Best SPARRING Gear for Tae Kwon Do?

Discussion in 'Tae Kwon Do' started by TigerAnsTKDLove, Jan 3, 2004.

  1. TigerAnsTKDLove

    TigerAnsTKDLove Ex-TKD'er 2005.

    hello im gonna be taking sparring in a month or less and i was wonderin' what sparring gear do you recomend? is Lightening by Pro Face a good sparring gear? cuz they advertise it alot in Black belt magazine. thanks!:confused: :confused: :confused:
     
  2. Poop-Loops

    Poop-Loops Banned Banned

    DEFINATELY get an Adidas hogu. They are hard as a rock. ;)

    You can find them online for ~$40 if you look around, otherwise they can be up to $70 at a store.

    As for the rest, I just bought generic pads and such. I don't think you'll be kicking to the head much for a while, so no need to buy anything expensive yet.

    In fact, if you really want to condition your bones, buy cheap arm and leg pads, and eventually stop wearing them. My friend doesn't wear arm & leg pads anymore, and he's doing fine.

    PL
     
  3. Disciple

    Disciple New Member

    Sometimes pads aren't so much for you as the other person getting hit by them, keep that in mind.

    Also, I never found that pads made a big difference companywise. If they fit and they are pads of the correct size/weight. you should be ok.
     
  4. Poop-Loops

    Poop-Loops Banned Banned

    Screw the other person! You're training to beat the crap out of the other guy in a real fight (well, at least I am. Some people do it to score points).

    No, this isn't some minute difference like Pepsi vs. Coke, or Sprite vs. Sierra Mist. Generic hogu's are like pillows, while Adidas ones are rocks. That's why they cost an extra $30 at the store.

    Go to a store and find out for yourself.

    PL
     
  5. surgingshark

    surgingshark Valued Member

    Coke vs. Pepsi...minute??? It so is NOT!

    And umm...take it easy, mate. You might lose a lot of friends that way ;)
     
  6. KickChick

    KickChick Valued Member

    Ask your all-knowing master which gear is recommended by your school and to make sure that it is tournament compliable.
     
  7. Kenal0

    Kenal0 New Member

    I have been using Tekno for a while and like it . The Hogus are a little thicker than the Adidas but are also reinforced like the Adidas. I like the arm guards as they offer a little elbow protection as opposed to the Adidas. Nothing wrong with any of the Adidas gear,-good stuff, just my personal opinion.
    www.Teknousa.com
     
  8. marais

    marais New Member

    I AGREE WITH KICKCHICK ON THIS ONE.BUT ALSO AGREE ON THE PART OF CONDITIONING YOUR BODY(EVEN KICKS IN THE HEAD,SOFT ONES TO START WITH PLEASE:D).I OWN LIGHTNING PADS MYSELF AND LOVE THEM.BUT OF COURSE ITF DONT WEAR HEAD GEAR IN MY COUNTRY,SO NO COMMENT ON THAT
     
  9. neryo_tkd

    neryo_tkd Valued Member

    Adidas is good, but I'll add it once again: talk to your instructor.

    So, you have to buy your own equipment? Don't you have equipment at disposal at the club?
     
  10. hocsr

    hocsr New Member

    I really like the full set of Adidas gear, except for the helmet. I find the pads comfortable, protective, and easy to keep clean. The chest protector is the best and lightest. Your master may recommend/sell bulk crap so he can make money. Mine was a little ticked when I showed up in Adidas gear I bought on line. He saw dollar signs flying away because I didn't buy the generic crap he sells, like most of the students (other than wise adults and sparring team members like my daughter, who also uses Adidas). Most schools I have been to and seen generally don't sell Adidas, Century, Macho, or Tekno. For kids the school stuff is ok, but for competition and adults, go quality (if you shop around on-line you can get some pretty good deals, my adidas/macho set was actually less than my master's generic set!). For a helmet, I really like the Macho Warrior better than the Adidas.
     
  11. hybrid_TKD

    hybrid_TKD New Member

    I agree about most of what hocsr said about the bulk crap most schools push on their students. I however have all Tekno Q21 series and prefer it over any other product out there!
     
  12. Stimpsonjcat

    Stimpsonjcat New Member

    So let me get this straight....

    You and your friends train and you break each others arms and hands and feet and elbows and knees right? If people trained by these methods (the "screw the other person" method) - if they are actually as you describe - no school/club/team would last too long.

    When you are in the ring against an opponent or on the street I agree - you are there to hurt them. You are NOT however doing anyone any good by injuring yourself unnecessarily or injuring others in "training."

