General

After Rubbing shoulders with George Saint Pierre and Josh Koscheck on the Ultimate Fighter show (TUF12) Aaron Wilkinson joins another top MMA team by becoming the UK's latest Revgear UK sponsored fighter.

"Aaron originally bought some gloves and a couple of other bits from Fightstoremma.com; when I saw the name on the website I thought i'd give him a bell and it kind of went from there" A Wright MD Fightstoremma.

"The guys at Fightstoremma sent me some Revgear stuff straight out and its some of the best equipment I've used.  The boxing gloves are just awesome and the new mma sparring gloves are both really comfortable and obviously designed by people who know what they are doing.  I wore  Revgear spartan pro MMA shorts in my last fight and they are now my favourite shorts! the lads at Fightstoremma/Revgear UK are really supportive" Aaron Wilkinson

Revgear UK will be sponsoring a few select British Fighters over the next year and is quickly gaining a reputation amongst serious MMA and Kickboxing practitioners as a quality and reliable fighters brand. The whole UK Revgear team are pleased to have a fighter of Aarons ability and promise on board.

DAVID MEETS GOLIATH AS NORTH EAST KICKBOXER TAKES ON WORLD CHAMPION …

NORTH EAST KICKBOXER TAKES ON WORLD CHAMPION …

A NORTH East student will take on a nine-times kickboxing champion in a world title fight to be held in the region this autumn.

The David and Goliath style fight will be the highlight of the World Kickboxing Federation World Championship show being held in the North East for the first time in November. The event, organised by Jarrow-based Action Promotions, will consist of 20 individual bouts between amateur and professional kickboxers, including K1, semi-professional boxers and MMA fighters from across the UK.

However, the main attraction will being the Light-Cruiserweight title fight between Northumbria university student Jamie Bates, 21, from Stanley and current nine-times world champion Marlon ‘the Game’ Hunt from Ipswich.

The World Championship will be staged at the Northumbria University’s prestigious new ‘Dominion’ conference & exhibition room, in Newcastle upon Tyne, and is expected to draw crowds of up to 1000 fans of all ages.

Tickets are expected to go on sale later this month (July) and Action Promotions is keen to hear from businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring either the event or individual competitors or fights. Event promoter David Weild, 33, who founded Action Promotions 15-months-ago, said: “Small scale kickboxing shows are organised occasionally throughout the region but this will be the first time a full-contact World Championship has been held in Newcastle.

The event will start at around 2pm and is expected to last until around 8pm and refreshments will be available within the Lightfoot Centre. Mr Weild added: “Kickboxing events at this level provide a great day out for the whole family and we are confident of a high turnout.”

For further information and to enquire about sponsorship opportunities and ticket availability and prices, call 07967 398 709 or visit www.action-promotions.co.uk

The event is co-promoted by Showdown at Sundown Entertainment – 07939031380

JIU JITSU STYLE MAGAZINE

Fightstoremma is always keen to promote brands and products we believe in and here's one we really like.  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu now has its own dedicated magazine which is really moving with the times and exemplifies the digital age whilst still producing a top qualtiy print product Check it out!!

Press Release:

Highlighted as one of the fastest growing sports in the world, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has well and truly arrived on the global stage.

Guest edited by BJJ sensation Roger Gracie, ‘Jiu Jitsu Style’ is Europe’s first bi-monthly magazine aimed solely at what we love – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We aim to provide the community with entertaining features, reviews and interviews wrapped up in scintillating design. The continuous growth of the gentle art has led to our commitment to encourage greater coverage for the sport and the practitioners within.

Jiu Jitsu Style has recruited a talented mix of photographers and journalists from around the world, helping to create premium quality content in every issue. Our interviews aim to show unrivalled insight into fighters’ lives, helping our readers form opinion and gain further knowledge.

As well as addressing the goings on within the global Jiu Jitsu arena, we are fully committed to showcasing European BJJ via a range of interviews, reviews and special features. Our ‘tournament reviews’ are designed to tell true stories via exceptional photography and informative writing, making sure readers gain a genuine perspective of every event we attend.

Our ‘technique tutorials’ offer readers access to step-by-step instructions on some of the leading athlete’s favoured escapes, sweeps and submissions – proving valuable to both the novice and seasoned black belt.

We believe BJJ to be a lifestyle choice. Consequently, we deem it important to review and critique as much Jiu Jitsu related apparel as possible, from instructional DVDs and books to gadgets and GIs.

