Shin Guard Round-Up

The purpose of shin guards is two-fold:  to protect your own shins and to protect your training partners. Most gyms want trainees to wear shin guards even if they are MMA fighters.  Finding shin guards that fit is hard for everyone but especially for women.  In this post I review four pairs of shin guards that are regularly worn by the girls at my gym.

The problem most shorter people have is finding a shin guard that fits the tibia.  Many 'regular' shin guards hit above the bend of the knee and can hinder movement.  Also if the foot guard is too large it can make it painful to kick.

Most shin guards are made to be either slip-on or with hook and loops in the back.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages but anecdotally I see people having to adjust the hook and loop more than the slip-ons.  

Product Reviews and Peri-Workout Supplementation

Hi Guys!  As I finish up this dissertation and prepare to start writing my book on female fighters, I am going to try to maintain a steady stream of product reviews for the blog.  I am the kind of girl who has to read reviews on a product before I buy and I figure there are a lot of y'all out there who like to do the same. 

The following reviews will be coming down the pipeline over the next couple of weeks:
-Tussle Fight Gear Vale Tudo shorts and sports bra
-Fighter Girls Vale Tudo shorts
-Jaco long sleeve rashguard
-Shin guards round-up

-Please let me know if there is any other gear you would like reviewed or any gear you have tried recently.  

Peri-Workout Supplementation

Several weeks ago the schedule at our gym changed.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach three one-hour classes in a row:  women's kickboxing, fighter conditioning and striking strategy.  Each of these classes are very physically demanding and even if I don't train all of them I still feel tuckered out by the time that last class rolls around. 

I am not really in to using workout supplementation; I eat a lot of food throughout the day and usually that is enough to get me through my workout and back home for dinner.  However, this three hour session has been kicking my ass so I decided to follow the advice I give my own clients and concoct a drink I can take down before the striking strategy class.

Peri-Workout supplementation is taken during a workout.  For this type of high intensity, glucose-depleting training I recommend clients take a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein in the form of a shake.  However, right now I am trying to lean out a little more and increase my muscle mass so I am doing a little less carbs and more protein.  I feel like a nerd for jumping on the coconut water bandwagon but damn if it isn't delicious.  Plus juice gives me heartburn.

L.A.'s Peri-Workout shake

http://www.onedrinks.com/

This shake contains equal parts carbohydrate and protein.  Again, I think it is important to eat adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrate at least two hours pre-workout when doing a very intensive training session.  I use this shake during my Tuesday/Thursday sessions and on Saturday between lifting and running sprints. 

8oz O.N.E. coconut water
1/2 scoop plain protein powder
3-4 ice cubes

Carbs:  11g
Protein:  10g
Fat:  0g
100 Calories total


What type of supplementation do you use during your training sessions? 

New FighterGirls MMA gloves

It has been almost a month since I last posted and although I am mildly embarrassed, I do think I have good reason.  School has been kicking my ass; from teaching to taking class to writing my dissertation, I've spent the majority of my time lately sitting in front of the computer researching and writing.  I do have a couple of things brewing in an effort to enter the world of MMA journalism on a professional level, which is both exciting and terrifying.  In the meantime, I will be doing short posts about training, competing and of course, the upcoming Tate/Rousey battle.

How freaking sick are these?

Product Review: Jaco Hybrid Training Tights

http://www.jacoclothing.com/us/womens-training-tights.html

Jaco is a new MMA apparel company that has become wildly popular amongst fighters and fitness enthusiasts alike.  My husband has a pair of the Filipino flag board shorts, which he loves, so I was eager to try out their Womens apparel.  This is a review of the Hybrid compression tights and I will post a review in the future of the long-sleeved training top.

FightChix claims Dana White is greater than President Obama

FightChix is a clothing brand claiming to be "Empowering Women Worldwide" through the production of women's fight apparel and the support of WMMA.  Several BJJ bloggers are critical of FightChix's recent advertising exploits featuring scantily clad women posing on beds wearing shirts claiming, "Trust no Bitch" but this new shirt from FightChix actually enraged me.

Product Review: Lilac Black Football Pants

I've been eyeing these Lilac Black football pants listed on Title's website for a while now, so when I received a couple to order through their website, I was thrilled to give them a try.  I am not sure exactly why Lilac Black, a small women's sports apparel company, is sold through Title Boxing, because there is nothing particularly combative about their gear.  However, these pants were so hella cute, I couldn't resist buying a pair. 

Product Review: Atama Vale Tudo Shorts

I have a weakness for vale tudo shorts.  I love the comfort of wearing spandex shorts, especially the feeling of fabric creating a buffer between my thighs which always have rubbed together.  Although I detest running, I find spandex preferable to traditional loose running shorts because it keeps my thighs from chaffing.  Vale tudo shorts are perfect for kickboxing, wrestling, grappling and all sorts of cross-training.  They go great under a kimono and the extra band around the thighs keep them from running up into your crotch. 

Product Review: Wet Effect Fight Shorts

Thank you mouthpiece for protecting my teeth and making me look like a duck

Over the years I've owned a number of fight shorts, from the first version of the Sprawl short to later incarnations by Fighting, Jaco and Truth. All of these board shorts were made for men and thus, hit right around the knee on my rather short legs. I've been looking for some time for a pair of board shorts for women that were not pink or camouflaged, not that there is anything wrong with those design aspects, but because in the gym, I like to wear black. Therefore, I was delighted to see that Wet Effect, a long-time purveyor of fight shorts that could be purchased blank or emblazoned with a personal or company logo, was now making board shorts for women.

Buying a Women's BJJ Gi Part 2

Part 2:  Shopping Spree!

So now that you know what to look for in a gi, let's go shopping!

Below are three companies who make women-specific kimonos that I have seen personally.  I have also included several companies who are newer on the market and although I have not seen these gi's in person, I can imagine they will become fixtures in the BJJ community.  This list is not exhaustive, but reading it will be, I'm sure, exhausting.

Product Review: FighterGirls Women's MMA Gloves

Finding women-specific training gear is nearly impossible.  In an industry defined and dominated by testosterone, most companies have begrudgingly provided a token pair of baby-pink boxing gloves, often described as 'Fitness Bag Gloves' (as opposed to regular bag gloves); fitness bag gloves can only be worn while hitting a wave-master on the highly polished wood floor of the multi-use classroom in Globo-gyms across America.  Beyond the garish color, there is little or no technical difference in the hot-pink women's glove and the more basic black glove designed for men.  This disparity becomes even more apparent when shopping for MMA gloves.