MMA Shin guards can be used in many forms of martial arts: Grappling, Muay Thai and kick boxing. 

The first time you clash shins is going to be the first time you wished you did not go cheap on mma shin guards. If you wanted to re-create the force behind two people kicking at the same time- smack 2 baseball bats together. 

Before you purchase that cheap pair of shin guards, there are a few things you should consider. I have learned the quality of a MMA shin guard though my 25 years of Taekwondo training.

The main thing to look for in a shin guard is the “Spine” that goes down the front of the guard. It needs to be re-enforced. With my Taekwondo background, this is a feature that is very important. All of the MMA shin guards I have seen do not have this feature. 

Perceived value

I have found that people buy the most expensive things because they think they are better in quality. In you years of working with MMA gear, I have found this is not the case. A perfect example is Hayabusa and Combat Sports. The padding and overall design are almost exactly the same. The marketing is what supports the higher price of Hayabusa.

Please don’t take this the wrong- I think they are both very good brands.  

How the shin guards are strapped onto the legs is another important thing to consider. If they will be used for grappling and muay thai, you will want the sock type. The sock type will not fall off or get spun around when you’re on the ground. You need to ask yourself: Do I need Muay Thai Shin Guards or Do I need Grappling Shin Guards?

So, before you buy those cheap shin guards- think about how yours shins are going to feel after your first shin-to-shin full contact. Remember to look for a re-enforced spine down the front of the guard. If you are looking for quality, a higher price does not always mean they will protect any better. Consider the use- are you going to be rolling on the ground or are you just doing stand up.

One more thing to consider is the weight of the shin guard. Obviously the cloth type are going to weigh the least. There are some really heavy duty shin guards made of leather. These also have some very uncomfortable straps too. I would avoid these.

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For many centuries, men and some women, from around the world, have learned time honored martial arts, such a tae kwon do and jiu jitsu. These sporting and fighting disciplines teach young athletes about training, concentration, force, mental power, speed, agility, balance, and many other important lessons in life! The blockbuster movie of the 1980’s “The Karate Kid,” was of course, just Hollywood, but it did show some truth, in that; young Daniel was mentored by a Karate expert who had learned what was passed down for generations by his family!

When you combine some mixed martial arts, and throw in some wrestling and boxing…

NOW you are talking exciting, keeps-you-on-the-edge-of-your seat competition! Located in the beautiful state of Hawaii, is a fabulous school that teaches boys and men of all ages, about this exciting fighting technique, which is truly a sport that continues to grow in popularity and always has exciting new developments. Since the inception in 1993 of the UFC, Mixed Martial Arts have made their mark and have continued to gain more fans and more participants!

The sport has grown to gigantic proportions, and for good reason; it attracts some of the biggest, toughest fighters from around the world, and creates an incredibly exciting and entertaining sport to watch. In fact, the current exciting news is that B.J. Penn is headed to Philadelphia for the upcoming UFC101 which will be an amazing event.

What you really need, for all of the latest MMA and UFC news is to visit this website:

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The reason why fighters are divided by weight divisions is to prevent mismatches. But this doesn’t include the height. As long as a fighter tips the scale within the limit of his weight division, it really doesn’t matter weather he is tall and his opponent is small. So, if you are not a tall fighter, then there will be a number of occasions where you have to fight someone you literally have to look up to.

Boxing against a taller opponent possesses unique challenges. Definitely, his legs are longer, the reach advantage will go to his favor, and he can be a difficult target to hit since he can afford to stay farther than your striking distance.

At first look, you are in a complete disadvantage. But this doesn’t mean that you are doomed to lose. Remember that Mike Tyson fought much taller opponents throughout his career and still became a heavyweight champ.

There are actually several ways on how to deal with these disadvantages.

Reach – Longer arms means your opponent gets in his striking distance before he can even get in yours. This is not a generalization but a boxers who knows that he has the reach advantage tends to stand back to play outside. So if you encounter this kind of boxer, cut that advantage as early in the fight as possible.

Outside fighter – It gets pretty frustrating if your opponent chooses to play his fight and not get into yours. Here, you have no choice but to bring the fight to him. In order to defeat an outside fighter with a significant reach advantage, you have to stay close. This may mean taking one-two combination while coming in, but once you are inside, stay there.

Insight fighting – Okay, you have decided to come in and in the process, receive some punches. Now it is at your hands to use everything in your arsenal to inflict as much damage as you can. Inside fighting is a style of its own and it will take years to develop the finesse and proper skill to become a good in this style. Still, you just have to remember a few things when dealing with taller opponent from the inside.

• First, since your opponent has longer arms, it is more difficult for him to throw short punches. Alternately, shorter arms gain more advantage in inside fighting.

• Second, never expose any of your vital organs. Inside fighting involves some uppercuts and punches on the sides. Keep your chin guarded with your gloves and your sides protected by tucking your arms as close to your body as possible.