The birth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has had a huge impact of so many peoples’ lives – and it’s time to give something back. We intend to raise the profile of BJJ as a mainstream sport by informing and entertaining readers via a dedicated European print media outlet.
In order to make our magazine as accessible as possible, we have made sure Jiu Jitsu Style is available to download via an iTunes APP. So, no matter where you are in the world, the latest instalment of Jiu Jitsu Style is just a click away.

Jiu Jitsu Style was conceived for the benefit of everyone who loves BJJ, so we are always open to your feedback, suggestions, and opinions. Feel free to contact us at info@bjjstyle.com with any queries regarding the magazine.

Make sure to check out our website www.bjjstyle.com and join us on facebook.com/bjjstyle to keep up to date with all the latest developments and breaking news.

A full range of Kickboxing equipment will be available at the newcastle store

Fightstoremma are proud to announce the arrival of Fight Newcastle, the first dedicated Martial Arts, MMA, Boxing/Kickboxing equipment and Muay thai Store in the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in over 20 years. A joint venture ran in conjunction with James Casey of Fightrightuk this store will provide Kickboxing equipment, Muay thai shorts, MMA Gear and all manner of traditional martial arts and boxing equipment to the cities many combat sports enthusiasts and fighters.

Newcastle and the North East at large has always been a hotbed of excellent fighters such as Boxer Glenn McCrory & UFC Fighters such as Ian Freeman and Ross Pearson to name but a few. The Newcastle area teems with fighting talent in the many boxing & Kickboxing gyms, Muay Thai and MMA Camps, Karate and Judo Dojos so we believe the introduction of a store will be widely appreciated.

The store will stock the full range of kickboxing equipment and clothing seen on Fightstoremma and also a range of top nutrition products from Sportssence, Genetics and more.  It has already created quite a buzz and the opening date remains September 1st.
Fight Newcastle will be a sister business to Fightstoremma although not completely linked however the close ties will ensure the same level of customer service and excellent range of products that our store has become known for.

The store will be located within Newgate Shopping Centre (next to Gamesworkshop) just off Grainger Street and Clayton Street on the opposite side. The Address being Unit 15, Newgate shopping Centre, Newcastle, NE1 5RE

For more information on the store please goto FACEBOOK/Fightnewcastle where you will find a full range of kickboxing equipment, MMA clothing and Nutrition supplements.

Pic Courtesy of www.MMAJunkie.com

Revgear Sponsor Top UK UFC Fighters

Revgear Sports are a top US brand but until recently have been relatively unknown in the UK however all that is set to end with the sponsorship of Top UK MMA Fighters such as Dan Hardy and Ross Pearson.  The Revgear Spartan Pro MMA shorts were sported by Hardy at the weigh ins for his fight with Chris Lytle and given the backing Revgear are now putting into the UK market it would be surprising if they didn’t make a massive impact as the Revgear brand is a true technical MMA brand not just a graphic on a standard item.

Dan Hardy has been using Revgear products in preparation for his bout with Lytle, and has been very happy with the gear. “Revgear products are awesome…it’s all I have been using for the past couple of months,” he explained. “The shin-guards and sparring gloves are the most comfortable and well-designed I have ever used. I love my new Revgear training bag, too. I usually destroy my kit bag in a couple of weeks, but this one is indestructible!”

New Caged Steel CS1 MMA Fight Glove

MMA Gloves an Introduction
Since the use of 4oz gloves became mandatory in UFC 14 there has been an explosion of manufacturers producing MMA gloves or grappling gloves as they are often referred to.  So how do you sort the wheat from the chaff? We’ll attempt to do this for you here with this Review section which will follow this format each month giving you the low down on the best products on the market today!

MMA Competition Gloves; a Buyers Guide.
Most MMA competitions now insist on the use of 4oz MMA Gloves although a small amount will use what is referred to as a MMA “Sparring” glove which in effect is a boxing/MMA glove hybrid.  The main purpose of the glove is simply to protect the user from breaking his knuckles or other parts of the hand on the opponents head or elbows in the case of body shots and a secondary role is to help support the wrist on impact which is done to varying degrees with these gloves.  In competition most fighters use surgical wraps too for additional wrist and hand support.  One important thing to note here is that these gloves are not designed for hitting bags with and if this is your main use for them then consider buying a set of built for purpose bag gloves which are liable to be cheaper and afford you much better protection.

