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Muay Thai Conditioning

Muay Thai Condition

As with the majority of combat sports, Muay Thai places great emphasis on fitness and conditioning.

Training exercises include those familiar to a boxers regime, but there are naturally some notable exceptions. One such exception is the conditioning of the shin bone to harden it, as Thai Boxers rely a lot on kicks using the shin bone.

To toughen up this area of their legs, Thai Boxers will repeatedly strike a densely filled heavy bag, which is highly advisable over the dangerous practice of striking tree trunks or other solid objects which can obviously damage your shins. By conditioning the shin correctly, fighters harden the bone via a process called cortical remodeling.

As far as training equipment goes, the Thai Pad is an essential piece of equipment that allows fighters to practice their kicking, punches, knees and elbow strikes with considerable force due to the densely padded nature of this kind of pad. It is also common for the trainer to wear a Body Protector to allow the fighter to practice their straight kicks and knees to the body.

As with boxing, Focus Mitt pad work sessions are effective ways for a Muay Thai fighter to develop their striking speed and accuracy, as well introducing some Heavy Bag work for developing power. There are gloves available that are more suitable and specific for more Muay Thai also. Such gloves tend to have padded palms and are more flexible than boxing gloves, allowing fighters to hold and clinch their opponents more easily.

Due to the relatively busy schedule of professional Thai Boxers, their sparring sessions are often light in terms of contact to avoid the risk of injury between fights. During sparring sessions, more emphasis is placed on perfecting timing, techniques, range and honing pre fight strategies.

So there you have it, a very brief breakdown in to the training regime and the kind of equipment used for a discipline that is amongst the most physically demanding of any of the martial arts.

MMA Fightwear – Favourite quotes!

Everyone loves a good quote, including us! Check out six our favourite combat sport quotes from notable names from MMA, Boxing, Jiu Jitsu and other disciplines.

Fedor-Quote

If you’ve ever seen the “Last Emperor” fight then you’ll probably recognise that he was pretty damn good at putting this philosophy in to practice. This quote is straight to the point and reveals something of the motivation behind one of the greatest Mixed Martial Artists of our time.

 

Mike Tyson

ai???Most fighters are the most humble people in the world because they’ve gotten their ass kicked before.ai???

In his prime, it’s hard to believe that Mike Tyson would have had much experience of getting his ”ass kicked”, but there’s definitely some truth in what he says, taking a beating in the ring by a better opponent certainly keeps you grounded!

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Carlos Gracie Jr.

“There is no losing in Jiu-Jitsu. You either win or you learn.”

Taking the positives even in defeat is something that we can all learn from and apply to any sport, this short quote epitomises this philosophy.

 

Wladimir Klitschko

“Mental strength is really important because you either win or lose in your mind. And I’m not solely talking about sporting matches, boxing events – anything you do, you do it first with your mental strength. And you can actually train and develop it, and I am responsible for what I’m saying because I have experience with that.”

“Dr. Steelhammer” shares his wisdom about the power and importance of mental strength and how this can be improved through training.

 

Bruce Lee

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Bruce Lee reveals his fear of those who dedicate their training and specialise in a particular technique. We wonder if he would have felt the same facing the might LHK of Mirko Cro Cop in his prime?!

 

Lao Tzu

“The best fighter is never angry”

Short and sweet from the ancient Chinese philosopher. As with many of these kinds of quotes they are open to interpretation and require you to look in to them a little deeper to grasp their meaning. We like this one because it sums up the need to contain your aggression, remain focused and keep a cool head during a fight.

 

We’ve covered a few different disciplines with our favourite quotes above, but don’t forget that we also cover a range of disciplines when it comes to supplying you with top quality apparel and equipment to help you get kitted out and apply some of your new found wisdom that you’ve acquired from reading this post 😉

Martial Art Work – From Paint to Pixels!

Depicting scenes from combat sports in various forms has been a popular subject for many artists throughout the ages. We’ve picked out a few that caught our eye, from established artists, enthusiasts and unknown creators alike!

Starting off with the image below, depicts a scene from Ancient Greece where we have two boxers battling it out, being over looked by two apprehensive looking referees or umpires.Ai??Beneath that, there is a fresco style wall painting depicts two youths engaged in a kind of playful boxing match, wearing what appears to be some sort of early form of glove or wrap! Despite it’s good condition, this painting is said to date back to around 628 B.C. from the Minoan civilisation from the Aegean Bronze Age!

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As you will see a lot of the images feature boxing scenes, the next from our selection Ai??shows two Edo warriors practicing their Judo techniques, with one being masterfully thrown by the other.

