Review: Can Any Shorts Be Used for MMA Gear?
Written by Mike on November 3, 2008 – 10:04 am -In North America, professional fighters use either trunks or board shorts as bottom wear during mixed martial arts competition. Many brands have been given good to very good reviews on this site. Due to their popularity, fight shorts can be quite costly. Not everyone can afford more than US $20 for a pair of shorts (and possibly double or triple that amount), Why not use any athletic pair of shorts found in most people’s drawers?
Common shorts have pockets; pockets that may catch a partner’s finger and dislocate it during grappling or mma training. Some shorts have belt loops that have the same risk. Other shorts have zippers or buttons that can inflict a huge gash or even a gaping wound on one’s partner. This will happen during intense groundfighting where fighters are extremely close to each other.
Board shorts and trunks used as mma gear have velcro and drawstrings are used instead of hard buttons and zippers. They also have no pockets. However, beachwear board shorts may have pockets. Such beachwear should not be used on the mat to demonstrate the utmost safety for one’s partner.
The fabric of common shorts absorb sweat instead of it wicking off. Soggy shorts clinging to one’s legs is quite uncomfortable during training or resting in between rounds. Basketball shorts, though meant to wick off sweat, may have an inner garment that can get wet. This can cause the same discomfort previously mentioned.
Doing splits is a sign of flexibility. It is also required if one desires the ability to perform high kicks. Common athletic shorts, like basketball shorts hinder this movement with a lengthy crotch area. This is why mma board shorts either have stretchy fabric or slits in the crotch and/or outer thighs. The shorts may also be ripped when submissions such as Eddie Bravo’s electric chair are attempted.
Eddie Bravo’s Electric Chair on YouTube
Hunter or Bad Boy trunks or Speedo-style swimming trunks can be used during mma training or submission wrestling. Unfortunately, teammates may refer to the wearing of such mma gear as “GAY!”
So those are the disadvantages of using common athletic shorts as mma gear. They may have pockets, buttons or zippers that can injure a training partner. The fabric can cling uncomfortably upon having absorbed sweat. Splits and high kicks can cause a tear in such shorts. And you may look gay.
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MMA Gear Review: Combat Sports Fight Shorts - Seek and Destroy
Written by Mike on November 1, 2008 – 10:53 am -I wanted to review Combat Sports International shorts labelled “Seek and Destroy” because they can be purchased for only US $19.99. That is a savings of about $20 from the original price of $39.99 from some online mma gear merchants. Even before the price cut, the shorts are already less expensive than more popular brands of board shorts for mixed martial arts.
mma gear: Combat Sports Fight Shorts - Seek and Destroy
The shorts are mostly made out of some sort of spandex-like material. This appears to be the same sort of fabric used for the crotch and outer leg area of other fight shorts. Other people I know do not complain of the material but it does feel funny against my skin for whatever reason. Of course, during actual sparring I forget whether this mma gear from Combat Sports is comfortable or not. So although I feel funny wearing the shorts, it’s not that uncomfortable when rolling. Anyhow, I do not actually wear the shorts outside the gym or in the beach.
The Seek and Destroy fight gear have two drawstrings for the waist area. One ties in front and one at the back. I have to tie the drawstrings of this mma gear in a special way so that the knots formed are not aligned. If one knot is directly in front of the other, there is a noticeable lump below my belly button. Unlike the feeling I have with the fabric, the lump does make certain positions in jiu-jitsu training uncomfortable like being mounted or being in side control.
One more thing is that the lettering on the left side of the shorts is unattractive to say the least. The black and white Combat Sports logo on the right leg, on the other hand, are quite nice.
The above are only minor discomforts. Seek and Destroy mma gear are a good deal from Combat Sports International at only $19.99, about half the original price. At full price, other brands with superior and more comfortable designs should be considered.
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MMA Clothing: Affliction T-shirts
Written by Mike on November 1, 2008 – 1:32 am -Since around 2005, the California-based Affliction clothing has been seen on many celebrities, particularly mixed martial arts athletes. The design is easily recognizable on fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko and Georges St-Pierre. Outside the mma community, Ozzy Osbourne and other musicians wear Affliction as well. To put it simply, this mma clothing is very very fashionable today.
Check out the pictures for Affliction designs. Note the dark images that are intriguing and just simply need to be on your back. It is best to judge for yourself if you want such evocative imagery on your person. You’ll just either know if you have the compulsion to wear the shirts or not. If you do feel compelled enough, you may order from their site: http://www.afflictionclothing.com/
mma clothing: Affliction shirt with typical dark, gothic imagery.
mma clothing: Affliction shirt for Chuck Liddell with typical dark, gothic imagery.
mma clothing: Affliction shirt for Fedor Emelianenko with typical dark, gothic imagery.
For those who train martial arts like mma, jiu-jitsu or muay thai, seeing so many other people wear a Georges St-Pierre Affliction shirt may be a bit disconcerting. Keep in mind though, that Affliction heavily supports the sport of mma especially by having had a recent event with Fedor Emelianenko going against Tim Sylvia for somthing called the World Association of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) heavyweight title in the main event. The company needs much capital to put up a big event like that. Though a lot of people train mma or mma-related disciplines, that’s not enough of a market for Affliction to make money. The company needs to market to the whole 18-to-40-year-old age group. So the next time you see an overweight person, who probably has not done a sit-up in 10 years, wearing mma clothing like Afflcition, keep in mind that that person contributed to Affliciton and therefore contributed to the sport of mma.
Like other known clothing lines with terrific designs, Affliction mma clothing costs a bunch. Can you imagine spending between 60 and 90 US dollars on a T-shirt? Of course, if looking cool at a party is that important then the Affliction shirts are very much worth that much of your money. It must be noted though, that due to its popularity, you are definitely not going to be the only one who thinks they’ll look cool going out wearing Affliction.
Affliction also has jackets, polos and jeans with designs similar to the shirts. However, they are also the expensive kind. So if the price is more important to you that the design or the need to wear mma-related clothing, stick to the clothing you’ll commonly find at stores like Sears or Target.
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