KoSho Karate Pantano, Tucson, AZ-- Gear Info

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> Heavyweight Gi
> Women's Breast Protection
> Men's Groin Protection
> Mouth Guards
> Shoes
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Women's Breast Protection

Men's Groin protection

Shoes

Gloves

Mouth Guards

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At some time you might become interested in a
heavyweight gi. Heavyweights are typically all cotton,
breathe better, and in the summer, once you've sweat a
bit in them, provide their own "swamp cooling." They're a
bit crisper looking. They also make that nice pop when you
punch or kick. Most karate-ka I've met eventually buy a
heavyweight gi and never go back to a cotton-poly
"student" gi again. Here are some good ones:��

Some women like to wear breast protection when they spar. The first time you take a solid kick or
punch to that region, you will invoke blessings on the head of the guard manufacturer. You aren't going
to find anything that's really comfortable, but some brands are at least not too uncomfortable. As with
most safety gear, you personal preference will depend on which trade offs you are willing to make.
Throughout my martial arts training I've worn cup inserts, a foam breast and rib guard, and hard plastic.
The kind of protection I use now isn't made any more but is very much like the Econo-Guard. Based on
my experience, I can offer these generalizations:

Hard plastic offers the most protection to the breast itself, but the force has to go somewhere, and
that "somewhere" is generally the edges of the guard. Make sure the edges of the guard are ample and
not angled into the body (i.e. don't buy a smaller size than you need thinking it will get in the way less).
The other problems with molded plastic are (1) if it doesn't fit, it really doesn't fit and (2) it has no
"give" at all, something you'll discover when you try to do your first outside to inside block with it on.
Even with all these disadvantages, I still prefer hard plastic myself for its level of protection. Hard
plastic models include:
ProForce Ultimate Female Chest Guard*
Econo-Guard
Everlast Chest Guard
Kwon's Maxiguard*
Top Shot Chest Protector

As for cup inserts/turtle shells, they are much less cumbersome than most guards. And they are
hard, so they offer a similar kind of protection to the above guards. However, they not only tend cut
into you when you're hit but also tend to slip and shift unless you wear the kind that fit in their own
specially made sports bra (but then you have to buy their kind of sports bra). They are, however, your
best bet if you want to wear them all the time.
Kwon's Cool Guard*
Turtle Shells Sports Bra*

Foam padding disperses the force, spreads it out over a larger area, but the breast still takes some
impact. If you have a medical reason not to take any force to the breast, go with something harder
than just foam (and check it with your doctor). Foam, however, does have the advantage of being
softer and more flexible than hard plastic. And these guards are easy to put on over your gi just before
sparring.
MTI Chest Protector*
Winner's Zone Chest Protector*

The Title Boxing Female Training Chest Protector* looks like the best of both world-- both molded
plastic and foam. I've never seen one in person, but the description looks like well thought out, serious
protection. It's also one of the more cumbersome guards and would probably fill the better part of a
large gym bag.

Bear in mind, too, that you'll need to either get a kind that can be worn over your gi or between your gi
and your t-shirt, or you're going to have put the guard on when you're getting ready for class and then
wear it the whole hour. For example, turtle shells can't really be put on discretely in the minute or two
that people take to gear up for sparring. I put on my Econo-guard style shield over my t-shirt just when
I spar. It takes about a minute and a half. Some women want the protection during any partner work
and so wear their guard every class. If that's your choice, you'll probably want to go with turtle shells
or something similar.

An added benefit to wearing breast protection is that it makes the guys you spar with relax more. Even
though you can call your level of contact, and even though most guys won't purposely target a
woman's breast, in sparring, stray shots happen. Nice guys tend to feel bad. If you wear a guard, they
can hit the guard and not you.

If you hate the traditional jock and cup (and I've met a lot of guys who do), here are some
alternatives:
Kwon's traditional* (padded)
Kwon's anatomical*
Century's compression shorts with hard cup*
BasiX Compression Short*
Everlast Protective Cup

The Everlast version has the advantage of fitting over your gi pants, so you can just put it on only
when you do contact drills. It is, however, a lot bulkier, a lot geekier, and might interfere some with
kicking. I can't give you the value of personal experience there, but I can say that the only guys I've
seen wearing them for karate have been guys who rely on their hands a lot more than their feet. I've
seen a couple guys wear the Kwon traditional cup over their gi as well. I can't tell you about how well it
worked, just that it's an interesting, um, "fashion statement."

Even the cups themsevles age getting considerably more "high tech." For some idea of the newest
innovations, checkout the Superfoot site.