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On to boxing now and as one of the foremost practitioners of lithographic printing, TheA?dore Gericault, applied his skill for depicting sporting scenes and athletic figures, as highlighted by the artwork below simply called, “Boxers”Ai??(1818).

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Whilst this next painting by Antonio del Pollaoilo “Hercules & Anteaus” (1890) doesn’t depict a specific style of fighting, we thought we’d add to the mix purely because it shows Hercules in a kind of wrestling match, using his unmatched strength to bear hug a giant to death!

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The next painting by American artist, George BellowsAi??“Both Members of This Club” (1909), features Joe Gans an eight year Lightweight Champion title holder. At the time of this painting, public boxing had been made illegal due to corruption, although some clubs like, Tom Sharkey’s Athletic Club (where the match depicted took place) had managed to find ways around this. Interestingly though, the fighters were only granted membership to the club during their bouts, not prior to or after the fight had begun and ended. Boxers were viewed with a low opinion and were thought of as socially unacceptable.

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Following on with another boxing painting, featuring Joe Louis’s victory over Max Schmeling, “The Brown Bomber” was painted by Robert Riggs in 1938. Full of detail, this scene captures the moment when Schmeling’s cornerman threw in the towel after the German fighter took a barrage of blows to the head result in him hitting the canvas three times in quick succession.

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Moving on to more modern day works and looking more at Mixed Martial Arts, with a sketch by artist Christoper Rini. We think this could a preparation sketch for a painting showing part of a fight between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson judging by the writing to the top left of the drawing.

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We liked this pastel drawing of Urijah Faber by Daniel Peci because of the way the rough marks made by the artist give a sense of movement and dynamism to the fighter as moves his body forward to throw the right hand punch. He cleverly uses limited colours to pick out highlights and shadows to give the figure a 3-D form too.

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We’re unsure of the artist responsible for producing this highly detailed print of Georges St Pierre, but we were impressed with the level of detail shown here. You can really get a sense of the force being applied by GSP as he applies his grip, surely this was followed by a tap out shortly after!?

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We picked out this last image, purely for the novelty aspect! We love the pixelated versions of some of the stars of the UFC, they’re a pretty good likeness too, although we’re not sure who the pet monkey belongs too!

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Hayabusa Equipment Re-Stock Notice!

We have fully re-stocked the highly popular and sought after Hayabusa Kanpeki Elite Series 2.0 equipment line.

We have also topped up our stocks to meet the demands for the Hayabusa Tokushu and Ikusa Series equipment lines too.

These ranges from Hayabusa are amongst our most in demand products so if you have been waiting for any of this to come back in to stock, grab yours while you can!

The MMA Fightwear ‘Perfect MMA Fighter’

By combining some of the essential attributes needed to perform at the highest level as an MMA Fighter, we’ve put together the skills and know how of some of the best in the world to create our own ‘Perfect MMA Fighter’!

Perfect MMA Fighter Blog

Not only is our fighter a Mixed Martial Arts specialist, he’s also made up of a fair few nationalities. Taking in to account the nationalities of the fighters we’re drawing his skills from, he isAi??56.25% American, 25% BrazilianAi??andAi??6.25% Russian, CroatianAi??andAi??CanadianAi??to boot!

Strategy and Brain -Ai??Georges St. Pierre

Starting off, we’ve blessed our guy with theAi??Strategy and BrainAi??ofAi??Georges St. PierreAi??due to his flawless ability to calmly adapt and change his game mid fight, not to mention is unrivalled desire to win mentality.Ai??

Trash Talking -Ai??Chael Sonnen

There’s nothing like a bit ofAi??Trash TalkingAi??to build up a fight and get beneath your opponents skin before you’ve even gone toe to toe. There were a few candidates for this, but there are few others who like the sound of their own voice than the opinion dividingAi??Chael Sonnen.

Chin -Ai??Dan Henderson

The best form of defence in any combat sport is to avoid being hit, but in the unlikely event that our superhuman will take a few hits, then a cast ironAi??ChinAi??will also come in pretty handy.Ai??Dan HendersonAi??boasts never being knocked to date after sixteen years, need we say more?

Heart -Ai??Frankie Edgar

When the heat of the battle rises and things get tough, the desire to keep on going and fight until you’re running on empty requires courage and a bigAi??Heart, something thatAi??Frankie “The Answer” EdgarAi??is famous for.

