The Naked Grappler

This is me without a gi and belt. I mean what a lot of crap I have to wear just to protect my puny and fragile being (not flattering I do apologise!). From the top down, we're talking ear guard, mouth guard, elbow support, groin guard, knee pads, ankle support and more often than not (though not pictured) copious finger tape.

Of course most of this is not allowed in competition. I wonder how much of this gear I actually really need? Maybe they are my security blankets?

Take the ear guards for instance. The actual likelihood of getting caulied in the ear is very rare for me. I did not wear ear protectors for the first five years and all I got were just a little sore ears, but nothing major. So do I really need them?

And gum shields. I did bite my tongue once and it bled horribly, but it was a one off I reckon. Rash guards? groin guards etc etc....all excess baggage I think.

So when it comes to tournament time, shedding all that baggage and just donning my gi and belt (and gum shield) is very liberating indeed.

How much baggage do you bring to the dojo?

byMeerkatsu

in protection

April 12, 2010

The Naked Grappler

This is me without a gi and belt. I mean what a lot of crap I have to wear just to protect my puny and fragile being (not flattering I do ...

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What's inside the kit bag?

1. Gi - Faixa Rua Classico (one of four currently in use)


2. Belt - blue Evolution Fightwear size 3, cut to size


3. Rash guard - Koral short sleeve


4. Ear guard - Brute Shockwave


5. Groin guard - Shock Doctor Ultra Carbon Groin Guard


6. Gum shield - Opro custom fit, stars on blue


7. Tape - Boots stretch dressing tape


8. Contact lenses - Acuvue One Day toric lenses


9. Spectacles case


10. Fight shorts - Atama


11. Protein drinks shaker - Sci-Max mixer


12. Deodorant spray - Adidas sport

Funny. For an empty hand martial art, one sure can bring a lot of stuff along to class. Some guys rock up to class with nothing more than their gi and belt. Others lug a sports bag so huge, you could sleep inside one. I'm kind of in between. I carry all this with me because I really need them for every session. For competitions though, rash guard, ear guard and groin guards are not allowed. The tape is really handy for all sorts of emergencies, mainly bolstering finger joint pain. I always bring spare lenses and my glasses. The drinks bottle is great for avoiding lumpy protein shakes. And I always bring shorts just in case someone wants a bit of no-gi sparring. This is pretty much everything that is inside my kit bag.

byMeerkatsu

in equipment, protection, uniforms

July 28, 2009

What's inside the kit bag?

Gi - Faixa Rua Classico (one of four currently in use) Belt - blue Evolution Fightwear size 3, cut to size Rash guard - Koral short sleeve ...

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Opro gumshield

Just got to big up my new Opro gumshield. This little beauty fits like a glove and has already saved me from cutting my tongue on my own teeth (I tend to spar open mouthed so any knock and my tongue gets caught).

The Opro gumshields are the next step up from boil your own types. When you order one online, they send you a putty mix and you make your own dental mold. Then you send it back and they laser a gumshield that exactly matches your dental pattern. At £40 it's cheaper than a custom fit job from the dentist, although obviously more expensive than the boil your own. I can honestly say, after one session wearing it, the Opro is very good indeed. No gagging, no looseness, no cutting of the gums. It is well worth the money.

BJJ training is going ok. I'm not making any particularly big strides with my new sparring style, but then I'm not necessarily making too many errors as before, so I think I'm going in the right direction. In between training sessions, I've been adding some road work (cool term for basically jogging badly round the park), kettlebell sets and generally trying to get fitter. One of my biggest problems at the last comp was gassing out too early. I want to give myself a better chance at the forthcoming Grapplers Showdown London Open in August. I've also ordered a Powerbar. This chin-up bar does not need to be screwed into the wall, and the bar itself is set high above the top door frame, so you don't have to bend the knees when dangling. When it arrives, I'll post a little review here.

byMeerkatsu

in equipment, protection

July 23, 2009

Opro gumshield

Just got to big up my new Opro gumshield. This little beauty fits like a glove and has already saved me from cutting my tongue on my own te...

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