Author Archives: MMAFightwear

A Closer Look At The Hayabusa Tokushu Series Striking Shin Guards

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

New Hayabusa T-Shirt Collection

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As the Official European Online Store for Hayabusa®, we are the first to stock and sell this great new range of Hayabusa® T-Shirts.

Available in a variety of colours, we have the Jiu Jitsu OSS, Tokyo Buzz and Tradition T-Shirts now available to buy from our site.

With the warmer weather approaching, why not make an early addition or two to your summer wardrobe. With these t-shirts being of limited availability, once they are sold out, you will miss out, so grab yours while you can!

New Hayabusa T-Shirt Collection Now Available

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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??TShirtsAi??(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!

 

 

Hayabusa Ikusa 10oz Gloves Review

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.

Ikusa-10oz

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.

Ikusa-Padding-Detail

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.

Ikusa-10oz-DetailAi??Ikusa-Leather-DetailIkusa-Gloves-Strap-DetailAi??

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.

Ikusa-Stitching-Detail

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.

Ikusa-Fist-Detail

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.

Ikusa-Palm-Detail

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.

A Closer Look at the Hayabusa Kanpeki Elite Series 2.0 MMA Gloves

By no means a new product, we just felt that these particular gloves were due a little more exposure due to the fact they still remain one of the most impressive looking products ever released by Hayabusa.

In fact, everything in the Kanpeki Elite Series range from Hayabusa looks just as good, with their classic, vintage leather look combining the latest MMA sports equipment technology, surely there’s nothing to dislike.

Sometimes, it is hard to get an accurate feel for a product when they are viewed online, so we’ve decided to get a few a close up pictures taken of the Kanpeki Elite Series 2.0 MMA Gloves to show just how good these gloves actually look and feel.

Kanp-MMA-Combo Kanp-MMA-Detail

(Embossed Hayabusa Logo -Ai??Wrist Strap Detail)Ai??

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(Embossed Hayabusa Logo – Inside Wrist Strap Detail)Ai??

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(Embossed Kanji Detail)

The above images really show off the quality of the Full Grain Premium Leather used to create these MMA Gloves, as well as the attention to detail of the embossed Hayabusa Logo’s and Hayabusa Kanji.

Features

Don’t be fooled by the vintage looking exterior of these gloves, there’s nothing primitive about their features or use of the latest patented Hayabusa innovations.

Dual-Xai??? Closure System

The images below show the same Dual-Xai??? Closure System as used on the Hayabusa Tokushu Series MMA Gloves. We’ve already praised this particular feature in a previous blog post about the Tokushu Series MMA Gloves, but to sum up in short, this closure system offers extremely effective hand and wrist support and provides such a snug fit that you may not have experienced before with any previous pair of MMA Gloves that you have owned.

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(Outer & Inner Velcro Strap)

 

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(Inner Velcro Strap – Rubberised Tab)

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(Outer and Inner Strap Detail)

Y-Volarai??? design

Again, this particular design feature can been seen on the Tokushu Series MMA Gloves, and we feel that it does it’s job in adding to the secure fit and minimising of unwanted shift for the wearer of the gloves very well indeed.

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(Y-Volar Design Detail)

Overall Quality of FinishAi??

As you would expect from any premium Hayabusa product, the quality of stitching and finishing inside and out on these gloves is second to none.

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(Stitching Detail)

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(Inner Palm Stitching Detail)

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(Inner Padding Detail)

Just a final word about these gloves that no amount of images could ever do justice is their smell! As soon as you get them out of the bag you instantly notice that genuine quality leather smell!

Hayabusa 16oz Gloves Comparison

We often get asked about the differences between the various ranges ofAi??Hayabusa Gloves, so we thought it would be useful to do a side by side comparison review for you of their Ikusaai???,Ai??Tokushuai???Ai??andAi??Kanpeki Eliteai??? 2.0 Series 16oz Gloves.

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If you are familiar with Hayabusa products, you will know that they have many features listed in their product specifications. For quick reference we have listed the features that you will find in the three ranges of gloves that we are looking at here.

Haya-Glove-Quick-Compare

Beneath this table you will be able to get a brief breakdown of what the functions of some of the listed features are too.

Common Features

ai??? (A) Dual-Xai??? Closure system

One common feature that we have mentioned in previous blog posts is the use of the effective Dual-Xai??? Closure system that is featured across all three ranges. So whatever your budget or taste, if you choose any glove from the Ikusaai???, Tokushuai??? or Kanpeki Eliteai??? Series, you are ensured piece of mind a secure fit from this innovative patented Hayabusa velcro closure system.

Basically this closure system, developed by Hayabusa, uses multiple velcro straps secured at various points on the wrist area of the glove to make sure that you can tighten the gloves in place in a way that is as good as anything we’ve ever seen on any pair of gloves.

Click here to see the Official Hayabusa Dual-Xai??? Closure system video for more information.

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ai???Ai??Quality of Finishing

When comparing the quality of stitching and finishing, it is clear that Hayabusa pay close attention to detail with respect to this. Upon close inspection it obvious that all three ranges have been finished to a high standard.

