Anyone have any recommendations for a good pair of ear guards? I have just started training MMA and my ears are taking a beating as we focus heavily on BJJ and Wrestling. I’m trying to avoid cauliflower ear especially considering where I work.
I’ve been looking at basic Mattman or Old School ASICS and the Cliff Keen Tornado Headgear.
What are your thoughts on both what headgear to get and how to avoid cauliflowering?
I’m not super knowledgeable, but I asked around and tried to read as much as possible on cauliflower ears. Basically I was told/read a few things:
Wearing your head gear is a great start to preventing cauliflower ear. But it is not guaranteed. Much like wearing you seatbelt in a car, in most cases it will prevent you from injury in a crash provided you wear it, but in some instances, it won’t. It’s preventative.
Some people are just more prone to it than others. A lot has to do with genetics, predisposition and ear placement. Guys like Tito Ortiz wrestle all the time, but won’t get serious cauliflower ear.
If it does become apparent, get it taken care of and drain it at a nearby hospital immediately. Some guys don’t because they like to wear it as a badge of honor, and if neglected, will most likely stay.
That’s what I’ve come to understand, you better believe I’ll be wearing my head gear!
Edit - Check it out Cauliflower ear - Wikipedia
I’ve boxed with my brother and friends for a few years, though we never really got into wrestling, just mostly stand-up stuff. I perforated my ear-drum earlier this year, and after all the shit I got from the doctor, it still leaks sometimes, and I have slightly reduced hearing out of my left ear. I’m 17, and I really don’t intent to fuck my ear up any more than it already is, so I was also looking into some kind of headgear/ear protection. Any more suggestions?
There’s a bunch of online stores that carry sufficient headgear. Trying doing a search on Google.
Anyways, hear you go: http://www.combatsports.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=2555
Obviously, you’d want the headgear for striking and the ear guards for grappling/wrestling.
search function…
i made a thread on this a little while ago 
Unless your ears are incredibly sensitive and prone to cauli ear(in which case you may have to go with a heavy duty model), the Brute Shockwave is a great choice. It’s light, soft (doesnt scratch your partners up), and unobtrusive. The only negative is that it can get quite hot.