Martial Arts - Equipment

So, you've decided to become the next Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee, you've searched around for a club and have maybe even started training. Well most likely the next thing on your checklist will be getting your hands on some gear. For a start, most martial arts clubs will have no problem with you training in ordinary gym clothes for your first month or so, but if you study a more traditional art such as karate or kung fu, you'll probably want to invest in a karate 'gi' or a kung fu uniform. Martial arts suits tend to be sold in heights and not chest measurements or standard sizes, so a size 1 is for someone 140cm tall, a size 2 for someone 150cm ...  Read the complete review

Having studied kickboxing for two years now and hoping madly to end up teaching I have amassed a fairly impressive array of equipment with most pieces being bought from seperate suppliers rather than all from one place. The advice I have (such as it is) is on Sparring gear. Sparring Gear If your dojo is worth its salt it will not rush you into buying this immediately. First and foremost decide if sparring is for you, most good places have some onsite equipment you can use whilst trying it out (I love to spar but then I am a bit of a scrapper!). If you decide you enjoy sparring you will need to begin buying your own. Most importantly take your time ...  Read the complete review

The Samurai Sword A Samurai sword or Katana, is considered to a lot of people as just an ornamental item to go in the living room, proudly placed over the fire to enhance the decorative feel. However, a closer look at it and you see a whole new picture. You see an ancient history. The swords constructed for the Samurai were thought to have powers and lives of their own. Mythology gives the creation of the first sword as a weapon created by the god Izanagi who used it to kill his son the Fire God. This was because he had caused Inzanami, his mother, extreme pain at birth that she abandoned Inzanagi, and crept away to the underworld. Inzanagi also ...  Read the complete review

Okay, let me put this into perspective. I am 20 years old, and have used many different types of equipment before, both sporting and non-sporting, but I am beginning to wonder about some of the rules regarding sporting equipment, and in general martial arts equipment. My general attitude toward martial art equipment is this : when used safely, they can add a lot to the learning practice, and becoming a master using equipment is much better than being a beginner. The martial art which I practice is called Aikido (for those who are new to martial arts, this means Art of Peace, see www.aikido.com for the official martial art website). This martial arts' entire concept ...  Read the complete review

If you are a budding Martial Artist like me, the Internet has brought us all in contact with suppliers of just about anything you can want for whatever Martial Art you practise. And with seemingly more and more online shops appearing, it does get confusing sometimes exactly who is offering the best deal!! Having been training in martial arts for over 20 years now, my preference has always been to 'buy the best I can afford'. And that statement is as true today as it was back in 1980 when I started training! The internet has shrunk the world, so it's probably relatively easy to start up supplying stuff, but I also think that is part of the ...  Read the complete review