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MMA Gear: Fight FX Shorts

In my quest in finding a pair of quality and affordable MMA/grappling shorts, my search lead me to groundfighter.com.  It’s a website known for producing a variety of grappling, bjj, mma, and conditioning videos.  From such stand outs and legends, Mario Sperry, Marcelo Garcia, Robert Drysdale, and the list goes on. This site also features a pair of MMA/grappling shorts, Fight FX.

These shorts are listed at $29.99 plus shipping and handling. Some detail pictures of the shorts are shown below.

MMA Fight Shorts

Fight FX shorts are also the same pair worn by Marcelo Garcia during the 2007 Abu Dhabi submission wrestling world championship.  They are also seen being worn by Robert Drysdale during his filming of his instructional video.  I would lie if I said that those little tid bits didn’t influence my decision, but they weren’t ultimate deciding factor.  The price of $29.99 was the ultimate and decisive factor!  But in all seriousness Fight FX claimed to have flexible groin panel made of stretchable material. Funny how price can decide whether or not you should purchase mma gear? So I decided to take the plunge, but was a little apprehensive with the slits on the side of the shorts, but still went ahead with my purchase.  These shorts are available in both black and yellow; I decided to go with the black pair.  About a week or so later I received them in the mail.

I was rather impressed with them, and about a year later I still am!  They are very lightweight and very durable.  The only fraying that I have seen is from one of the logos, which are on the both sides of the shorts.  This is my first pair of shorts with the slit on the sides, which made me apprehensive at first.  Now, I appreciate the slits on the sides as I feel they give me some extra room and mobility.  The drawstrings for these shorts are on the inside of the shorts, which are accompanied by a stretch waistband.  They also have a Velcro closure with rubberized logo plaque over the Velcro.  All these ingredients make for a snug fit around the waist.  

MMA Fight FX Shorts

As mentioned the main reason I was interested in this pair of shorts was because of the construction of the groin area on the shorts.  The entire area is made of a stretchable material, which eliminates the seams from the area. This is very similar to the Sprawl shorts.  This material also provides some breathing, as the material is very similar to a wicking material that many rash guards are made from.  Unfortunately I do not have any pics of the area.

Fight FX has developed some affordable, good quality shorts, which can also be worn during a muay thai session.  I hope there is more of affordable, and great quality mma gear to follow from Fight FX.

MMA Training v Training in MMA

“I wanna train in MMA” is a phrase that I have been hearing a lot for the past couple of years. I know what you might be thinking that is going to be another “bash” the new people for taking an interest in mixed martial arts. Far from it, I just want to take the time to clear the misconception that some people might have with mma training. I appreciate that more and more people are taking in an interest mixed martial arts. They are getting to see the skill, dedication, and sacrifice that these athletes have to continue in the sport. Which leads me to clear up the misconception that some people might have with mixed martial arts training.

For someone to say that they “wanna train in mma” is a misstatement. Mixed martial arts, by itself is not a discipline. Mixed martial arts or mma, is a great term used to describe what these athletes engage in to be able to fight within organizations like the UFC, WEC, Dream, etc. They are combining a variety of disciplines in order to have success within these or any other organizations. These fighters are combining wrestling, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and in some other cases more traditional arts like karate.

Mixed martial arts training is the time the fighter uses to learn to transition between two or more disciplines. It is not the time to properly learn to throw a punch or kick or learn what it means to keep posture in the guard. These basic concepts should be addressed when taking a Jiu-jitsu class or a muay thai class. I have explained it in this manner to some of my friends who are becoming fans and some people who come into the gym and have an interest in becoming a fighter. To some it scares them away when you tell them we like them have a good grasp of BJJ, and muay thai in order to participate in an mma training session. But to others it motivates them, which is great see.

The main thing is that more and more people are being exposed to mixed martial arts and are understanding what this great sport is about. The more they understand the more they will appreciate it!