Elbows – Jon Jones

There are so many attributes that we could have taken fromAi??Jon Jones, but if you askAi??Stephan Bonnar, he’s likely to mention that devastatingly fast spinning ElbowAi??he ate during Jone’s 2nd fight in the UFC. It’s not only the speed you have to look out for, Jones’s elbows are like blades and seem to open up cuts like a machete!

Ground and Pound – Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez’sAi??domination of AntonioAi??“Big Foot” Silva backAi??at UFC 160 was a prime example of Velasquez’s brutally effectiveAi??Ground and PoundAi??game. When used effectively, raining down a flurry of blows using this technique can often be a fight finisher.

Submission Grappling – Ronaldo Souza

For overallAi??Submission GrapplingAi??prowess, there are few MMA fighters more highly thought of than the Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Jacare is one of the most feared fighters in MMA when the fight goes to the ground and often tops the list of the best BJJ practitioners within the sport too.

Knockout Power – Johny Hendricks

As with all of the different traits and attributes we’ve listed, there are going to be many choices for each, but our decision to includeAi??Johny HendricksAi??forAi??Knockout Power is based on this guy’s ridiculous striking power and the fact the he seems to get more powerful with each fight.

Striking Power -Ai??Fedor Emelianenko

As well as knockout merchant credentials, we though that we would give our fighter some additional Striking Power from Fedor Emelianenko.Ai??Renowned as one of the all time greats, “The Last Emperor” possessed bear like strength with unmatched power behind his heavy hands. It has been said that Fedor actually punched too hard, and posed a risk to the health of his own hand bones and joints!

Striking Accuracy – Anderson Silva

UFC stat boffins will know of the incredibleAi??Striking AccuracyAi??possessed by one of, if the not, the greatest fighter in MMA history. There’s so much that we could take from Anderson Silva when creating our Perfect MMA Fighter, but his striking accuracy keeps him firmly at the top of the FightMetric ‘Significant Strike Accuracy’ stats list with an impressive 62.7% record.

Hand Speed -Ai??Demetrious JohnsonAi??

Few can match the Hand Speed ofAi??Demetrious Johnson, one of those who was recently frustrated and outfoxed by “Mighty Mouse” wasAi??Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174. In this fight it was Johnson’s overall speed and manoeuvrability that helped him to overwhelm BagautinovAi??secure the victory.

Kimura -Ai??Fabricio Werdum

We might be being a bit excessive here as we’ve already got the submission grappling skills of Jacare in the bag. But, as one of our favourite BJJ maestro’s, we thought we’d throw in a dose of Kimura specialist, Fabricio Werdum for good measure too.

Muay ThaiAi??Clinch – Anderson Silva

If there’s one place that you do not want to find yourself in the midst of a fight, it’s being held in the Clinch of Anderson Silva. It’s no secret that Silva can come at you and do you damage in many ways, but feeling the full force of repetitive knee and elbow strikes from this position is certainly one of the most devastating.

Explosiveness -Ai??Melvin Guillard

Melvin GuillardAi??is a genuine athlete that possessAi??ExplosivenessAi??of movement as well as punching power. Guillard’s aggressive, dynamic style made him exciting to watch, despite being released earlier this year by the UFC after nine years with the organisation.Ai??

Wrestling & Takedown – Dan Henderson

Not only renowned for his Iron Chin,Ai??Dan Henderson is also highly regarded for hisAi??Wrestling & TakedownAi??skills. These attributes are sure to give our fighter another option to effortlessly control the fight if it goes to the ground, or purposefully take the fight to the ground to show off his skills!

Front Leg Kick -Ai??Lyoto Machida

Not only do we have a well rounded, probably unbeatable fighter in the making, we also want him to be a crowd pleaser.Ai??Lyoto Machida’s Front Leg Kick that he originally used to flaw Randy Couture back in 2013 certainly got people on their feet and is still talked about today as one of the most famous knockouts in the UFC.

Left High Kick -Ai??Mirko Cro Cop

Blink or take your eye off the ball and our fighter will hit you for six withAi??Left High Kick that will take your head off your shoulders. Widely feared as being a generally scary individual not mention one of the greatest MMA heavyweights in MMA history,Ai??Mirko Cro Cop’sAi??LHK was lightning quick equally as powerful.

Footwork -Ai??Dominick Cruz

It’s highly likely that you are going to be hit by our fighter, given the lethal cocktail of skills we’ve plied him with. It’s also very possible that you are unlikely to get near him as well, as we finish him off with the unique and incredibly quick FootworkAi??ofAi??Dominick Cruz.

