Fighter

When it comes to European jiu jitsu brands, you're probably most familiar with Tatami Fightwear. But you should know that Tatami isn't the only game in town... new kid Progress Jiu Jitsu is quickly making a name for itself in the jiu jitsu apparel market. 

Founded in 2012, Progress is based out of Manchester, England - yup, home to one of soccer... oops... football's greats. Though a relatively young brand, Progress nevertheless impresses us with its mature sense of style and impeccable construction. The brand's aesthetic features a seamless melding of Brazilian culture and Southern California laid-back vibes, with fresh, Manchester street style. Manchester's long history as an industrial powerhouse gives it a gritty, city vibe that gives root to a cool urban flavor, with its strong lines, timeless color schemes and some cheeky humor. 

But don't take our word for it... check it out for yourself!

Especially in sport jiu jitsu - where the De La Riva and Single-Leg X guards abound - the knees tend to take a beating. Most practitioners will experience a tweak, or sprain... or worse (but hopefully not)... at some point in their career. It's just the nature of the beast. 

That being said, I thought I'd write this blog about the most common knee injuries and symptoms you might encounter and what you can, or will, have to do about it. Read on...

Appreciate Your Knees

First of all, I think it should be said that you'll never really appreciate how much you use your knees - for everything - until you hurt them. Think of them as efficiently designed pieces of equipment, in which every part plays a specific role in the overall performance of the whole. Break one thing, and not only does the entire thing get out of whack, but you risk compromising the other individual parts if you try to continue using it. So before you tell yourself, "Eh, it'll be okay," make sure you figure out what happened and whether it will, in fact, be okay.

Bursitis 

Bursitis is the inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs, called bursae, that act as cushions at the joints, helping to decrease friction between moving tissues, such as bone, muscle, tendons, and skin. Bursitis is often caused by repetitive minor impacts - oh so common in many sports - but can also result from more serious trauma to the area. Symptoms include rapid swelling around the joint that is also warm and tender to the touch. Bursitis will usually clear up with rest, icing, elevation, and over-the-counter inflammatories, but more serious cases can be drained, or injected with corticosteroids. Some athletes are still able to train with it, but because it is so painful to the touch and jiu jitsu involves a lot of knee-to-ground contact, the best option is to rest until it clears up.

Meniscus Tear

Your meniscus - actually, there are two menisci in each knee - are the tough, wedge shaped pieces of cartilage between your femur and tibia, which cushions the joints and helps keep it stable. In sports, these tears can happen when the foot is planted and the knee twists, particularly in an aggressive motion. Sound familiar? Yup, jiu jitsu is full of that stuff. Symptoms include pain, stiffness and swelling, limited range of movement, unstableness in the knee, and even locking of the knee (depending on the type and severity of the tear). Many athletes continue training with meniscus tears, especially minor ones. If the tear is in the blood-rich outer "red" zone of the meniscus, it may even heal on its own. However, severe tears - indicated by locking up or significant instability of the joint - will require arthroscopic surgery to trim or repair the meniscus. 

MCL/LCL Sprain or Tear

The Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and the Lateral (or Fibular) Collateral Ligament (LCL) are the two supporting ligaments on either side of the knee, connecting the femur to the tibia and fibula, respectively. These ligaments "control the sideways motion of your knee and brace it against unusual movement." However, unusual movement is what jiu jitsu is all about (think knee slice, De La Riva and reverse De La Riva, rubber guard... the list goes on), so these ligaments are easily compromised. Takedowns and uncontrolled jumping or landings can also put these ligaments at risk. Injuries to these ligaments are graded, with 1 being a mild over-stretching, 2 being a more severe over-stretching to the point of looseness (sometimes referred to as a partial tear), and 3 being a complete tear. Symptoms include pain in the area, swelling, bruising, instability and inability to bear weight, and "feeling of the knee giving away." The scary part about a Grade 3 sprain is that "often there will be no pain or severe pain that subsides quickly," so it's easy to dismiss it as a mild sprain. Additionally, because the ligament is completely torn, the knee is deprived of an entire stabilizing structure, so it's easier to injure the meniscus or even the ACL. Most of these injuries can be treated without surgery, with rest, icing, anti-inflammatories, and physical therapy, and can  take anywhere from a few weeks to four months. However, some Grade 3 cases will require surgery. 