Things to look out for in a glove.
There is a flood of poor quality gloves on the market, many of which verge on dangerous to both the user and anyone they are training with. First thing to look out for which is probably a dead giveaway without any need for expert knowledge is the price.  I know this sounds obvious but the average price of a pair of MMA gloves is between £30 & £40.  Anything much below this level (unless part of a sale or other promotion) is not likely to be of high quality.  That is not to say you couldn’t find a good pair of gloves for this price but if you want a simple guage to help you then this would be it.

Materials
Materials used will be your next stop.  Don’t accept less than 100% leather in the main parts of the glove.  As these gloves are so small there is no win at all in using imitation leather or other materials so look for quality materials on the glove.

Sharp edges
Many poorly constructed gloves have essentially sharp edges due to poor cuts, bad materials and/or bad design.  The accepted standard is to have a single cut across after the knuckle area with good gloves making sure this is well encased often with “Cuffed fingers”, other areas that can leave sharp edges are if there is too much Velcro exposed on the wrist wrap and sometimes on the thumb areas too.  Some manufacturers have started using neoprene on parts of the glove to soften the hand enclosure.  I think there are pros and cons on this but it does often take away this problem.  Look out for rising areas around the stitching too.

Padding
the amount of actual padding can vary quite wildly on these gloves.  The UFC insist on 1 inch of padding over the knuckle area and this should the standard.  Padding over the backs of the hands is irrelevant! Remember the main point of these gloves is to protect your hands.

Sizing
MMA gloves have got much better for this over the last few years and for me the main question is whether you intend to use an inner glove or wraps with your glove.

“I’m buying online, how can I tell all this?”
Well the price guage should help to some degree, read some expert reviews (like this one) and look for websites with close up images or a zoom facility of the gloves you are buying , sounds obvious but read the description carefully too.  If need be email them a question before you buy!  The best advice will often be from your own MMA clubs instructor who will more than likely have quite some experience of which gloves are good and which are not.

A none comprehensive list of Gloves worth a look:
Outside of the reviews that follow here is a short list of brands who consistently produce good MMA gloves, this is by no means comprehensive but should give you a good start.

Fairtex ,FBT, Hayabusa, Caged Steel, Top King, Ouano, Kenka.

New Design  Muay Thai  Shorts Arrive in UK

New Fairtex Thai Shorts

New arrivals and new designs of Muay Thai shorts come to Fightstoremma.com this month and next with large deliveries of both Top King Muay Thai Shorts and Fairtex Muay Thai Shorts.

Fairtex Muay Thai Shorts are always popular and like Top King thai shorts are excellent quality.  Fairtex are less traditional in their design but have released a new embroidered set which are some of the most eye catching muay thai shorts ever made by the famous Thai brand.

This new range of Thai shorts has a story behind each pair and Fairtex have released a press release to go with them...

“We (Fairtex) are trying to present new concept in Muay Thai shorts to help differentiate our shorts from rival brands such as Twins, Raja and Boon. We are adding story to each pair of thai shorts to provide each  set of Fairtex muay thai shorts a personal character so, each model has a hidden meaning or story  behind them, Our shorts don't have only aesthetic value, but story to sell as well.”

The quality of Fairtex Muay Thai shorts speaks for itself but here is a list of the stories they tell!!

BS0637 "Superstition" (Thai Talisman).

Featuring embroided 9 pagodas and Tiger Leap Thai Talisman that Thai people believe it will protect the owners from weapon and make them safe.

Fairtex assassin thai shorts

BS0638 "The Assassin"

Features embroided Ninja character and the word "Ninja" in "Kanji". In the native, it is read "Shinobi"

Fairtex Fortune Muay Thai Shorts

BS0639 "My Fortune" (Koi fish)

Features Koi fish or carp fish in gold and silver colour in Yin/Yang position. According to Japanese legend if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River it would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement. More generally, the Japanese associate koi (also known as carp) with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. Because of its strength and determination to overcome obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. Others say it means good fortune or luck.

BS0641 "The Masquerade" / blue satin

Feature 2 concepts in the same shorts; the masquerade and the white butterfly, it depends on your perception to see the white butterfly. White butterflies symbolize past spirits/souls they are signs of good luck or angels watching over you. There are many cultural belief about white butterfly but 95% related to good things. flora pattern matches with white butterfly and make this shorts standout.

BS0642 "Phoenix" / black satin

Feature special gold and red shiny embroidery. Phoenix bird is the symbol of resurrection. "No matter how many time you fail in your life, never give up and never leave your dream. Come back like a phoenix bird and battle it out.

