How to Tape Your Fingers for BJJ: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

If you train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, your fingers take more load than any other joint in your body. Every grip, every collar, every sleeve control runs through four small joints that were never designed for it. Taping is how most grapplers manage that load.

This guide covers the three methods worth knowing, how to do each one properly, and the mistakes that make tape peel off in round two.

This is general training information, not medical advice. If you have a painful, swollen or unstable finger, see a qualified professional.

Why grapplers tape their fingers

Gripping a gi loads the finger joints in a way almost no other sport replicates. Spider guard, collar grips and sleeve control put repeated stress through the small joints of the hand, and the volume adds up across a training week.

Tape does two useful things. It limits how far the joint travels under load, and it gives you something to grip through when your hands are tired. It is not armour and it will not fix an existing injury - but used properly, it lets a lot of people train more comfortably.

What you need before you start

• Proper finger tape. Around 0.3 inches wide. Standard athletic tape is far too wide and has to be torn down, which leaves ragged edges that peel.
• Clean, dry hands. This is the single biggest factor in whether tape holds. Adhesive does not bond to sweat or moisturiser.
• Scissors: not needed. Good finger tape tears cleanly by hand. If yours needs scissors, it is the wrong tape.

Method 1: X-taping (joint support)

The standard method for supporting a single joint. Most people use this on the middle or ring finger.

1. Start the tape below the knuckle, on the segment closest to your palm. Anchor it with one full wrap.
2. Bring the tape diagonally across the joint to the segment above it.
3. Wrap once around that upper segment.
4. Cross back down diagonally, forming an X over the joint.
5. Finish with one anchoring wrap where you started. Tear the tape and press the end flat.

You should be able to bend the finger, but with noticeably less travel at the end of the range. If you cannot bend it at all, it is too tight.

Method 2: Buddy taping (a jammed finger)

When one finger has taken a knock, buddy taping borrows stability from the finger next to it.

1. Place the affected finger alongside its neighbour.
2. Wrap tape around both fingers together, above the joint that hurts.
3. Add a second wrap below that joint.
4. Leave the knuckles themselves free so you can still grip.

Never tape a finger to a neighbour that is significantly longer or shorter - the leverage works against you. Index to middle, or ring to little, are the usual pairings.

Method 3: Anchor wrapping (grip endurance)

For long sessions and competition days, when the goal is durability rather than joint support.

1. Wrap the base segment of each gripping finger two or three times.
2. Keep the wraps flat and slightly overlapping - no gaps, no bunching.
3. Stop below the knuckle so your grip stays natural.

The five mistakes that make tape fail

1. Taping over sweaty skin. Tape sticks to dry skin, nothing else. Tape up before you warm up, not after.
2. Wrapping too tight. If your fingertip changes colour or tingles, take it off and start again.
3. Wrapping too loose. Loose tape slides, bunches, and comes off in the first exchange.
4. Taping over the knuckle. This kills your grip and the tape tears itself apart as the joint moves.
5. Using cheap tape. Weak adhesive gives up when the sweat arrives, and poor-quality tape leaves residue on your gi and your partner's.

How much tape will you actually use?

A grappler taping two or three fingers, three or four sessions a week, typically works through a roll every few weeks. Competitors and anyone playing a heavy grip game go through noticeably more.

This is why most people buy tape in multiples rather than one roll at a time - running out mid-camp is the common complaint.

Frequently asked questions

Should I tape before or after warming up?

Before. Once your hands are damp, adhesive struggles to bond.

Can I reuse finger tape?

No. Once removed, the adhesive is spent and it will not hold for another session.

Does taping weaken my fingers over time?

There is no strong evidence that sensible taping weakens the hand. Most coaches treat tape as a tool for managing training load, alongside grip strength work - not a replacement for it.

Gi or No-Gi?

Both, though gi players generally tape more because collar and sleeve grips load the joints harder for longer.

What width should BJJ finger tape be?

Around 0.3 inches. Wider tape has to be torn down and the resulting edges peel.

The tape itself matters

Most taping problems are not technique problems. They are tape problems - adhesive that quits when the sweat hits, edges that will not tear cleanly, residue left on your grips and your gi.

Pelagos finger tape is built for exactly this: sweat-resistant hold that lasts past the warm-up, a clean hand-tear with no scissors, and no residue left behind. Free tracked shipping to the USA, UK, Australia and Canada, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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