Bumps and Bruises

When you train jiu jitsu or any other combat sport bumps and bruises are a constant. Occasionally I'll even sport a busted lip or injured finger that needs taped up. Sometimes I have straight up hand print bruises on my bicep or forearm from no gi grappling and self defense class. Abrasions on the neck are not out of the question when its collar choke week. Anyone who has ever attended a Shivworks class knows all about the sweet quarter sized wound on the forehead. Guys, amiright????

Generally I am proud of my bumps and bruises. They are badges of honor from a hard training session and make me feel like a badass. When I first started bjj I would compare bruises with my training partners and show them off to my coworkers and non bjj friends. Even if they didn't care I was going to show them. I mean what good is being a boss if you can't hold your employees hostage and tell them about how you got banged up being punched while stabbing a person in the face?

This is totally fine and acceptable behavior in the gym or around other people in the know but it's another story when you have to deal with the public daily. As a retail manager I have to take care to try to hide my injuries. Most of the time it's easy with appropriate clothing but other times, not so much. Like when the air conditioning was on the fritz I wasn't about to wear long sleeves. There's next to nothing you can do to hide a busted lip. 

As a result I've gotten quite a few sympathetic glances when a customer spies a hand print shaped bruise on my bicep or the busted lip I am currently sporting. I know what they are thinking. I have to bite my tongue to avoid giving an explanation to every single customer. 

I have yet to figure out a solid strategy to deal with this. Right now I just focus on not to reverting back to my introvert ways when I'm self conscious. Instead I make an effort to hold my head high with my shoulders back, make eye contact and engage the customer in conversation. Sometimes I throw in a comment to a coworker about working on chokes in class tonight or something along those lines ;) That helps. This reminds me that I need to grab more fliers for Stout Training Pittsburgh to keep on the counter as well.

Felicia Oh wrote an article called Battered and Bruised on this topic as well where she had a few clever t shirt ideas. This past week I thought that a pin saying "you should see the other guy" or something along those lines could have came in handy. I'd love to hear other women's perspective and experience with this. Do you use makeup or adjust your wardrobe or do you even care?