    Such an adolescent attitude suggests to me that you do not actually fight, but rather practice "theoretic" martial arts designed to hurt/maim people. You can't "practice" that kind of fighting in a school/gym/club/team without quickly being thrown out. How many people a day are you actually allowed to hurt or maim at your school?? ROFL

    I could break someones foot every day in class by simply poking my elbow out to block when they kick - now what kind of person would I be if I did that - broke my friends feet for the sake of being a big old "badass." I would be a person without friends - thats for sure.

    Good pads are for the protection of your self AND others. Anyone who says otherwise is simply wrong.
     
  13. Poop-Loops

    Poop-Loops Banned Banned

    I don't give a damn if that hurts the other person, I'm doing this to condition my legs and arms, and I can guarantee it'll hurt me more. Some of our members spar without gear when they forget to bring it, or lend it to a new member who doesn't have any yet. And *somehow* I survive sparring with them. It's usually the black/red belts who do that.

    I don't wear foot/arm pads all day long, and neither does anybody else. In a real fight, I have to be able to block/get blocked by someone without any protection.

    PL
     
  14. Disciple

    Disciple New Member

    OK... maybe someone can shed a little light on this for me.... how can you get this technical into sparring pads... I mean really? Like do I miss something? lol. I always figured, ok it is a pad, it protects my skin and softens my kick when hitting someone a bit.. I couldn't imagine kicks or punches being powerful enough to have a difference made by pads, that are 1/2 inch thick, with varying degrees of cusion.. I mean...I don't get it... like I feel like all out of the loop like with everyone naming series' and products and brands....it all seems crazy... I mean, for mouthgaurd, I can see that.... but for everything else? lol... Maybe I am just lost,.

    Poop- Loops..... ummm if you want to condition your hands and feet... why don't you work on a sand bag and on focus mitts that are the really hard ones...or makiwaraboards??
     
  15. Kenal0

    Kenal0 New Member

     
  16. Poop-Loops

    Poop-Loops Banned Banned

    FINALLY someone who understands.

    K, I can condition my shins on a sand bag (which I don't have, btw), but how will I condition my forarms?

    PL
     
  17. Stimpsonjcat

    Stimpsonjcat New Member

    ROFL you guys crack me up. Listen and listen closely. I was doing hogu drills with the guys in my dojang and on of the guys was, well how should I say, kind of a prick. He had bad fundamentals and bad form and he always seemded to manage to hurt other people when he sparred. Throwing knees and elbows and such into the mix inappropriately. At first it was excuseable as he was new - but it never seemed to abate - he was always even at upper belts seemingly trying to hurt other people.

    Fact is this hurts. The question is how much force can you really apply? I'll tell you how much. This guy wore one fo those ultra thick hogus and I teed off on his ass and snapped two of his ribs clean off. I admit, I was mad and frustrated with him and such. Furthermore, I regret hurting him as he was and is a friend. but you ask about force? A roundhouse properly applied to the right region can snap bones like they were twigs.

    I do not advocate hurting people and I am a big time advocate of wearing the proper protective gear to protect others (especially) as well as yourself. That being said, the force applied by the proper technique can be quite devastating.
     
  18. Poop-Loops

    Poop-Loops Banned Banned

    I don't block with knees and elbows, I do it the safe way (for both people. A guy at our dojang got hit in the elbow, and it swelled for a good month), just blocking with the forearm.

    Ribs are different. They curve inwards, and are weaker. And you must have gotten a clean shot in, which doesn't happen too often. Yeah, you could probably snap my arm if it just dangled there and you hit is. But that doesn't happen. When I block I twist my arm (like a proper block), tense my arm, and move my whole body a bit away from the kick, or into the opponent, so he hits me with his quad, instead of instep. The only time it hurts to block is when I don't do one of those steps.

    Also, you get used to it. Your bones harden and it's not that big a deal anymore. I don't know if you still remember when you first started sparring, but when I did, I'd get bruised everywhere. Now I've learned proper blocking technique, and my body just adjusted to it.

    PL
     
  19. LeeGreg89

    LeeGreg89 Valued Member

    Personally when I am sparring I dont like using sparring gear i know it reuces risks but when u put sparring gear on you dont feel free kicking as you do when ur just practicing kicks thats what i dont like
    U feel all tight and stuff anyone understand
     
  20. Capt Ann

    Capt Ann Valued Member

    PL--

    If you want to condition your forearms, try blocking drills with a buddy who also doesn't mind getting hit. Idea is to do your inner forearm block against his (left/right/left/right, etc), then same with outer forearm block.

    On this one, I agree with the other posters. You have a responsibility to take whatever means practical to KEEP from hurting your training partners, ESPECIALLY as you get higher in rank and have lower belts/beginners looking up to you for example.
     

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