers so you still have some feel and friction for gripping​

This keeps sensitive skin covered so you can still grab the gi without ripping it open again. Combined with proper hygiene practices, fingertip wrapping helps prevent infections in damaged skin.

Thumb and Toe Taping: Worth It?

Thumbs: Your thumb is involved in almost every grip, from collar chokes to triangle setups. A simple spiral wrap from the base of the thumb toward the tip can give extra support when it’s sore or overused. Just avoid wrapping across the thumb pad so much that you can’t hold the sleeve or collar.​

Toes: Not as common as finger taping, but wrapping a jammed or sprained toe to its neighbor (buddy taping for toes) can help you keep training in closed guard or top positions without every step feeling brutal. Just like maintaining your gi properly, taking care of your toes is part of long-term training sustainability.

These are optional, but useful if you’ve had recurring thumb sprains or toe stubs.

Common Finger Taping Mistakes

Avoid these so taping helps instead of becoming a hassle. Many of these mistakes are similar to the common errors white belts make when starting their BJJ journey—preventable with proper guidance.

• Too tight: If your fingertip turns pale, blue, or numb, it’s too tight. Remove and rewrap​
• Too bulky: Using thick tape or too many layers makes it hard to grip and can actually weaken your hands. Aim for low-profile wraps​
• Dirty, sweaty skin: Tape won’t stick to chalk, sweat, or lotion. Wash and dry your hands first —just as important as cleaning your gi after training​
• Using tape instead of rest: If a finger is obviously crooked, extremely swollen, or you can’t move it—tape is not the fix. You need a medical check, not more rolls​
• Wrapping too loose: If tape rolls off during your first roll, you didn’t anchor properly or didn’t overlap enough​

How to Remove Tape Without Destroying Your Skin

After training, don’t just rip everything off in one go. Proper tape removal is part of your overall BJJ hygiene routine:​

• Peel the tape back slowly on itself instead of straight up from the skin
• If it’s stuck, run warm water over your fingers or use a bit of soap to loosen the adhesive
• Wash your hands and, if your skin feels dry or irritated, use a light moisturizer so the skin doesn’t crack​

This matters if you tape daily—irritated skin can become its own problem and make you vulnerable to skin infections common in BJJ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should white belts tape their fingers?

Yes, if your fingers hurt. There’s no “minimum rank” to start taping—some people need it from day one because of their grip style or previous hand injuries, while others train for years without taping. The Reddit BJJ community confirms: “Whenever you feel any pain, start taping and train with tape until the pain is gone”. Whether you’re just beginning your BJJ journey or training for years, listen to your body.​

Does finger tape actually improve grip strength?

Not directly, but it can help you maintain functional grip strength longer. A 1997 study on football players found that tape doesn’t increase raw grip strength and may slightly reduce it. However, BJJ-specific research shows that tape redistributes stress from vulnerable joints to stronger forearm muscles, allowing you to grip harder for longer without pain. This becomes particularly important when executing techniques like mount control that require sustained grips.

When should I tape my fingers—before every class or only when injured?

It depends on your training style and finger health:​

• Preventative taping: If you play heavy gi-grip games (spider guard, lasso, cross-collar grips), consider taping regularly to prevent cumulative damage​
• Injury management: If fingers are already sore or swollen, tape until pain subsides, then continue for a few more sessions​
• No-gi training: Most people don’t tape for no-gi unless recovering from a specific injury​

As you progress through different belt levels, you’ll develop a sense of when your fingers need extra support.

Which fingers should I tape?

Focus on the fingers that hurt most from your grip style:​

• Spider guard/lasso players: Index and middle fingers (sleeve grips)
• Cross-collar specialists: Middle, ring, and pinky fingers (deep collar grips)
• Pistol grip users: Index and middle fingers (pant grips)
• Everyone: Any finger showing swelling, stiffness, or pain during warm-up

Your grip preferences will evolve as you develop your game, and your taping strategy should adapt accordingly.

How long should I keep tape on after training?

Remove tape immediately after training. Leaving it on can trap moisture, irritate skin, and potentially cause circulation issues if swelling increases post-training. Clean and inspect your fingers, then retape fresh for the next session—part of your post-training hygiene routine.​

Can I shower with finger tape on?

Not recommended. Wet tape loses adhesion and can harbor bacteria. Remove tape before showering, then inspect and clean your fingers properly to prevent skin infections.​

Final Thoughts: Make Taping Part of Smart Training, Not a Crutch

Taping your fingers for BJJ is not about looking tough—it’s about staying on the mats consistently. Used properly, finger tape:

• Protects your joints and skin from cumulative damage​
• Lets you push your grips without burning your fingers out​
• Helps mild sprains and overuse calm down while you keep training smartly​

Try starting with one or two sore fingers instead of wrapping your whole hand. Adjust tightness, tape width, and patterns until you find what feels supportive but still allows you to move and grip naturally.

Whether you’re training at one of Vancouver’s top BJJ academies, Toronto’s premier gyms, or searching for BJJ training near you, proper finger taping will help you train consistently for years to come.

Ready to protect your hands? Explore our complete BJJ gear guide to find quality finger tape and other training essentials. For more injury prevention strategies, check out our guide on amazing benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and how to maximize them while minimizing wear and tear.