Fairtex Thai Pads are an excellent example of quality Thai pads

Thai Pads or Muay Thai Kick Pads as they are often known are some of the most essential and versatile thai kickboxing equipment found in a Thai boxing or MMA gym. Although more bulky than focus mitts the big plus of thai pads is the fact you can use them for both punches, kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes and any combination of the above.  The extra protection they afford can allow boxers to work their body shots with more sting and used in conjunction with a body shield or Thai belly pad the coach can allow their student to throw powerful roundhouse kicks and knees on target as they would in a fight.

Which thai pads to buy and from where?
Thai pads UK versus Thai pads from Thailand.  It is quite common for companies based in Thailand to advertise cheap thai pads online however the catch is in the shipping cost; an average set of pads will weigh at least 2-3 kilos and this will not be cheap to send and unless you use a Fedex style courier service then you could be in for a long wait.  Its best to purchase from a reputable UK Thai Pads dealer such as Fightstoremma who will keep these pads in stock and be able to send them cheaply to you via quality tracked shipping.

There is a definite difference buying Thai pads cheap to buying cheap thai pads.  A good set of pads will last you years, even used daily in the gym you should expect to get at least 4 or 5 years out of quality thai pads whereas cheap thai pads will end up costing you more in the long run as you will end up replacing them far sooner than you otherwise should.

Which Brand to Buy?
Twins thai pads, Fairtex thai pads, Top King Thai Pads and MTG thai pads are all reputable brands made in Thailand as are new brand Arjarn.  We would usually recommend Thai brands although there are one or two excellent none thai brands producing good quality Thai pads such as Revgear.

All in all the choice is yours but check out

http://www.fightstoremma.com/focus-mitts-thai-pads/thai-kick-pads.html

Caged Steel over the last few years have become synonymous with the UK MMA Scene and their now famous logo can always be seen at mixed martial arts events up and down the country worn by in the main by fighters not fans!

The UK rumour mill started that Caged Steel might have been going out of business due to a crazy sale held last month but in actual fact Caged Steel have never been stronger and their sale was to make way for the brand new CS1 Range which is sure to turn a few heads.

Amongst a swaythe of badly manufactured MMA products being released with high price tags and top name endorsees Caged Steel are about to release one of the best ranges ever seen in MMA; We have been lucky at Fightstoremma to get a sneak preview and become one of the first dealers of the new range.  No corners have been cut on the CS1 range which turns away from the trend set by brands such as Hayabusa and brings back FULL leather into the MMA Shinguards and MMA Gloves departments aswell as adding some much needed products such as Wrestlers knee pads and compression shorts onto the market.

New Caged Steel Shin guards are FULL leather

white hayabusa mma glove

Hayabusa is a brand who have very quickly managed to become synonymous with style & quality in both their clothing and equipment range. This  is one of their two offerings in the MMA competition glove market and is quite a different design to the excellent Fairtex MMA glove.  One thing that immediately stands out with this glove is the style, its good looks will definitely score points with the fashion conscious MMA market. This MMA glove is available in both black and white versions with the red piping and distinctive Hayabusa branding. The attention to detail is good with finger cuffs and wrist straps well covered to avoid scratches and cuts whilst fighting or training.  The knuckle area is rounded and I think this is generally well designed to maximise comfort and it would be fair to say they have achieved a very nice fitting glove.

In terms of protection the padding tapers off more than it does on the Fairtex FGV17 over the finger area which will afford a little less protection over the actual fingers but the padding is good over the all important knuckle area so this I think is all down to your striking style.  The interesting bit starts when you turn to the palm area which has what Hayabusa call a Y-Volar™ design which is essentially a little strap that crosses the palm allowing the maneuverability of a completely open palm but preventing the glove moving around which I think is a nice touch. The Thumb is left completely free which is definitely of an advantage to the grappler as opposed to the additional padding afforded in the Fairtex over the thumb which would more suit a more striking based proponent.

The only real beef I have with this glove is the quality of the leather which is certainly a lower grade than say the Fairtex. The label describes the glove as 65% leather which I assume discounts the areas which are not leather at all such as  the Velcro straps, they have a little bit of a plastic feel to them but this should not really take away from the fact they are essentially a good piece of kit.
All in all this is a very good MMA glove and ties next to the Fairtex FG17 for this months’ crown.
Build Quality 7/10     Style 9/10     Design 9/10    Comfort 9/10    Value 7/10
Available at: www.fightstoremma.com