• Third, do not hesitate to put your forehead on his chest. Doing this allows you to gauge your distance from your opponent, which will help you better judge the strength of your punches.

• Finally, keep throwing punches and if you can’t throw anymore, either clinch or get out as fast as you can.

Choosing to fight an inside game against a taller opponent must require total authority and decisiveness. Never walk into your opponent hesitantly. Explode into him, corner him, push him back, and punish him. Do not become an easy target.

As a smaller boxer, you should be quicker. Never move in a straight line. Weave, duck, move sideways or do anything that will make you an elusive target. If you succeed in these, you have better chances of winning the fight.

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The Author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article as long as its contents remain unchanged and the Author’s byline remains in place.

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Champs have many positive qualities and many characteristics that set them apart in a class of their own. Lets’ understands the 6 secrets further.

Six Secrets of Champs

1)         Picking up overall intensity: Champs display awesome aggression by playing to potential.

The full force of their abilities is unleashed through a high level of concentration and attentiveness.

2)         Maintaining a business-like attitude and consistency: A single-minded focus on playing the game right, a professional approach to competition and maintaining a high level of quality, and excellence in performance

3)         Displaying rare composure: Incredible fortitude, rarely show emotion or fall prey to. Are determined, and have the ability to fight, despite difficulties encountered on the mat

4)         Handling pressure, surmounting any crisis: The ability to withstanding pressure and surmount a crisis is the true mark of a champ. The experience and knowledge built up over the years provides the necessary mental strength to handle pressures.

5)         Seizing the moment of opportunity: Champs can accelerate the pace, use intuition and instincts to guide performance, and anticipate moves in advance. Champs don’t drop their guard at any stage.

6)         Adhering to training, both mental and physical: Sustaining the mental preparation process and strengthening all aspects of preparation regularly despite the star status; no complacency no matter how many championship titles have been won.

Besides these secrets of champs that make their game stand out, it is also important to understand the mental framework of a champ to gain insights into their approach to the game.

Mental Framework of Champs

The preceding segment on the secrets of champs gave us insight into the match behavior of champs. Let’s now take a look at the mental framework of champs.

• Champs enjoy challenges and never shy away from them.
• Champs constantly challenge themselves to greater heights.
• Champs don’t think about winning all the time.

They are not preoccupied with thoughts of winning. They focus their thoughts on playing a good game and tackling their opponent effectively. The message from this is: if you let go of the need to win and instead raise your mind to a higher state that is performance driven, then your chances of triumph increase.

• Champs focus on putting on a truly magnificent performance.

The pure aspects of the game interest them so much that you get to see game techniques and tactics that are incredibly awe inspiring. And when they win, it’s often truly deserving.

• Champs have leadership qualities.

A champ in grappling or combat athletics may not participate in a team event or ever captain a team. Even if all the encounters are one-on-one, there are certain leadership qualities that go into the mental framework of a champ.

A champ’s mental framework blends in the following leadership qualities that convey a distinct winning attitude:

• Champs like to take charge
• Champs like to be in control of the game: they strive for the upper hand
• Champs have courage
• Champs are astute and display a combination of shrewdness and wisdom
• Champs have an underlying confidence
• Champs believe in themselves
• Champs are humble enough to learn from mistakes
• Champs have adaptability; they listen to other’s views and are open to ideas and suggestions on improving their techniques
• Champs have a self-awareness of their strengths and weaknesses
• Champs willingly ask for feedback

These leadership qualities that a champ embodies bring out a cutting-edge game performance. It is a mental framework that is used to being at the top of the heap, but humble enough to constantly learn and improve.

• Champs are extremely dedicated to the sport.

Champs have an almost fanatical interest in grappling and combat athletics. This dedication goes beyond motivation or passion for the game to a feeling of complete lifelong commitment.

Think like a champ

When you start thinking like a champion, your mental approach is different and your performance will most certainly scale new heights. If you want to follow a career path that is similar to top grapplers and combat athletes in this field, you have to imbibe their qualities and consciously work on your thoughts and behavior. Your mental framework has to undergo a transition from being a run-of-the-mill grappler or combat athlete to one who truly knows how to excel.

Winning Edge of a Seasoned Player

Those who’ve spent a significant number of years in the sport and weathered innumerable matches and tournaments are often referred to as seasoned players. They are highly accomplished at the game, have been champions of many a high-profile title, and have a lot to teach to upcoming grapplers and combat athletes or new entrants.

This article was meant to be a guideline on how to develop your thinking along the lines of front­runners and winners in grappling and combat athletics. It is meant to give some direction on how to shape your thinking and mindset to reach the highest levels as a professional grappler or combat athlete.

http://www.lloydirvin.com

Lloyd Irvin is a martial arts coach. He holds the rank of 7th degree black belt in Thai Jitsu, 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 1st degree black belt in judo. In 2002 he was named The United States Judo Federation International Coach of the year. Lloyd’s coaching experience includes having taught Secret Service, FBI & SWAT. Read more on: http://www.lloydirvin.com

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