ACL Sprain or Tear

Even mention an ACL tear, and nearly every jiu jitsu practitioner around you will wince and squirm. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the major ligaments running diagonally within the knee joint, providing rotational stability to the knee. The ACL runs in front, and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) runs in back, creating an X-shape behind the patella. The ACL can become injured by rapid changes in direction (especially pivoting while the foot is still planted), stopping or slowing down suddenly, incorrect landing, or direct blows to the knee. Symptoms, include pain, swelling, loss of full range of motion, and discomfort while walking or performing any kind of turning movement. ACL injuries are also graded from 1 to 3, with a fully torn, Grade 3, tear requiring surgery. Unfortunately, most ACL tears cannot simply be repaired, and must be reconstructed via a tissue graft from a healthy patellar, hamstring or quadricep tendon, taken either from your own body or that of a cadaver (how delightfully morbid). Recovery from an ACL tear can often take more than six months. Interestingly, women are more prone to ACL injuries than men. The good news is, you can help prevent ACL injuries through a proper strength training program; stronger and more balanced muscles will help protect the joints from - and during - uncontrolled movements. 

And of course, don't just rely on your WebMD skills - however ninja they might be - for diagnosing knee injuries. If in doubt, get it checked out by a licensed medical professional. The sooner you know for sure what the problem is, the faster you'll be able to fix it, and the sooner you'll be back on the mats.

Train on... safely. Oss.

Not all basic gis were created equal. Indeed, there is a lot of variation between the "entry level" gis put out by brands throughout the jiu jitsu market. With some, you certainly get what you paid for... with others, however, you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality offered at such an economical price. 

You can be sure to count the Maeda Red Label gi - available in both a men's and women's cut - among the latter group. 

As gi connoisseurs, nothing peeves us more than when a "basic" gi looks basic, or when it starts to fall apart after only a few uses. Yeah, you are paying the bare minimum price, but we believe that a brand should put out a quality product, whether it's their premium model or their entry-level model. 

Maeda Brand outdid themselves in this respect. 

Take the construction, for example. The jacket is made from a lightweight 350 GSM Super Fine Pearl Weave cotton fabric, reinforced in all stress areas. The pants are made from durable, yet lightweight, 8 oz drill cotton. Compare that to their highly-popular. ultra-lightweight, all-cotton gi, the Fujin. There's not a lot of difference. Now remember, the lighter the fabric, the less durable it is over the long-term... so make sure you take proper care of it - and any of your gis, really - to ensure it lasts. 

In order to keep the price low, Maeda Brand limited the amount of decoration they put on the Red Label gi. However, it is far from looking too bare. Sporting their iconic "stamp" logo embroidered on the left shoulder and back of the jacket, and small fabric patches sewn on the other shoulder and left pant leg in bright pops of red, the Red Label looks really ridiculously sharp. We can't stress enough that this gi does not look like a basic gi. 

Still not convinced? Take a chance and try it out. At such a low price, your wallet is not going to take a beating if you do, and we're pretty sure you won't be disappointed by what you find. 

Train on. Oss.

So you've survived your first few weeks of jiu jitsu. You probably still don't know what to do with your hands, you may or may not have mastered how to tie your belt, you've discovered that you need more than one jiu jitsu gi, and you're starting to recognize some of the standard jiu jitsu lingo. 

Now you're wondering what all this "drilling" stuff is about. Don't worry, we got you... 

Drilling 101

As I've mentioned before, drilling is the part of jiu jitsu training that consists of many, many... many repetitions of a technique or set of techniques. The idea is that if you do something often enough, it becomes "muscle memory" and it takes less conscious effort to do it in the future. 

Now this may sound pretty self-explanatory... "Just do it a bunch of times, right?" Well, yes, but there are some subtleties that you should be aware of that may not always be vocalized:

For the Love of God, Start Slow

The worst thing you can do is try to drill a technique as fast as your professor or coach showed it to you. The only reason they can do it so fast and smooth is because they've done it a thousand times already. Until you've spent as many untold hours on the mat - and have developed the same jiu jitsu acumen - you're not going to look that good. Worse, if you try to go full speed, you're bound to skip some key steps, and you ultimately won't learn how to properly execute the technique. So start slow, go step-by-step. Nobody's going to think less of you for it... we've all been there. Once you begin to get the hang of it, then pick up the tempo.

