Article Surfing Archive

Clothing and martial arts have become fused into a culture, a lifestyle, and a visual statement of who you are and what you stand for.

I've often stated just how important comfort and mental clarity is for doing martial arts. What you wear and how you feel about it goes a long way to defining your state of mind while practicing the art form. I found that out the hard way when I started practicing. I did not have the right clothes and it made a difference in how I felt.

Believe you me, being in the right gear can change everything about how you approach training or competing the field of martial arts. It made a difference to me, I can tell you. When you are fighting or training and your pants or shirt just don't feel right, it can ruin your concentration. I have been there before. You wouldn't lift weights or play baseball in a 3 piece suit or dress. Martial arts is no different.

But with the right gear, it just, I don't know, it just feels right. Everything flows better, easier and faster because of what you are wearing. It has a calming or even energetic effect on your mental state of being when you wear clothing that fits well and looks good. Colors can influence the mood of people. I like blue and gray and when I wear those colors to practice or fight in, I feel better, more powerful.

Luckily for all of us martial artists, there has been an explosion of sorts in the sport and that means there is plenty of great clothing to be had. We have so many great t-shirts and different styles to chose from, it makes picking what you want to wear easy. Actually, the only hard part I found about it was deciding what to wear! There were too many items that I liked when I went searching online for all the available mixed martial arts clothing.

All the greats in the sport are starting to pick up on this new and exciting fashion trend. I am proud to wear it. It is like being part of a brotherhood. It feels really nice to support a sport that has been so good to me. They have hats, t-shirts and all kinds of bottoms to wear while you are training and even competition gear to let you really get it on.

Many UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fighters wear this stuff and I think it looks pretty sweet. I know the chicks dig it because I get a lot of comments when I dress for success. It is amazing how much more confidence you have when you wear something that gives you that unique feeling of comfort and functionality.

Are there posers? Of course. A fat guy in a Colts or Bears jersey probably doesn't play football. A skinny runt in a New York Rangers hat usually doesn't skate backwards. Just because a fat guy has on a TapOut or Submit Gear tshirt doesn't mean he does or doesn't know jujitsu.

I can not more highly recommend picking up some mixed martial arts clothing and trying it out yourself. If something is not feeling right about your training routine, it might be the clothes you are wearing. I know switching made a big difference in my life. Plus, what is better than representing your sport by decking yourself out in the latest fashion in your chosen sport?