Haya-Glove-Finish

ai???Ai??(B) Ectaai??? Bamboo Lining

All three ranges are made with the exclusive Hayabusa Ectaai??? bamboo lining which is said to provide “thermoregulating” and “deodorising properties” and provide “extreme comfort”.

When you put any of these gloves you will notice straight away, just how soft and comfortable the lining is.

ai???Ai??(C) Deltra-EGai???

The Ikusaai???, Tokushuai??? and Kanpeki Eliteai??? 2.0 Series all feature another Hayabusa trademarked development called Deltra-EGai??? Technology. This scientifically tested foam inner core boasts such qualities as “recovering instantly from strikes”, being able to “flawlessly manipulate impact energy” to “provide superior protection”.

Click hereAi??to see the Official Hayabusa Deltra-EGai??? Closure system video

Varying Features

ai???Ai??(D) Fusion Splintingai???

By comparing the three styles of gloves side by side, you can see that the Ikusa appear to be more simplistic in terms of their design and construction.

Haya-Glove-Fusion

The Fusion Splintingai??? design highlighted by theAi?? panelling and stitching pattern is the most obvious difference that separates both the Tokushuai??? and Kanpeki Eliteai??? Series from the Ikusaai???.

The Fusion Splintingai??? design is of course more than just a visual feature, it is actually an innovative development from Hayabusa to help increase hand and wrist protection and to ensure the correct hand alignment for the wearer of the glove.

Click hereAi??to see the Official Hayabusa Fusion Splintingai???Ai??video for more information.

ai???Ai??Engineered Leather, (E) Vylarai??? and Genuine Leather

A further notable difference between the three styles is the material used to make the gloves.

ai???Ai??The Ikusaai??? Series uses an Engineered Leather material that feels soft yet durable.

ai???Ai??The Tokushuai??? Series uses another kind of Engineered Leather called Vylarai???.Ai??This rigorously tested material has been put through it’s paces by Hayabusa and boasts hard wearing and resistant to damage properties.

Click hereAi??to see the Official HayabusaAi??Vylarai???Ai??video for more information.

ai???Ai??The Kanpeki Eliteai??? 2.0 Series uses a Full Grain Premium Leather material. The quality of the leather is evident as soon as you get these gloves out of the bag. The natural, distressed of look of this premium grade material gives the Kanpeki Eliteai??? Series a timeless classic look.

ai???Ai??Breathable Glove Palms

From the photo’s below, you will also notice that both the Tokushuai??? and Kanpeki Eliteai??? Gloves have a breathable mesh material constructed in to the palm areas. This differs to the Ikusa Glove palm, that has adopted a more traditional full covered palm with air holes.

Haya-Glove-Palm Ikusa-Palm-Detail

 

Final Comparison Overview

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 sparring gloves, but are not quite ready to go all out for the Tokushuai??? or Kanpeki Eliteai??? Series Gloves, then the Ikusaai??? Series 16oz Gloves are certainly an excellent alternative.

With the Tokushuai??? and Kanpeki Eliteai??? Series, you are paying the extra amount due to the standard of engineered leather and genuine leather used respectively on these premium lines. In addition to this, both of the afore mentioned ranges utilise the Hayabusa Fusion Splintingai??? Technology for a more advanced level of hand and wrist protection too. With this in mind, you will be investing in the hours of research and testing that Hayabusa have carried out in order to develop this innovative technology.

MMA Training Drills ai??i?? ai???The Top Mount Positionai???

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.

Top-Mount1 Top-Mount2 Top-Mount3 Top-Mount4

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.

New Hayabusa Metaru Performance Shorts – ai???Out of the Bagai??? Review

As the Official UK & European Distributor for Hayabusa, we are always excited to get our hands on their latest products as soon as they come in to us.

With the design of theAi??Hayabusa Metaru RashguardsAi??proving to be a massive success, we couldnai??i??t wait to see how the similar design would be applied to the newAi??Hayabusa Metaru Performance Shorts.

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Hayabusa Metaru Performance Shorts Front Detail

Hayabusa Metaru Performance Shorts Back Detail

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

ai??? The new Hayabusa Metaru Performance Shorts have been billed as being tough and durable, but without compromising on comfort. Straight out of the bag, you can feel how light these shorts are, but at the same time, how strong the material is. In addition to this, the finishing and stitching on the shorts was immaculate inside and out and looked very secure.

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STRETCH PANELS & SPLIT SEAMS

ai???Ai??If you know your Hayabusa Fight Shorts, then the Stretch FabricAi??crotch area (shown below) and Side Split Seams will need no explanation. For those of you not so familiar with such features, the Stretch Fabric, is just what it says in the name, a tough Spandex / Polyester fabric used to provide extra mobility and reduce restriction of movement for the wearer of the short.

