One of the most wonderful things about Jiu Jitsu is the interesting people you meet and the tight knit community it has. It’s heartwarming to hear when an entrepreneur who is deeply ingrained in the community sees a problem and creates a way to solve it!
Mr. Basset’s Grapplers Soap is just this sort of story – a product made for Jiu Jitsu by a dedicated member of our community.
Editorial Disclaimer:
We reached out to Dan Bassett to see if he’d be interested in collaborating for a review. He was excited about the idea and sent several members of the Jiu Jitsu Legacy team a bar of soap for us to test out and write our full, unbiased opinion on.
Beyond this initial review product, we are not affiliated with his company, but do recommend supporting businesses run by people inside the BJJ community.
The Importance of Hygiene and Soap for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the mats, you likely have heard of the importance of hygiene time and time again. However, if this is news to you, be you white belt or living under a rock, let us stress how important it is to stay clean.
At the end of a long day of training, the mats are always covered in sweat, and sometimes mixed with a bit of blood. It is probably best not to dwell on the idea too deeply – because quite frankly it’s pretty gross.
Not all injuries that take people off the mat are sprains or breaks. Some of the most common reasons for athletes taking time off the mats are staph infections, or ringworm. These are harmful microorganisms that range from minor, itchy irritations, to severe and possibly life-threatening infections.
You can’t avoid these injuries by tapping early – but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to dodge them. Avoid training with open wounds, they are prone to infection (and keep in mind a fresh tattoo is basically an open wound!). After every training session, you should shower as soon as possible, ideally using a good anti-microbial soap.
Thankfully, there are many brands of soap that are marketed almost exclusively for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mr. Bassett’s is one of the latest ones on the market. It uses all natural ingredients to prevent skin infection and it smells great!
First Impressions of Mr. Bassett’s Grapplers Soap
Opening the package it came in, I was really surprised with how good the soap smelled coming out of the box. Using it in the shower the first time, I was really happy I could smell it on myself after I had used it. The bar was smooth and wasn’t scratchy on my skin at all – if you’ve ever used exfoliating soap after a day of gi chokes, you’ll know how that isn’t a good feeling!
The thing I liked about the soap the most was how long it has lasted me. I’m someone who tries to train every day, and that means I go through a LOT of soap. In the past, when I’ve used other all natural soaps, I’ve always been disappointed with how quickly they disintegrate. However, Mr. Bassett’s soap has lasted an incredibly long time, and I’m still using my first bar.
Dan Bassett is so confident in the quality of his soap that he states on his website he will give you a refund if you don’t like it! It’s good to see when someone has that much faith in their product.
Just Who is Mr. Bassett Anyway?
Dan Bassett is a former member of the British Armed Forces who has trained MMA for many years. He is also an on-call firefighter in Cornwall, and is a family man who loves to train BJJ with his two young daughters. After being disappointed in many other brands of soaps that were made for BJJ, Mr. Bassett decided to do his own research and create his own!
After many rounds of trial and error, he came up with a long-lasting bar that smelled great and was all natural. It is also approved by pharmacists, and CSPR registered! The bars are made with honey and essential oils including eucalyptus, tea tree, and peppermint.
Dan Bassett also believes in helping out others. He donates a portion of the sales of every bar of soap sold to B1G1 in support of charities which provide clean drinking water to children in Tanzania.
Mr. Bassett’s Unique Way of Marketing
Instead of spending large amounts of money on Facebook or Google Ads, they prefer to get real endorsements of the product by Jiu Jitsu athletes. For example, athletes like Samuel Gibbs (@samgibbsbjj), who won 5 out of 8 matches at the ADCC trials, endorses Grappler’s Soap. He has also been a lifelong customer since the first time he’s used it.
Younger athletes like Shea Williams (@sheawillo1) and Sophie Bellis (@sophiebellis_mma) also endorse Mr. Bassett’s! Having so many high level athletes endorse the product is important when trying to pick a brand. It ensures that you’re getting something quality that the professionals use! It also proves that a brand is active in the community and listens to the people who are using the product.
Verdict: Mr. Bassett’s Grapplers Soap is a High Quality, Long Lasting Soap.
It’s nice when a product is created by Jiu Jitsu practitioners, and is for Jiu Jitsu practitioners. It’s also nice when a product improves on existing products – like how Mr. Basset’s overcomes the issue of natural essential oil soaps dissolving quickly.
After speaking with Dan, I’ve also come to realize that he is an extremely cool guy, and I’m always happy to support businesses that are owned by people in the Jiu Jitsu community. I’m also happy to support businesses that have a good cause, like helping bring clean drinking water to children in Tanzania.
If you are looking for a high quality, long-lasting Jiu Jitsu soap check out Mr. Bassett’s Grapplers soap, and as their logo goes: Stay Clean, Fight Dirty.
Jack is a D who holds a bachelors degree in English Literature. He enjoys traveling, reading, and the Bow and Arrow choke. One day he hopes to teach English overseas and become a published author.