 

How To Wrap Your Hands by MMA Fightwear

Handwraps-Blog

Check out our illustrated guide on how to wrap your hands using traditional cotton hand wraps for boxing training or sparring.

Before you get started, there are a couple of things to note that you will want to keep in mind when wrapping up your hands.

ai??? Get the tension right

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You need to make sure that you wrap tightly enough so the wraps are not loose but not too tight to risk reducing circulation of blood flow. It may take you a few attempts before you get the right balance between comfort, fit and support.

ai??? Keep the wraps as smooth as possible

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When wrapping, try to prevent them bunching up and keep the surfaces as smooth as possible. If you allow the hand wraps to wrinkle, this will not only be uncomfortable, but it will also make them less protective for your hands and wrists.

 

1 – Keep your hands and fingers outstretched

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Before you begin to wrap your hands up, make sure that your fingers are fully stretched out. This helps with making sure that you do not wrap your hands too tightly and ensures that you are properly protected. If you wrap your hands with your fingers close together, you may find that your movements are restricted once your hands are fully wrapped up.

 

2 – Start with the thumb loop

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Begin the process by placing your thumb through loop, making sure that the underside of the wrap is against your skin. You will know which side is the right way up as most wraps have a branded logo at one end where the Velcro fastening is, this is the side that should be visible.

 

3 – Wrapping the wrist

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Depending on the size of your wrists and the length of the wrap itself, you should aim to wrap around the circumference of your wrist 3 to 4 times, finishing off so that the wrap is facing inwards (in the same direction as your outstretched thumb).

 

4 – Wrapping your hand

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Bringing the wrap around the back of your hand just above your thumb and pull it across your palm to the other side. Repeat this action 2 – 3 times finishing off so the wrap is facing inwards.

 

5 – Wrapping your thumb

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In an upward motion, wrap from the base and around your thumb and follow on by wrapping your wrist once.

 

6 – Wrapping your fingers

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It is worth noting that variations on how to wrap hand wraps can vary and some guides tell you to close your fist when wrapping your fingers (as bring the wrap over and in between your fingers), so you may also want to give this a try when repeating steps 6 & 7.

Starting off near the base of your thumb on the inside of your wrist, bring the wrap up, over and in between pinky and ring finger.

Wrap over the top of the hand, and from the inside of your wrist again, proceed to bring the wrap over and between your ring finger and middle finger.

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Repeat this action and bring the wrap over and between your middle finder and index finger, finishing off again on the inside of your wrist.

 

7 – Wrap your wrist again

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Begin by wrapping your wrist as normal, then from the inside of the wrist, bring the wrap over the front of your hand in a diagonal direction to the outside edge of your hand.

Check out our range of traditional cotton and bamboo Hand Wraps on our site, from top brands like; Hayabusa, Venum & PRO MMA.

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Bring the wrap across the palm of your hand just above your thumb, then repeat the action. finishing off by wrapping a full circumference around your wrist.

8 – Strap the wrap in place

Finally, to secure the wrap in place, simply close the Velcro panels together.

Repeat this with your other hand and you should be good to go.

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New Hayabusa Ranges Now In Stock

As the Official European Distributor for Hayabusaai???, we are always first to get our hands on the very latest equipment and apparel from MMA’s #1 Trusted Brands.

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The new limited edition HayabusaAi??Ikusa 16oz Gloves make their mark and stand out from the crowd with their exciting, vibrant new colour combination designs.

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Available in three different styles, the new Ikusa Gloves have all of the same great technical features of the existing line but offer something a little different for those in the market for something that looks a little different.

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Next up are the equally vibrant new HayabusaAi??Flex Factor Training Shorts. As with the new Ikusa range, these shorts are an addition to an existing line, but just offer up an alternative design for those of you who don’t mind standing out from the rest.

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The Flex Factor Training Shorts provide all of the minimal, sleek and functional design features of the original Flex Fight Shorts line, but are a available in a vibrant new colour way.

Compression Shorts Buying Guide

Compression Short-Buying-Guide

In addition to our current series of Buying Guides, we’ve put together a few pointers on what to look for when buying a new pair of Compression Shorts for MMA.

What to Look For

The main aims of this garment is to provide support for your muscles, helping to prevent injury and improve blood flow and reduce lactic acid. In simple terms, they achieve this by being tight fitting and helping to ‘compress’ the muscle tissue in your gluteus, hamstrings and quads.

Moisture Wicking Fabric

We’ve covered the properties of moisture wicking fabric in previous posts for other kinds of MMA apparel, but basically moisture wicking fabric is really beneficial especially in close fitting garments like Compression Shorts.

