We want to squeeze every last drop out of the summer schedule. Unfortunately, sometimes we leave the prep for school till the very last minute. When we take time to schedule our preparations and get them done early, it can make the transition into the school year much less stressful!
Read moreWhat Have We Lost in the Mix? Part Two
We do not believe that everyone can be perfectly prepared for every situation, but we strive to teach our students the principles and baseline skills that they will need in order to successfully survive and escape an encounter with someone intent on hurting them.
Read moreWhat Have We Lost in the Mix? Part 1
In almost every midsized town and city you can now find a gym or school that teaches “MMA”. That in itself isn’t a bad thing, but many of those schools are missing something that shouldn’t have been lost in the traditions of martial arts training.
Read moreLimit Yourself
Limitations have been given a bad reputation these days, but people of many cultures throughout the history of the world have chosen to impose limitations on themselves for the benefit of themselves, their families, or their countries.
Read moreGear Review: Elite Sports MMA Gloves
Long term training can lead to long term consequences. I know, that isn’t usually what you want to hear from this blog, but after years of smashing the bags, boards, and other things, my knuckles have taken a real “impact” (see what I did there?). I broke down a while back an picked up some gel MMA gloves from Century martial arts because they were on clearance for a few dollars. I loved training with them, but after a few rounds on the bag, they were starting to show the signs of use. I kept them, and I still put them on for doing light bag work or fitness training, but I needed an upgrade. Fortunately, Elite Sports came to the rescue!
Elite sports sent me a pair of AWESOME MMA gloves to review along with one of their bjj uniforms (click here to read about it). To be honest I have never before owned a set of gloves that I liked better! As soon as I opened the package I was impressed by the super sharp detail on the design. There is something about wearing a sharp looking pair of gloves that makes you feel faster and more powerful. When I pulled the gloves out of their nifty storage bag, I could tell from the start that they were well constructed. The materials I am used to in the average “bag gloves” are pretty lightweight and soft. The gloves from Elite were made of heavy-duty material that looks as though it will stand the test of time.
When I first tried to put the gloves on, I thought I had gotten a size to small, but then I recognized a neat little feature that I didn’t expect (shown below). Instead of having a continuous wrist loop that you have to worm a sweaty hand through, Elite designed their glove with a small Velcro closure at the wrist that allows easy entry and then keeps the glove in place while you finish the wrist wrap.
Speaking of the wrist wrap, these puppies have some serious support. While many bag gloves and cheap mma gloves have a single wrap around the wrist, the elite gloves have a double wrap feature with two layers of Velcro to prevent slipping and twisting. When I have them on, I feel like I can really lay into the bag without worrying too much about my wrists.
The best part about these gloves is using them for what they were made for. SPARRING! The light weight and flexibility of these gloves makes you feel almost like you aren’t wearing anything until you need it to be there. They allow for full opening and closing of the hands so that you can grab and parry. Once your hand is closed, they offer plenty of padding over the knuckles to keep you safe from misplaced strikes or blocks.
If you are looking for a new set of gloves, I highly recommend that you try the MMA gloves from Elite sports. While you are at it, you can check out their line of fitness equipment at www.borntough.com
https://www.elitesports.com/collections/mma-grappling-gloves
Gear Review: Elite Sports Lightweight BJJ Gi
You are going to spend the better part of an hour in class sweating and moving and learning and you don’t need to be distracted by an uncomfortable uniform. Can you make it through with the cheapest one on amazon?
Read moreGear Up for Home Training
While many forms of training do not require equipment, there are a few items that make it easier to hone your skills at home. Whether you are practicing Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Karate, or Brazilian Ju Jitsu, the equipment list below will help you get started with your home training space.
Read moreChoosing The Challenge
There will always be negative voices in our heads. Thoughts that make us want to stick with the easy route. There may even be people who encourage us to stay on the simple path and “stick with what you know”. However, if we will take a moment to quiet those voices, we have the opportunity to better ourselves, expand our horizons, and possibly succeed beyond our imaginations.
Read moreMartial Mathematics
In school, you learn early how to manipulate numbers accurately and quickly using the basic principles of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The early stages of martial arts training bear a striking resemblance to these basic principles.
Read moreCaptain Marvel, Louis L'Amour, and Little David
I had a chance recently to watch "Captain Marvel" with two of my sisters. I truly enjoyed the film, and I recommend that you see it if you like superhero films in general. The screen play was well written and the characters are likable even if the rhythm of the movie is a little rough around the edges. The thing that stuck out most to me was the character development of Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel).
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