Do you buy quality training gear?

Question

For whatever martial art you do that requires gear do you buy high quality for an extra price or cheap stuff. For instance boxing gloves would you buy some synthetic $20 Everlast at Walmart or some genuine leather $70 Grants? Or does it not even matter to you?

Answer 1

I have bought cheap gloves that wore out but then when i had some extra bucks i bought a pair of Fairtex gloves and honestly it was worth every penny!! But as far as the rest of my gear i bought at combat sports not the name brand stuff but still great quality gear. But as with everything the prices have gone up since everyone and their mother is an ultimate fighter now!!!

Now for cups i cant find a cup that works well with grappling does anybody have a suggestion!

Answer 2

I tend to spend time investigating before I buy and can usually, but not always, find something cheaper that is just as good or sometimes even better than the more expensive equipment. Also this gives you the opportunity of getting something when it is on sale and I always pass that savings on to my students. That way they have good equipment for a decent price and money left over for other things that they might need. The only time I don't follow this is when safety may be more of a factor and mouthpieces is a good example. Most mouthpieces are adequate if you form it and get a good fit but if you have had a lot of expensive dental work, getting a lot of hard contact in sparring then I recommend that they buy one that offers more protection and which costs a several dollars more. For pro fighters they get theirs from a dentist and he inspects it and how well it fits and will refit or redo it if needed.

For heavier weight fighters since they hit harder and their hands take more punishment I would opt for the more expensive pads that fit better and give the best protection.

Answer 3

I have always purchased the best gear I could find.

Then comes the problem,"Finding Good Quality Gear"
The Internet must be a big help now,but back in the day so much of what was available was cheaply made.
I have not purchased any new gear in years but I am willing to bet most is coming from China.(often cheap junk)

Answer 4

I think a lot in that decision has to do with what your intention is. If you are going to use your material once every blue moon why fork out the dough for expensive stuff. For my gi pants I tend to go for cheap stuff I train quite frequently but I figure that paying 10 euro for a cheap pair that'll last 5 years or 70 euro for an expensive one that'll last 20 years well you do the math. As for weapons I tend to go for whatever feels good in my hands regardless of price. as I said it all depends on what you need. When buying a hakama I did indeed pay double the price of the cheap ones but with something that's meant to serve a lifetime I figure it's ok to spend a little extra for better quality.

Answer 5

I buy lots of training gear but I dont look for the best. I have regular sparring gear, a wavemaster, and paddle. I make my own nunchucks and kali sticks

Answer 6

No, mma It is literally mixed martial arts, you can utilize any martial art technique of your choosing as long as it follows mma rules. Anything that is allowed in Muay Thai and no gi Bjj just happens to be allowed in mma thus they translate efficiently. Unlike martial arts such as karate and gi judo where there are several techniques that violate the rules of mma( groin strikes, manipulation of the gi, pressure point strikes etc.) As a result these types of traditional martial arts are not often seen. The problem with Tkd in mma is it's very limited using mostly kicks. This does not mean it's useless Keyboard Warrior! There are a handful of top level mma fighter who actually give Tkd techniques the time of day. These fighters include Anderson Silva, Georges St Pierre, Jon Jones, I rest my case.

Answer 7

I buy the best I've had the same chest protector for six years the only reason i bought a new one is because I out grew it. Cheap boxing gloves don't last long if you spar frequently and that's using it to death.it's better to pay the big bucks now but only if you are going to actually use it and wear it out not to make a statement for show or ego. better now than having to pay more in the long run

Answer 8

Well it depends on how much I have on me and the Gear I could get! If I see good gear I'll buy it!

Answer 9

I get genuine leather everything except punching bags and sparring gloves. I spar with little cloth thingys anyway. But not the shin pads. They have to be pro style leather because people still do full contact low/mid kicks for some reason

Answer 10

As long as they do the job, I don't care what they are made of.

The only exception is with my headgear, I made sure it has enough padding and cheek protection, as I don't enjoy bruises on the face.

My shinpads handwraps and gloves I got on ringside.com, I love the top contender brand, they price is great and the quality is high.

My cup and mouthpiece I got in walmart, they do the job well.

My sparring gloves (16oz), a friend of mine sold them to me and forgot to charge me, so I gave him 2 brand new muay thai shorts from muaythaisuff.com :)