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ai???Ai??The Side Split SeamsAi??(shown below), perform a similar function with regards to helping to aid mobility and reduced and kind of manoeuvrability restrictions. If you are not used to recentAi??Hayabusa Fight Shorts, then you may notice that the Side Split Seams are finished slightly higher in to the side of the leg than some other brands, helping to give more freedom of movement.

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VELCRO ENCLOSURE SYSTEM

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ai???Ai??The Velcro Enclosure systemAi??(shown above) looks as secure as ever, utilising multiple Velcro panels and is backed up the Hayabusa Innovative Tie System. You will see from the close up image that these shorts use a special kind of velcro panel that will not stick to the drawstring lace.

 

HAYABUSA INNOVATIVE TIE SYSTEM

ai???Ai??The Innovative Tie SystemAi??(shown below) uses a single, tough and durable drawstring that has been looped around the waist. The longer end is then brought across and behind the front of the waistband and looped through an eyelet which also sits behind the Velcro Enclosure System.

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ai???Ai??We know from previous Hayabusa Fight Shorts that use this kind of tie system that it really works to help secure the shorts in place extremely well, eliminating the issue of snapping the drawstring and losing it within the waistband.

 

INNER GRIP WAISTBAND

ai???Ai??The Inner Grip WaistbandAi??(shown below) is another feature that has been used on this particular short, and as you can see from the image, the many small rubber dimples that line the waistband provide an effective gripping system that will help to minimise unwanted movement and shift.

Hayabusa Inner Grip Waistband

 

DESIGN & FINSIH

ai???Ai??The actual design and use of the similar pattern as seen on the Hayabusa Metaru Rashguards (shown below)Ai??is quite subtle, so those of you in favour of more understated designs will be a big fan of these shorts.

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ai???Ai??Some of close up images above show you the pattern in more detail and help you to get a better impression of the look of these shorts. The sublimated printing is of a very high standard and is very crisp and clear. The designs are fused within the fabric fibres to make them very hard wearing.

ai???Ai??Overall the new Hayabusa Metaru Performance Shorts are highly impressive and are a great example of what you would expect from a premium level fight short. They feel tough and durable, yet light weight enough to be comfortable.

ai???Ai??With their additional features to assist with manoeuvrability and maintaining a secure fit, these shorts really do tick all the boxes in terms of being more than up to the job, plus they use the ultra cool Metaru honeycomb pattern and design, so they look as good as they feel too!

Out of the Bag Rating – 5 out of 5 Stars!

MMA Round Up: UFC 170, Las Vegas

Cormier takes title in first

Fansided.com

Daniel Cormier needed just 79 seconds to knock out Patrick Cummins at UFC 170 on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre in Las Vegas.

The win over Cummins, who was a last minute replacement, means Cormier is now undefeated in his 14 fights and was made even sweeter by the fact that his former sparring partner Cummins had claimed before the fight that he had once made Cormier cry during wrestling practice.

“It had to happen this way,” Cormier said. “It could not have gone the distance. I’m mad he even hit me twice because of all the talking he did. When you talk, you’ve got to be able to back it up. That’s what I do.”

Cummins had accepted the fight on 10 days’ notice, when injury forced Rashad Evans off the co-main event (Image: Fansided.com).

Rousey takes a minute to show her class

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Despite being billed as one of the biggest events of her career, UFC 170 proved to be a relatively easy night for Rhonda Rousey.

A knee to the midsection caused former ex-Olympic wrestler Sara McMann to collapse to the canvas and the fight was stopped after just 66 seconds.

The crowd booed what it deemed was an early stoppage. But referee Herb Dean had little option after Rousey hit McMann with a knee to the body followed by an elbow, another knee, another elbow ai??i?? and then a final knee that put McMann on the floor (Image: AP).

For the first time in her career, Rousey had ended a fight without her trademark arm-bar in this, the fastest knockout in UFC women’s history.

MacDonald Punishes Maia

Rory MacDonald threw his hat into the ring as a contender once again, following a hard-fought decision over a veteran opponent in Demian Maia.

MacDonald (16-2) suffered a takedown in the early seconds of the bout, which led to him losing the first round. But as the fight wore on he picked Maia apart on the feet while defending a constant string of takedown attempts in the later rounds.

All three judges scored it the same, 29-28 for MacDonald.

MacDonald continued to land effectively with kicks to the body and straight, two-punch combinations into the latter stages of the fight and his momentum continued into the final round, where he continued to pick Maia apart with the jab, right hand and kicks.

Pyle Ends it in three

Mike Pyle rebounded from a heart-breaking knock-out loss in his last performance by defeating TJ Waldburger via TKO late in the third round.

The Las Vegas-based welterweight was at his best on the inside. Fending off Waldburgerai??i??s takedown attempts while frequently landing knee shots and elbows from the clinch.

Six of the best for Thompson

Kickboxer turned MMA fighter Stephen Thompson, earned the sixth finish of his career thanks to a TKO victory over Robert Whittaker, with the stoppage coming just 3.45 into the first round.

A straight right hand Ai??had initially dropped Whittaker but the welterweight managed to get back to his feet, with Thompson eventually putting him down again with another decisive right.