If you train outdoors or in the garage on concrete, you might want martial arts shoes. In rare
instances, if you have foot problems or are healing an injury, you may be able to wear them on deck
(check with the senseis first). The difference between martial arts shoes and other shoes is the tread.
Most sports shoes are designed to keep the ball and heel of the foot from slipping. Martial arts shoes
have a pivot under the ball and heel allowing you to pivot to kick or shift stance.

I wear Adidas TKD-2000* and like them. The sizes run small--order 1-1/2 to 2 sizes larger. They are
also snug top to bottom, so if you have a high arch or a "high volume" foot like I do, you'll find Adidas
hard to get on. But once they're on, they're the most comfortable martial arts shoe I've worn.
Masterline* have a good reputation, but I've never owned a pair. Otomix are OK. (The ones I had a few
years ago didn't have much support or arch, but they held up well, and they are very light weight.) Pine
Tree, Kwon*, and a lot of other shoes made by martial arts supplier, not shoe manufacturers tend to be
sloppily made and not as comfortable. (On my last pair of Kwons, they forgot to stitch down one of the
stripes, and I had to replace the insoles because the originals were glued down funny.) Some kung fu
and Tai Chi shoes, by the way, don't have the pivot plates under the ball and heel. Check the soles
before buying even if they say they are "martial arts shoes."

For sparring, I wear Tiger Claw's TC2000 Action Chops, and I love them. I've worn just about everything
out there in my search for gloves that will protect me well enough that I don't have to worry about
losing writing time to injuries. Cloth gloves, are light-weight, breathe well, are washable, and are thin
enough that you can get a feel for where your opponent is through the padding. But they offer very
little protection for the fingers and thumb, and some tournaments no longer allow them. Foam chops,
like the ones you get with your registration are a bit better, but they offer very little protection for
fingers or the palm of the hand, and they're slimy when you sweat. Kempo gloves are more heavily
padded, but the articulation in the fingers, though offering you lots of possibilities for grabbing, also
allow for finger sprains. The same thing holds true for jujitsu gloves. Boxing gloves offer lots of
protection, but they are hot and heavy. The TC2000, though a bit bulky, offers almost as much
protection as a boxing glove but with almost as much flexibility as a chop. In them I can spar without
worrying nearly as much about damaging my hands.

If you're looking for bag gloves, the best ones out there (for my money) is Century bag gloves. The
wrist support helps keep you from tweaking your wrist when you're really going at it. And the padding is
high density and thick, protecting the knuckles. Harbinger also makes that style of glove, and I've been
told they don't transfer leather dye to your hands like my Century ones do. I'm not sure where to get
them online, but you can order them from Laura.

*Indicates a site/company I've ordered from personally (Sue).

Susan wears Dragon* 10 oz. tournament cut (traditional waist). Dragon is made by Juka, which also
makes high-end heavyweights. The Dragon 10 oz., a light heavyweight, is their cheapest. That's not to
say it's a "cheap" gi. At roughly $60-$70, it stacks up favorably against other gis costing $100+. The
other advantage of Juka/Dragon gis is that they come in different cuts. They're the only company I
know of that has a woman's gi. They have traditional cut for people who are considerably taller than
they are wide and tournament cut for folks who want or need a bit more side-to-side room (or who just
like their sleeves and pant legs short and full).

Laura wears Kwon* 12 oz. Kwons come in two heavyweight styles and are a good value for the money
(roughly $80-$110). What distinguishes them from other gis is that they come with elastic waists not
the traditional drawstring, and they have a nice, soft, brushed cotton surface.

More expensive gis include Shureido, Toyo, and Tokaido. With these gis, you pay partly for durability,
partly for quality construction, but partly for the name.

If you're interested in a heavyweight gi, talk to the instructors. Different gi makers cater to different
body types. We can increase your chances of finding a mail-order gi that fits. I've ordered from both
Kwon and Juka and have been quite happy with the service.

Mouth guards don't just protect your teeth; they also protect your jaw, your tongue, and (to a lesser
degree) you neck and head. They are mandatory for tournaments and very highly recommended for
sparring classes. Almost every sporting goods store has cheap boil-to-fit mouth guards. Alternatively,
you can get your dentist to fit you with a custom guard. (Honbu also has someone on staff who is a
dental tech and may be able to fit you there in the dojo. Call for more information and an appointment.)
If you're looking for something halfway between, you might consider the Brain Pad or the Shock Doctor.
Shock Doctor has a version for people with braces. Another interesting alternative is the Gravity mouth
guard, which fits on your bottom teeth, not your top teeth like most mouthguards do.