MMA Clothing: Ouano grappling shorts

I bought the Ouano “grappling shorts with belt” online at $30.00 plus tax. The merchandise along with other mixed martial arts clothing (mma) I ordered arrived earlier than the shipping schedule given.

The design is simple and although the shorts can be worn by anyone as beach wear, leisure wear mma clothing or as actual mma gear, they are likely meant to show the wearer’s rank in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Colors are available in blue, purple, brown and black which corresponds to the ranking system in BJJ. This is similar (but not identical) to the type of state athletic commission-approved shorts seen worn by UFC lightweight champion, BJ Penn.

MMA gear or MMA clothing: Grappling shorts with belt

The board shorts are grey all over with the Ouano logo on the lower left leg. This emphasizes the  main feature of this piece of clothing made for mma. A colored belt lines the waist area of the mma shorts. Two tails appear to hang from what would be the knot of this colored belt. The “knot” is the area where the Velcro pieces are located. No part of the belt actually protrudes from the board shorts. The “belt” is meant only for display purposes. That is to say one cannot actually hold the colored belt lining of the mma shorts for a kimura defense as one would a belt worn with a jiu-jitsu or judo gi. The belt is as much separate from the shorts as one’s collar is from one’s shirt.

Several washings of the Ouano shorts have not changed the product much. (I forget if I wash my mma gear and clothing in the pile with bleach or not.) The color of the belt lining is barely lighter. As with all new garments, washing these mma shorts with other similar colors is highly recommended.

Functionally, one can move well with the shorts and I can say nothing negative with respect to my movement while wearing this particular mma gear while rolling on the mats or performing high kicks.

After more than eight (8) months of use, at about once or twice a week, the grappling shorts have no tears or thinning areas. I would gladly wear this kind of mma clothing to the beach or mats anytime.

MMA and BJJ Gear | Brand names vs. No Names?

Are there any major differences between branded and non-branded mma and bjj gear?  Ok.  There are definitely a number of horrible non-branded mixed martial arts companies, but what about the average martial arts equipment manufacturer?  Or better yet, what about the manufacturers who actually make mma ear products for big mixed martial arts brand names, who also provide their own lesser known line of items (but, they are really the same exact thing as branded named training gear).

For instance, a lot of bjj gis are made in China or Pakistan.  Other than Brazilian made gis, other manufacturers are likely to work with manufacturers in the China or Pakistan.  Howard Combat Kimonos are Ouano Bjj gis are two of those companies.  But, did you know that these same manufacturers sell the same exact gis (with only slight differences) with no names, and for a much cheaper price at different online stores?  In fact, if you’re resourceful enough, you can buy direct from these manufacturers to save a lot of money if you don’t care about brand names.  I personally don’t care for brand names as long as the mma gear or bjj gi I use works well. 

So, I wouldn’t worry too much about getting a brand name.  Just make sure that the mixed martial arts or brazilian jiu jitsu clothing, apparel or equipment you check out are durable and of a decent build.  If you’re buying a mma glove or bjj gi, try it on, see how it fits.  If you like the fit and the look, and the material is ok, then go for it.  Don’t be a prey to all of the hype.  Save some money when you buy your equipment.

Best sites to buy mma gear

There are many mma gear, mma equipment, and mma clothing websites on the Internet and all of them have good offerings.  Major companies carry pretty much the same gear and have similar prices.  Customer service varies among the different companies.  In general though, these are some of the more popular mixed martial arts gear websites that offer a lot of training equipment and mma apparel. 

• MMAwarehouse.com
• Jiujitsuprogear.com
• Combatsports.com
• MMAoverload.com
• MMAuniverse.com
• TitleMMA.com

If you want to share a positive or negative experience with these websites and companies, feel free to leave a comment.

