Safety Gear

What do you use and what are you considering?

I'm currently not using anything, but I'm considering a mouth guard.  I've tried the cheapies that you buy in the sporting goods store, but they don't feel comfortable so I don't wear them.  My dentist quoted me ~$100 to make a custom fit one so I think I'm going to go for it.

You don't need to have a dentist create a mouth guard. Go to your local Big 5 and get one you put in boiling water to soften. Then you put it in your mouth (after it cools a little) and it molds to your teeth. I'm sure you can get them on line: $15 tops

We use mouth guards and fist pads during kumite, but otherwise nothing. I have been taking pretty good hits in my breasts and got a chest guard. It is so hard that I feel guilty using it against my fellow karateka. I haven't used it yet for this reason.

We don't have any striking, but there's always the accidental issues.  My problem for the mouth guard is that my mouth is too small for the adult sizes, but too big for the junior sizes.

This is kind of belated, I have a friend, Brian, who does Muay Thai and BJJ -- I'll have to find out what kind of mouth guard he uses.  Pretty much everyone at his gym (soon to be mine) uses the same kind -- one of the boil-to-fit ones -- so I would think if they're that flexible, one of those might be a good choice for almost anyone:)

As for other equipment...

For MT:

• Fairtex sparring gloves (16 oz) - the kind with hook-and-loop wrist closures (the ones with laces require another set of hands to remove them, which can be a pain, from what I've heard)
• Ringside gel shock handwraps
• Whichever mouthguard it is that Brian uses (BTW -- if it fits my narrow upper jaw and weird dental disarray, it will fit anyone, so I'll review it once I try it): top-only, because I'm frequently an obligate mouth-breather, LOL
• MT-shorts or the 'board shorts' marketed for MMA and non-Gi bjj -- not worried about the brand
• If I get serious enough about it to compete, ankle supports (which may or may not actually be a requirement, I'm not certain, but they sound like a good idea)

I was kind of surprised how much more equipment MT requires than, say, TKD.  For that matter, MT seems to need more equipment than most martial arts, not counting weapons used in some forms :D  I think it's the 'boxing' element of the 'kickboxing' formula that does it, since most of it's hand protection stuff.

I was initially a little skeptical about the MT-specific shorts (because they often run about $50 and are frequently tacky as all heck), but Brian says they make a surprising difference in freedom of hip movement, which comes in handy for MT kicks, so I shall most likely invest in those.  I'm thinking about seeing if I can find them for less on eBay, but since I don't really know from MT yet, I don't feel like I have enough knowledge to say, "Nah, I won't buy X brand, they're not worth it."  Right now, I plan to rely on the advice of those who have been at it for significantly longer than I :)

Oh.  Yeah ... and because I'm still deeply self-conscious about my body, I guess I'll be training with a shirt on 'til further notice ... I'm planning to pretty much stick with a plain, dark t-shirt, because that's what I own, LOL.

I've found some pretty good deals at http:\\www.goldentiger.com for martial arts supplies.  The online website is a bit cumbersome, but it's useful for finding a gi or uniform specifically for your art.

Hey, cool -- I'll check that out.

I apologize, btw, for the thread hijack.  I started writing that post knowing this was the 'safety gear' thread, but somehow dumped that knowledge partway through and just riffed on MT gear for a while.

My first MT class is today ... I've re-purposed some swim trunks, for the moment ... I just hope they stay up, LOL!

Properly-fitting MA clothes: safety gear for the ego :D