We have taken a closer look at the Hayabusa Tokushu Series Striking Shin Guards to allow you to see some of their features in greater detail.

Lightweight Design

These Shin Guards have been designed to provide the perfect combination of protection yet being lightweight enough so that your speed and freedom of movement is impacted as little as possible.

They certainly feel light, yet the thickness of the padding and quality of the construction gives more than enough reassurance that they are up to the job.

Ai??Unique Lining

The lining of the Tokushu Striking Series Shin Guards is said to prevent perspiration. Without putting this to the test for this review, what we can say is that the lining certainly feels soft, absorbent and very comfortable.

The close up image showing the lining also gives a good impression of the thickness of the inner padding of the shin guards too.

Closure system and fitting

The double back straps are well stitched and wide enough to ensure a good solid Velcro enclosure.

The same kind of material is also used to line the shin guards has also been used to line the straps, for increased comfort and to help maintain a secure fit.

The “Extra Wide” foot loops are another plus point feature for these shin guards that we are sure will add to their comfort and performance.

Finishing and Construction

These Shin GuardsAi??have been finished to the excellent standard that we have come to expect from Hayabusa. The quality of construction and strength of the stitching is evident when inspecting this product close up.

As with the Kanpeki Elite 2.0 Series equipment line, theAi??Tokushu Series equipment also features the embossed Hayabusa Kanji for that extra touch of class.

As the Official European Distributor for HayabusaAi?? we have just taken stock of a brand new range of HayabusaAi?? T-Shirts!

From the brightly coloured Jiu Jitsu OSS (available in Grey, Green & Yellow)Ai?? and Tokyo BuzzAi??T–ShirtsAi??(available inAi??Black,Ai??PurpleAi??&Ai??White)Ai??to the more subtle and understated Tradition T-Shirt (available in Brown & Black), we feel this latest range has something for everyone.

As ever with the latest T-Shirt Collections from HayabusaAi??, all of these designs are of limited availability, so grab yours while you can!

Henderson Wins Fight Night 38

Dan Henderson defeated Shogun Roa at UFC Fight Night 38 in Brazil on Saturday.

Henderson survived being dropped twice in the space of two to still give Rua a taste of his own medicine, as he stopped his opponent in the third round to earn the TKO victory in an eventful bout.

Henderson overcame a slow start against Rua to score a vicious knockout with a blow that left Rua in a confused state with a badly damaged nose.

Rua did the early stalking, pecking away at Henderson early with leg kicks, both inside and out, while managing to block Henderson’s early right overhand attempts.

But Rua picked up the intensity right from the opening of the second frame, landing another hard right and forcing Henderson into the clinch. They traded again and this time Shogun drilled Henderson with a blistering uppercut that sent Henderson to the mat again.

Henderson opened the third round with a series of stunning punches, but was unable to land a significant blow. In the clinch, however, Rua’s hands were down, and as they separated, Henderson cracked Rua with a crushing right hand that sent Shogun reeling.

Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight after 1 minute 31 seconds of the round and as Shogun stood, he collapsed backward in both agony and in a state of semi-consciousness.

Guillard Released from UFC

Melvin Guillard’s UFC run has come to an end after nearly nine years.

The decision comes after the 30-year-old lost a unanimous decision to Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night 38 in London earlier this month and “The Young Assassin” was released from the UFC on Thursday night, according to his manager Malki Kawa.

Guillard made his debut on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2005. Despite losing early in the tournament, Guillard defeated Marcus Davis via second-round TKO in the Finale to secure a spot in the organization.

The lightweight fighter went 12-9 inside the Octagon, with memorable wins against Dennis Siver, Gleison Tibau, Evan Dunham and Mac Danzig.

Recently we have looked at some of theAi??Hayabusa GlovesAi??from their more expensive ranges, so to do a bit of a comparison, we thought we would take a look at theirAi??Ikusa Series 10oz GlovesAi??(also available in White), from their less expensiveAi??Ikusa SeriesAi??line.

Dual-Xai??? Wrist Closure System

All of the Ikusa Series Gloves feature the Hayabusa Dual-Xai??? Wrist Closure System to provide a secure and safe fit for the wearer.

Comfortable Fit and Padding

What also adds to the comfort and fit of these gloves is the considerable inner padding on the wrist area and front of the glove. When you put these gloves on, they feel safe and as though they would provide the necessary protection.

The gloves are easy to put on and are comfortable and unfussy with your hands forming the required shape naturally with ease.

Engineered Leather & High Quality Printing

TheAi??Engineered LeatherAi??feels soft yet durable and the printed Hayabusa and Ikusa Logo’s are crisp and clear. The durability of the printing is something that can only be tested over time after rigorous use, but we have been selling this range for a considerable time now and have no issues to report with respect to this to date.