Kinesio Tape MMA Gear

What is Kinesio tape or Kinesio taping?  In the 70s, Dr. Kenzo Kase decided to improve his therapy in the treatment of injuries and acute and chronic illnesses.  He experimented with different tape materials, but he found them to be unsatisfactory as they did not achieve the results he wanted.

Dr. Kase started to use different material and tried differing taping techniques.  He noticed the skin’s function as the body’s largest reflex organ.  Kase saw in the muscles not only the ability to react to changes in the environment but also the potential to support the body’s own healing and regeneration processes. Hence, the muscles not only make movement possible but also microcirculation, warmth, optimal neuromuscular impulses, etc. Source

Kinesio taping treatment is useful for mixed martial artists.  It’s a mma gear item that provides support to muscles, increases microcirculation of fluids, relaxes tense muscles, and reduces pressure on receptors. Some areas of application include: Sports physiotherapy, Pain Therapy, Lymphology, and Neurology.

Conventional taping is mechanical stability and functional immobilization to protect joints and muscles. The tape used limits range of motion and microcirculation, which isn’t recommended for mma fighters who value flexibility.  Kinesio Tape, on the other hand, provides full range of motion for the skin, joints and muscles so as to encourage the body’s own healing mechanism.  The tape material does not interfere with microcirculation as does traditional sports tape. It actually encourages faster healing and draining of tissue liquids.  Kinesio tape is much more durable and adheres to the skin much better than your standard tape.

Kinesio tape allows healing and alleviates pain by lifting the skin from the fascia. The unique elasticity of the tape allows for a joint to flex while maintaining the skin lift providing the relief. The durability and skin adherence properties give it this unique ability.  By lifting the skin it allows your body’s fluids to move freely and drain if needed. It also alleviates pressure on muscles and connective tissues.

The tape generally runs around $10 to $15 a roll.  Books are available to learn about kinesio taping, but they are normally written for medical professionals.   Nonetheless, you can still learn the basics.  Learning the basics will make a difference between you missing mma class or going to train mma.

MMA Videos Instructional Website

MMAInstructional.com is a newly revamped online instructional website that features mma videos and mma training. Their goal is to provide all students and practitioners of the martial arts the opportunity to learn from the best fighters and martial artists in the world at a cheaper rate than paying for actual instruction. They have some noted instructors teaching their online judo, wrestling, bjj and mma classes: Dave and Dan Camarillo, Flavio Canto, Frankie Edgar, Jon Fitch, Spencer Fisher, and Marty Morgan.

Their website is pleasing to the eye and pretty easy to use. Nothing revolutionary and new, but a good source for online training videos. Unlike free mma video websites, however, videos and their online training resources aren’t free. They use a credit system: One credit = .25 cents. Four credits = $1.00. The majority of videos cost between 8 and 12 credits–an average of $2.00 per video.

If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional mma training, or a supplement to mma or bjj classes, check out mmainstructional.com.

MMA Video Instructional Site

MMA Affliction Clothing Copy Cat?

Eternal Unlimited is a relatively new mma gear company that focuses on mixed martial arts shirts and other mma clothing items.  The Eternal Unlimited design team state they have “next generation” mma shirts, using bold, edgy and Urban/Hip-hop based designs that surpass or stand above current rock and roll design themes offered by different competitors.  However, their designs still seem very similar to many Affliction and Tapout shirts.  It seems like all mma gear companies cannot escape having very similar designs. 

We have seen their shirts and they do have great designs, although not as original and “next generation” as their website advertises.  They do have good quality shirts with good printing which does make for a higher quality product.  They offer 8 designs in regular trim shirts and 8 designs in a slim fit cut. 

Eternal Unlimited has a small following that seems to have grown a bit since it started, but we have to wonder if it will continue to grow.  There are so many mma gear companies that make mixed martial arts shirts and many designs are similar.  Competition is fierce, yet no company has a unique selling point.

Well, you can decide for yourself by looking at their designs.  Here’s one below.  What do you think?

MMA gear company Eternal Unlimited