Agree to Fight? SHOW THE F@#K UP!

Anybody can fight. It’s not really that difficult. Fighting can be as easy as trying to hurt someone before they can hurt you. To be honest with you, most people, at some point in their life have been in some form of a “fight”.

What makes “professional” fighting so interesting is the work that goes on behind the scenes. This is the aspect that fans don’t see. The hours, days, weeks and months spent preparing for a single fight. The expenses incurred and the sacrifices made are far beyond what most people that don’t fight professionally would ever imagine.

It costs money to hire trainers and pay gym fees. It costs money to obtain and replace equipment that quickly falls apart with overuse. It costs money to attain the proper medical requirements to be licensed by a commission. It costs money to eat the correct amount of the right kinds of foods that you will need to get through a training camp. With heavy training, the proper nutritional requirements cannot be obtained just by eating alone. You will need to supplement and that can get costly too.

When an athlete is in training mode, money is far from the only thing that he has to sacrifice. Time is a big part of what gets sacrificed. Time with family and friends gets sacrificed in order to make room for time at the gym, which is followed by down time recovering from workouts. Special occasions where you would normally stay out late and enjoy time with friends and family (weddings, graduations, birthdays, etc…) end up being shortened or given up entirely for the mundane… eat, train, sleep, and repeat.

And as a fighter, you accept all of this. It sucks, but it’s worth it in the end. For those few seconds and minutes engaged in combat with the attention and gazes of everyone in the room fixed on you, it is all worth it. To test yourself in one of the most telling ways possible. The chance to have your hand raised in victory – well worth the price paid.

What is hard to accept, though, is when as a fighter you pay the price, but there is no compensation in the end. I do not mean, training for a fight, showing up for a fight, fighting and then not being paid by the promoter. That is obviously wrong and would never be acceptable. What I am talking about is when you do everything that you needed to do to prepare for a fight, only to have the fight fall through in the days or weeks just prior to the event. That is a hard pill to swallow. You pay the price to fight, but never have your moment. Never had the chance to have your hand raised. And let’s be honest, you never see the pay cheque either. This is a reality though. It’s something that will happen to almost every fighter at some point and it can be very difficult to deal with.

Essential MMA Training Gear | Workout Planet

If you just started or are planning to start training MMA (mixed martial arts) I recommend you read my Beginners Guide to MMA Training . In this article you will find detailed information about the MMA training gear to get you started.

I have only started to MMA training five months ago so I consider a rookie just like you, even though I have been practicing and competing BJJ for over 7 years now. I have no intention in competing in MMA tournaments the only reason I’ve started training is because I saw a couple of training and concluded it could help my BJJ.

When I started training I had no idea of the exact equipment needed for training so I showed up for my first training session with only my mouth guard and a pair of swim shorts. I then learned I needed a bit more than that. After the coach advised me what other pieces of MMA equipment I needed I found myself in another paradigm. Which gear to buy? What brands offer the best value for money? Should I go with the top-notch brands?

So you don’t fall in the same paradigm as I did I decided to create this list of MMA training gear that will provide you with the safety needed to get through the training sessions and at the same time offer the best value for money.

Mouth guard or Gum shield

Mouth guards or gum shields are the most essential piece of MMA training gear you could own, don’t show up for a training session without one. Bytomic Double Gum Shield offers a great value for money for only £3.50. The only downside is getting used to it but that is a problem everyone has to deal with when they start using mouth guards.

Groin Guards & Compression Short

Some might say that this the most important piece of MMA equipment for obvious reasons. I do agree with them so when it comes down to down-under protection doesn’t be tight. My suggestion is the UFC compression short with cup for only £34.99 at Reaction Sport.

Rash guard

Originally made for watersports like surfing, wakeboarding and the likes. Rash Guards have made their way into other sports including MMA where it became an essential garment for training. Normally made of spandex and nylon or polyester that will see you through the toughest MMA workouts. For beginners I recommend the Lonsdale Compress X Pro Rash Guard as it offers the best value for money.

MMA Gloves

When it comes to the protection of your hands there are many types of MMA gloves you could buy. For training you will need a pair of gloves that suits stand-up workouts with partners, heavy bags, and Wavemasters providing you with the safety needed to avoid injuries. The UFC Striker Gloves does just that plus a series of innovations that will give you the edge in your MMA training. Reaction Sport has the lowest prices I found for these gloves check it out!

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