No, XX Times Each is Not Enough

My biggest pet peeve is when someone - anyone - does a technique a few times and then sits there with his/her partner until the professor calls time. It's said that you have to practice something "between 500 and 5,000 times" before it becomes reflex. If you're there on the mat already, use that time wisely. Make some progress toward that first 500. Otherwise, you'll give the impression that you don't really care enough to put in the work. Few things are more insulting to the person who took his/her time to show you that technique. 

Drilling Outside of Class

Drilling isn't just an activity reserved for that 30 or so minutes during class between warm-ups and sparring. You can drill anytime, anywhere. In fact, it's highly encouraged that you drill outside of class. You can't possibly get your 500-5,000 reps in entirely during class hours. So find a buddy and schedule in some time - an hour at the very least - during the week to work on some of the techniques that you've learned recently and/or those you would like to improve upon. In fact, you might even get lucky and some upper belt will happen by and give you some additional pointers. 

Levels of Drilling

There's no single way to drill. Indeed, there are "levels" of drilling: 

• Single Technique - Just as it sounds, this involves doing a single technique (one sweep, one pass, one takedown, one guard pull, one submission, etc.) over and over again.
• Sequential - This involves linking two or more techniques together, and doing that over and over again. For example: start standing, pull guard, go straight into a sweep, right into a pass, finish with a choke. Then doing that series over and over again.
• Responsive - This takes sequential drilling to the next level, whereby your partner changes the scenarios a little bit. For example, if the sequence is to go from pass to back take, your partner may give you a different guard to pass each time. This kind of drilling is especially useful for the days leading up to tournaments. 
• R&D - This is a more relaxed, open-ended kind of drilling, where you and your partner may do a combination of all of the above, working on a specific technique and exploring any and all scenarios that might arise. This involves a lot of discussion, and you may or may not break a sweat. 

Now that you have a better understanding of the world of drilling, we hope you can see how incredibly beneficial it is to your jiu jitsu journey. 

Train... and drill... on. Oss.

Here at Fighters Market, we pride ourselves on stocking the best brands in the industry. So what would we be if we didn't offer products from one of the most recognizable brands in sport jiu jitsu? 

Kingz Kimonos has been producing top quality gis, no-gi gear, and apparel since 2011. However, in recent years, they've really begun to ramp up their investment in R&D and quality control, in an effort to both set themselves apart from the rest of the competition, and give their customers a product that really works on the mat. 

The magic behind the brand is that nearly everyone there trains, and most of them compete... so they know what works, what doesn't, and what the evolving needs are of the modern jiu jitsu practitioner. They essentially have their fingers on the pulse of the jiu jitsu industry, and they're able to both keep up with the trends, as well as set some off themselves.  

For example, have you checked out their Balistico 2.0 gi, yet? This thing is one indestructible piece of battle armor... which is probably why they gave it a military-influenced theme. The jacket features 100% preshrunk mid-weight 480 GSM cotton, patented Coolmax shoulder lining - to keep you cool even during the most rigorous training - and specially designed NO-GRIP sleeve lining (a second layer of ripstop material sewn into the bottom portion of the sleeves, which help prevent your opponent getting a solid grip). 

And since introducing their newly designed women's cut, they've been rocking the women's market ever since. Plus, unlike most brands which offer one or two - or no - women's gis, they feature the women's cut in almost all of their gi models - the Basic 2.0, Comp 450 V5, Nano ultra-light, and Balistico 2.0 - and have size options from F0 to F5, so you're bound to find something that fits you well and looks sharp on the mat. 

You might have noticed that their No-Gi gear has started to take on a new "timeless yet edgy" look. That's because they've also invested heavily in their design team, so they can bring you the freshest and most stylish gear out there. I mean, check out their Crown 3.0 Ranked Rash Guard!

But don't take our word for it... have you seen their impressive roster of sponsored athletes?! You know Leandro Lo - one of the biggest names in the sport jiu jitsu industry right now - wouldn't just trust any old brand. 

With so much momentum going already, you can be sure to expect some really cool things coming out of Kingz in the coming year! So stay tuned...

Train on. Oss!