aes Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 My daughter and I are thinking about taking up sparring and eventually entering tournaments. I will need to get some sparring equipment including: -foot and hand pads -mouth gear -head gear -chest protector -cup I see Martial Arts equipment is sold by various companies including Kamikaze, Adidas, and Century to name a few… Does anyone have any recommendations on which brands are the best etc? Can I get by on just a standard athletic cup or is there a better choice? We are studying Okinawan Shorin-ryu Karate if it matters. 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaiFightsMS Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 In my opinion the Lightning gear is the best for the price if you want foam gear. Our dojo sold regular cups to the male students of all ages who did not allready have one. http://www.martialartssupermarket.com/ Is a good place to look at different brand of equipment they sell just about every major brand there is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KickChick Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 I would suggest before you go ordering equipment on your own, make sure that your school does not require you to have a certain "type" of say, chest protector or head gear. There are several different types available. Also your school may order through a distributor, and in that case their cost is relatively cheaper ... (they also may buy in quantity which also lowers the price) Always consult the instrutor of the school beforehand ... or you may just have to package it all back up and return it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeLovesKarate Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Century, Adidas, TKO, and a few more that i can't think of now, are really good, but century is #1, at least to me. Dee C.Normal ( 'nor-m&l)-an adj. used by humans to stereotype Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacificshore Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 I see you practice a nice traditional style. If the tournaments that you enter are traditional in nature, then you will definitely need to consult with your instructor. Most if not all traditional tourneys have specific types of sparring equipment allowed. For example, cotton or sometimes vinyl hand/knuckle pads and no feet pads, head, chest pads. In open tournaments, you can virtually wear most sparring equipment out there in the open market. So be aware of the 2 different types of tourneys you enter because you may have to have 2 different sets of sparring gear. Oh, and for a groin cup/atheletic supporter, make sure that you get one that is a tuck under groin cup, and not a straight baseball type. Di'DaDeeeee!!!Mind of Mencia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red J Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Oh, and for a groin cup/atheletic supporter, make sure that you get one that is a tuck under groin cup, and not a straight baseball type. Good advice, you can get these at a MA store. I use Macho brand which is easy to find on the net and is carried in many stores. You may want to ask the instructor if there is something specific that you need. Also pay attention to the color. You may not want to be the only one sparring with yellow pads with blue lightning bolts on them... ...when in doubt get black or the predominent color used by the school. I had to lose my mind to come to my senses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aes Posted February 2, 2003 Author Share Posted February 2, 2003 Thanks for the tips people! I stayed at the dojo for a while the other night when kids Kumite was being practiced and noticed a varriety of protection brands. It did not seem like there were any special requirements but we did attend the WKF meet in Cancun mid last month, so likely needs to be WKF approved. 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiu-jitsu fighter Posted February 2, 2003 Share Posted February 2, 2003 don't waste your $$ on the adidas equipment, macho or lightning would do fine "When we go to the ground,you are in my world, the ground is the ocean, I am the shark,and most people don't even know how to swim" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aes Posted February 3, 2003 Author Share Posted February 3, 2003 What about mouth/teeth protection? I see a wide range. I have very brittle teeth... I don't get cavaties I get chipped teeth, so wondering if there are any recommendations here? Some have a breething hole in them as well, but gee this might just become a slobber hole IMO. 43 Years oldBlue Belt (7th Kyu) Shorin-ryuRoberts Karate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red J Posted February 3, 2003 Share Posted February 3, 2003 I just wear the standard upper mouth guard. Some wear the upper and lower. If you have "brittle teeth" you may want to consult your dentist to get the best protection for your needs. I had to lose my mind to come to my senses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts