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Headgear Showdown
I’m not sure why, but most dojo have come to use a standard set of sparring equipment. You probably know the kind I’m talking about – dipped foam in various colors. I believe it must have been a cost-to-protection ratio that caused this style to become a mainstay in most martial arts. Dipped foam gear is form fitting, cost effective, and offers decent protection to those areas that need protecting (most often head, hands, feet, shins, and sometimes chest). I’ve conducted a little experiment with different kinds of headgear and would like to share my results with you.
First of all, here is quick look at dipped foam headgear – 
http://www.awma.com
This probably looks familiar. But here is a different kind of headgear I have been trying – 
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com
It resembles boxing headgear and is actually intended for mixed martial arts practice. MMA is pretty far from my normal traditional style, but one thing about the old masters of karate is that they were concerned about what works best, and often met with each other to discuss techniques and teaching methods. In that vein, I try to keep an open mind to everything I see. When the time came to reinvest in some new sparring equipment, I noticed this kind of headgear and took a shot.
I have to say the quality of the MMA headgear seems to be much higher. The helmet encompasses my head in a comfortable fabric and seems to form-fit very effectively. The design of the faceplate covers some areas that are often exposed with foam dipped helmets. Of course, some of the foam dipped helmets have face shields that protrude out like this – 
http://www.awma.com
I’ve found that these faceplates make for a target a bit closer to the opponent than your face would be, and therefore, get hit more often. The MMA headgear doesn’t really suffer from that, and still protects the face without hindering vision.
The most important factor I’ve noticed is that the MMA helmet takes hits better. Strikes are less jarring and the helmet has less tendency to shift.
Overall, I think this boxing-inspired MMA helmet is a nice piece of equipment and I would recommend it to anyone who isn’t satisfied with their foam dipped equipment.
Ikigai108 gives the MMA Helmet…
KD Elite Pro Quality Curved Body Shield
Wailing on a striking bag can be a great feeling. Unfortunately, training partners rarely get as much joy out of the experience. Not to mention it enhances their motivation to retaliate during their turn. The goal of the KD Elite Curved Body Shield is to allow for intense training with no bruised ribs or feelings.
Courtesy of Karate Depot. Check em out!
The most noticeable feature for this bag is the curvature which provides some unique training opportunities. The design coupled with a firm interior padding allows for very solid striking with minimal impact on the bag holder. Strong techniques can still be felt, but the shield disperses a lot of the energy.
Another benefit is the different techniques an attacker can perform. The top curve can be used for upper-cutting and simulating palm-heel strikes under the chin. The bottom curve can be used for side stomp kicks. The logo on the front is also a great target, which can help students hone their accuracy.
Despite my fondness for the bags design, I did have mixed feelings about the handles. There are two mid-level straps that unVelcro, and a top handle with a high quality rubber coating. I really liked the top handle because it granted excellent bag control when doing techniques near the top of the bag. It also helped stabilize techniques at the bottom of the bag.
For the middle straps, I found myself Velcroing one around my arm, and holding on to the other. Both straps were designed to be Velcroed around the arm, leaving the hand free. I feel as if I have less control when holding that way. So I ended up holding one strap inappropriately, and the comfort level was diminished because of it.
The bag also doesn’t have side handles. Side handles are useful for posting the bag right up against your upper body, allowing for a bit more contact and conditioning. This isn’t a necessary feature for bags, but would have been nice.
The surface quality for the KD Elite was top notch. The material was highly durable, but at the same time easy on the hands. You might expect something coarse and abrasive from a bag such as this, but that wasn’t the case. It was a good balance that would work equally well for kids or for powerful adults.
The KD Elite Curved Body Shield offers enough unique usability that having one or two in the dojo might not be a bad idea. But I wouldn’t rely on it solely. That being the case…
Ikigai108 gives the KD Elite Pro Quality Curved Body Shield…
Ultimate Sauna Suit
I’m not a sweater. Of course, by that I mean I don’t sweat easily (also, I’m not a warm, woolen garment). But recently I tried out the Ultimate Sauna Suit (by Realsauna at Karate Depot) and it put me through my paces.
The Sauna Suit is an interesting development in workout technology. You’ve probably heard of this sort of training aid before, but what you usually see is a shiny spaceman outfit – 
http://www.karatedepot.com/ae-ss-12.html
The point of this getup is to capture all of the bodies evaporating water and enhance the dehydration process; the result being a quick loss in water weight. Furthermore, the suit locks in body heat, helping keep muscles warm for extended workouts or flexibility training.
I was skeptical of the Ultimate Sauna Suit at first because, like I said, it takes a real harsh workout to get me gushing. I doubted that an article of clothing could make it happen without doing a ton of exercise. Also, the suit looked like casual Adidas warmups, nothing particularly space-age – 
http://www.karatedepot.com/ae-ss-16.html
What I didn’t notice (until I put it on) was the strange inner lining. It’s like a soft plastic that reminded me of the material used for rain slicks, but less stiff. 
The lining took some getting used to at first because it felt unusual against my skin, and crinkled a little when I walked. But after about 5-10 minutes, I was completely adjusted.
I decided to begin my test workout with a little walk. I didn’t expect much, but figured it would help me warm up for more serious exercise afterward. To my surprise, by then end of about a mile, my legs and arms were quite slick.
After the walk I trained on the Johhny Sockitomee bag. I even put my hood up for awhile because a lot of heat escapes through the head. In minutes, maybe 10-15, I was a sweat machine. I won’t go into detailed elaboration, but believe me when I say I hadn’t sweat that much since my last karate test. My original intention was to do some weight lifting after training on the bag, but I decided to call it quits. I realized a little discretion and responsibility is needed when losing that much hydration that quickly.
The brass tax of the Sauna Suit is this – you wouldn’t wear it all the time for comfort, but it has a very nice design and delivers in functionality. Therefore –
Ikigai108 gives the Ultimate Sauna Suit…
Martial Arts in the Modern World
Digging through a mountain of tall tales and self-indulgent tripe, Thomas Green, Joseph Svinth, and the rest of the authors of "Martial Arts in the Modern World" gather scarce historical facts in an attempt to shed some light on how the world’s many fighting arts evolved into what we see today.
Martial arts history has suffered from severe tampering because there is a lot to gain by making things up. In his book "Living the Martial Way," Forrest Morgan challenges readers to pick up a phone book anywhere in America and look for martial arts advertisements. In every small town, he explains, you are bound to discover high ranking, world champion grandmasters. In just a few short generations, how could obscure Asian arts create thousands upon thousands of supreme ultimate warriors all over the world?
The truth is, many of these high ranking instructors are caught in the great martial hoax where training is secondary to promotions. These practitioners tend to base their reputation on "world championship" tournaments that feature a handful of combatants from neighboring towns (and often have the patches to remind you). And yet, if you talk to these same "experts," they will describe to you the great exploits of their instructors and the miraculous lineages they come from.
How can this schism of logic be explained – how are there so many unqualified practitioners espousing so many credentials? "Martial Arts in the Modern World" tries to tackle this problem; not by singling out individuals, but by taking the rare approach of factual analysis.
How did Kendo ACTUALLY start in North America? How did Gracie Jujitsu ACTUALLY come about? Have Zen and Kyudo ALWAYS been linked? "Modern World" doesn’t take a blind stab at these topics (and others); it provides the dates, times, and names of key players involved. Very little is left up to hearsay.
Unfortunately, as much as I would like this book to be a cure-all for martial nonsense, it cannot even come close to covering all the different styles around the globe. It makes a valiant effort, attempting to explore history from almost every continent, but there is just too much in the sphere of the unknown. In fact, this global effort results in one of the books negative aspects – lack of cohesion. There are no connections via timeline or topic from one article to the next. There is nothing to pull together a consistent central theme. Couple that with a dry writing style that is occasionally tough to digest and "Modern World" falls short of lofty goals.
"Martial Arts in the Modern World" is a haven for anyone wanting to do real research, but not for those looking to indulge in a great yarn. Overall, Ikigai108 gives this book…
Buy it now through the BBM Review Store.
KD Elite Gi (Uniform)
Going from an 8oz student gi to a heavyweight gi is one of the most delightful experiences in a martial artist’s career. Many of us can remember the magic improvement we experienced once we had a gi that didn’t look and feel so much like pajamas. But as time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that not all heavyweight gi’s are created equal. Some are tournament cut, some are ventilated, some are so stiff that they leave red lines in your neck after training.
KD Elite seems to manage the best of a lot of different worlds. It has a normal cut (which I personally wanted), instead of the shorter tournament cut. It has intense stitch work, up to thirteen lines in some places. And it also has very comfortable cotton fabric. This is important for proper training as an uncomfortable uniform can lead to constant distraction and irritation. In many traditional dojo, fidgeting and adjusting is seen as a lack of focus and can be downright annoying to instructors.
One note on the cotton fabric – it does have some shrinkage the first time you wash it. I let mine drip dry and it still shrunk a bit. Nothing severe, but enough to make it notable, so expect a little of that.
Let me tell you something I liked about the KD Elite (even though it’s not at all important). Have a look at this bag it came in –
It’s got a shoulder strap and everything. I know, I know, Small amusements for small minds, but I liked it.
Back to something that matters – The KD Elite has a very nice fit. I didn’t feel like it was draping off of me, or that it was puffy and weird in any way. Normally when I get a new uniform I have to adjust to it, but the KD and I bonded very quickly.
Most of my uniforms are a size five, and my KD is no exception. I mention that because I’m always worried when ordering a new gi that the sizing will be different, and that I’ll find myself wearing a jacket better fit for tarping over a baseball field. The sizing here is very standard to the main brands, such as Ironman and Proforce. Karate Depot also includes a sizing chart, so even if you’re paranoid like me, you can rest assured you’re getting it right.
Ikigai108 gives the KD Elite…
Getting Rave Reviews
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