Ai??Ai??

Finishing & Stitching

As we have come to expect from Hayabusa, the stitching and finishing on these gloves is done to a high standard and Hayabusa have spared no expense with regards to this despite these gloves being at the lower end of the Hayabusa product price range.

Comparison to Tokushu & Kanpeki Elite Series

When compared to theAi??TokushuAi??andAi??Kanpeki Elite Series, one of the most notable differences is that the Ikusa Series Gloves do not employ theAi??Fusion SplintingAi??construction feature. The Ikusa Gloves look like a more traditional style of glove on terms of the appearance and construction.

In addition to the absence of the feature mentioned above, another obvious difference when compared directly to the Kanpeki Elite Series Gloves, is that the Ikusa Series do not use the Premium Grade Genuine Leather used on the Kanpeki Elite Series, which of course enables Hayabusa to retail these gloves at a less expensive price.

On closer inspection, you will also notice that the palm of the Ikusa Gloves doesn’t have the breathable mesh material used on the Tokushu and Kanpeki Elite Series Gloves. The Ikusa Gloves have been constructed with a full Engineered Leather palm with breathable air holes instead.

Overall Rating

The Hayabusa Ikusa Series Gloves are a comfortable, well made glove that feature the excellent Hayabusa Dual-Xai??? Closure system and have all of the hallmarks of a quality made product that you would expect from this premium brand.

If you are in the market for something new and fancy spending a little more on a quality pair of bag gloves, but are not quite ready to go all out for the Tokushu or Kanpeki Elite Series Gloves, then the Ikusa Series 10oz Gloves are certainly an excellent alternative.

Castillo to Fight Brenneman at UFC 173

Danny Castillo will fight a different opponent on his return to the Octagon. Initially expected to take on Isaac Vallie-Flagg on April 26 in Baltimore, Castillo now meets Charlie Brenneman, after Vallie-Flagg was moved to a lightweight bout with Takanori Gomi.

Castillo looks to get back on track following a defeat to Edson Barboza in December, while Brennemanai??i??s four-fight win streak came to an end following a submission loss to Beneil Dariush in his return to the UFC in January (Image: Sherdog)

Anderson Silva Back in Action

Ten weeks after a shocking injury during a championship fight with Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the former middleweight is already kicking with his left leg.

His tibia and fibula were shattered when Weidman checked his kick back in December, but Silva said that being able to kick again is one of the greatest moments of his life.

“I compare this first kicks to the joy of the birth of my first sons,” Silva told UOL.

“Not itai??i??s time to overcome the fear, and Iai??i??ll get there. I still have much to do, but Iai??i??m confident and happy with the first results.”

As yet there are no plans for Silvaai??i??s return to the octagon (Image: Getty)

Rousey: ai???Iai??i??d Beat Mayweather in a Fightai???

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey believes that she would beat Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr if she were to meet him in the ring.

The women’s mixed martial arts superstar appeared in a radio interview, where she was asked what would happen if she was to fight the boxing legend.

ai???I would drop down to the ground and crawl over to him as fast as I can,ai??? she said.

ai???I wouldnai??i??t even stand up, I wouldnai??i??t be near him. I would just do a little army crawl over there and he would have to run away. I would just bear crawl, too low for him to hit me, and tackle him down. I spent a lot of time on the ground, and I doubt that he does.ai??? (Image AP)

Having a good stand up striking game is important as an MMA fighter, but to develop yourself as a good all rounder,Ai?? you will need to be able to draw upon the relevant skills and techniques to be successful when the fight goes to the ground.

If you do need to brush up on your ground technique, it will do you no harm to get back to basics.

Mastering positions like the Top Mount position are fairly easy to replicate and practice on your own without a training partner or dummy. You will use this position to dominate a grounded opponent during a fight.

1 – To start with, get yourself into a front plank position, with your forearms on the ground, hands formed in to fists and your feet placed two shoulder widths apart.

2 – Imagining that you are on top of your opponent, raise your hip and bring your knees in towards your shoulders.

3 – Bring your hands closer together and switching to open palms, use them to push up your upper body until your arms can’t be extended any further.

4 – To complete the position push your hips up and raise your upper body up straight.

If you are going over your ground fighting techniques in the gym with a training partner, you will come in to close contact with the mat and of course your opponent, not to mention resulting in you quickly working up a sweat.

To protect yourself against any unwanted scrapes, cuts and rashes and to wick away sweat, helping to keep you cool and dry, it is advisable to wear a good quality Rashguard that stands up to the job.

Also in the interest of enhancing your performance in this area, you may want to look at equipping yourself with a pair of Foot Grips. Specially designed to give you more grip and traction on the mat, this will increase your takedown power by giving you a more stable starting base. In addition to this, they will also offer support for your ankles and feet.