Moisture Wicking Diagram

By wicking away the sweat from the surface of your skin to the outer layer of the fabric, the aim is to keep you as cool and dry as possible.

Moisture wicking fabric works by exploiting the natural capillary action of that occurs when liquids flow through narrow spaces (the minute gaps in the fabric) without the aid of any external forces such as gravity.

Integrated Cup Pockets

Not all Compression Shorts feature a built in cup pocket, but if you are planning to wear a cup it’s always worth looking out for this feature as it will provide extra comfort, convenience as well as protection.

Wide Waistbands

This is a personal preference, but with Compression Shorts being purposefully tight fitting, a wide waistband can help evenly distribute the pressure and reduce the cutting feeling you can get with compression wear with smaller waistbands.

Dye Sublimated Graphics

Whilst this may not be so important in terms of performance, dye sublimated graphics (where designs are fused in to fabric of the shorts) as opposed to printed or stitched on, will help to keep the shorts sleek, light and rule out any fading or chaffing caused by stitching.

A Note About Sizing

It is important to note that we’ve highlighted some of the main points, but one thing to be aware of that we can’t really generalise about is Sizing.

It is important that you refer to each individual brand’s Size Guide before deciding on which size is most suitable for you as there can be variations between brands.

If you found this Buying Guide useful, you may also want to check out our MMA Rashguards Buying Guide, as there are similar features and functions that are common to both kinds of apparel.

MMA Rashguard Buying Guide

Rashguard-Buying-Guide

With many brands and styles of Rashguards available, we’ve outlined a few key things to look out for to help make things easier for you.

1 – Short Sleeves or Long Sleeves

This is down to preference, but it is worth noting that long sleeve Rashguards will better protect you against infections that can be caught from coming in to contact with the gym mat like Staph and Ringworm.

2 – Loose Fitting or Skin Tight Fit

Again, this is also a personal preference, but some Rashguards will be purposefully made to be loose fitting. Some find this style more comfortable, however others prefer the tighter fitting style, especially if it is being worn beneath other clothing like a Jiu Jitsu Gi.

3 – Sublimated Printed Logos and Designs

One of the major deciding factors that will influence your decision on which Rashguard to get will be it’s design.

Look out for sublimated graphics, where the designs are permanently fused in to the fabric. This is desirable for two reasons, the first being comfort and the second being durability.

With most Rashguards being close fitting, the last thing you want is to be scratched by itchy stitching from an embroidered logo or pattern.

Also, this garment will come in to contact with the mat and your training partner on regular occasions, this is were vinyl printed or embroidered graphics will rub, fade and come off over time. This doesn’t happen with sublimated printing techniques.

4 – Moisture Wicking Fabric

Traditionally Rashguards were designed for those taking part in outdoor sports like surfing where the idea is to keep heat in, this is not the case with the MMA variety.

Ideally you want to keep yourself as cool and dry as possible and this were moisture wicking fabric comes in.

Moisture wicking fabric works by drawing the sweat away from your skin to the outside surface of the fabric, helping you to stay dry and cool.

5 – Flatlock Stitching

Flatlock stitching creates a smoother surface by layering one piece of fabric over the other at the seam and then stitching through the layers to secure the fabric panel areas in to place. This stitching method also increases the strength and durability of the garment.

So depending on your preference of short or long sleeve, loose or tight fitting, keep a look at for good quality Rashguards that have Sublimated Printed Logos and Designs, Moisture Wicking Fabric and Flatlock Stitching.

Different brands will have additional features and will use fabrics of varying thicknesses and stretchiness, but the points we’ve listed above are the basics of what to look out for.

Motivation To Train

Motivation Blog

 

We all have those days when we just don’t feel like training, but you push on anyway and very rarely regret it!

How do yo motivate yourself on those days when you’re making excuses and just don’t feel like it!?

Do you tell yourself certain things, or maybe there’s some particular music you play to get you energised?

For a quick burst of inspiration check out these funny, short and snappy quotes below as well as a well know quote from Muhammad Ali.

  • Pain is weakness leaving the body
  • To achieve something youai??i??ve never had before, you must do something youai??i??ve never done before.
  • Winners Train, Losers Complain.

  • I really regret doing that workout, said no one ever!

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Share your own quotes and tips for getting motivated on our Facebook page and you might even pick up some new ideas for yourself!

Of course, there is another way to get you motivated… there’s nothing like getting yourself some new gear to give you that little extra boost! Check out our latest offers for some low price deals to get your own motivational retail fix 😉