Chest protection

How many of you ladies wear chest protection when sparring/fighting. If you do isit comfortable and what type is it ie: A bra top that has plastic insert. I have one but have not used it. Do you think they could do more damage or do you see as pointless?

none o my girls wear it but ive heard a sports bra is about the best when it comes to the protection/comfort equation.

stevie

Cheers Stevie :)

Neither me or anyone from my club have ever worn any but i've sparred with a few girls that have and they always seemed to spend time adjusting them and complaining about how annoying they were.

Plus they made them look like they had really pointy "madonna" type breasts ;)

I don't think they would do "more" damage than just wearing a sports bra, i myself see them as pointless but then i don't have a lot that needs protecting! If you're finding that you regularly get hit painfully when you're sparring then i would probably give them a go...

My female students swear by the plastic cups that fit inside either a sports bra or the wee tops you can buy with them. The “Madonna cones” can be quite a savage weapon. I’ve had my head grabbed and my faced whacked into these on numerous occasions and it really hurts (sorry, but I’ve re-typed that last sentence 6 or 7 times and it still sounds dodgy).

I wear the sport bra that comes with the insert and don't find it annoying at all... as long as you get the right size. I'm quite short and it seems to come in quite handy when sparring with some of the big guys in class. Trust me, you won't even notice it when your in the ring battling it out.

I've gotten by fine with a sports bra, but may need more protection around the time of my period as I get soo tender then

Stef

i have the full plastic molded one peice chest guard.
its god awful. hard plastic protects breast but get hit anywhere and the whole armour pushes into lower breast plate, causing more pain and discomfort.

None of the women who train at our club wear any chest protection, most wear sports bras i think and they seem to be sufficient, least ive never heard any complaints

Ok, I'm new to this site and have been reading up on these topics. Have to comment on this one!

Wearing just a sports bra is good enough protection? That's crazy to me... its just material. Personally, I've been spinning back kicked, punched, push kicked, (I don't recall being knee'd in the boobs yet, but sure it will happen one of these days.) If really connected, all this stuff hurts. I don't care how small or large you are. Its very important to wear chest protection. The best I've found is the turtle shells (inserts you put in sports bra)
Ladies, protect your girls!!!

why do we need chest protection?
yes it hurts getting struck in the boob but it hurts getting hit anywhere.
its part of being a female fighter isnt it.

I'm not trying to be tuff (cause im not, i'm a woose) i just dont understand the need for extra protection -
unless of course you happen to be lactating, and gettimg wallopped on the breast is particularly painful and a tad wet (eurgh).

I have quite a strong opinion on this topic simply from my own experiences and experiences of some of the other female fighters I know. I'm a great believer in wearing protection during sparring if you need it and those that cover the essentials in fighting such as those Yoda speaks of is fine, but personally I am in complete agreement with murray. Anything more than covering the essentials I view as cheating. I know this is possibly an extreme view but I have seen girls in the ring with protection to their waist!!! What about body shots? If they want to fight with that much protection, they shouldn't fight professional.

"why do we need chest protection?
yes it hurts getting struck in the boob but it hurts getting hit anywhere.
its part of being a female fighter isnt it."

I don't agree with that. Taking a leg kick or punch in the stomach is diferent than being kicked in the breast, they are much more sensitive. You can flex your leg or tighen your abs to help absorb some of the impact. As opposed to your breast, which is just tissue (that can actually scar & make lumps in your breast)
What your saying is like saying, Men don't need groin protection- becuase it hurts getting kicked and punched everywhere else and isn't that apart of fighting? Its not the same anatomy, but similar sensitivity.

Naomi- that was the same protection I was speaking of, the same as Yoda.
I don't agree with protection down to your ribs, just enough to cover your boobs ONLY.

interesting topic this one. I'm of the opinion that it's unecessary. I was chatting to some of the guys from my club about this and they were asking about groin shots for girls etc...I reckon groin shots in guys and girls fighting(and sparring) are in different leagues. Similarly I don't think you can compare a guy getting hoofed in the nuts to a girl getting a kick to the chest, yes it hurts but it's unlikely to floor you. Misha says that your breasts can scar due to the shots, I'm pretty sure this is the same for your whole body as it is indeed all made of tissue(of one sort or another), example-check out any thai boxer's shins. It's a contact sport, we're going to make contact with one another. Yes, we should protect ourselves when necessary but you need to draw the line somewhere.
JMO

Yes, getting kicked/punched anywhere hurts - don't fight if you don't like pain, but being punched in the chest for ladies is different and I shall tell you why in one sentence why.

Repeated minor trauma to breast tissue increases a lady's chance of getting breast cancer by approximately 3 to 4 times.

Wear chest proection - enough said.

Oh, and I am actually a doctor before everyone starts criticising and if you want I'll find the article in the British Medical Journal which quotes the figures that prove it.

Go on then!

Only joking :@)


What am I doing reading about breast anyway!

I fully agree with Nikki. Think about girls... the chest protector can't be anymore uncomfortable then the steel cup for the men. It give you extra protection and can prevent future injuries. Once your in the ring, your chest protector is the last thing you'll think about or feel. If you feel any discomfort during fighting, I doubt that it will be from the chest protector.

What Nikki mentioned was one of my main concerns and the reason I bought one although I might have to change it as found it slipped about a lot during training.

Sorry I correct myself, it's in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention - June 2002 issue. The study is entitled "Can physical trauma cause breast cancer?" I have copied and pasted the abstract below, if anyone wants to search for the full study feel free, it's available for no charge on the net. The journal's home page is www.eurjcancerprev.com

Can physical trauma cause breast cancer?
European Journal of Cancer Prevention. 11(3):307-311, June 2002.
Rigby, J E 1; Morris, J A 2; Lavelle, J 2; Stewart, M 2; Gatrell, A C 1
Abstract:
The objective of this study is to explore the effect of lifestyle on the risk of invasive breast carcinoma in women aged 50-65 years. A case-control study using a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Cases (n = 67) and controls (n = 134) were closely matched on known risk factors for breast cancer including age, family history, age at menarche, parity, age at first birth and menopausal status. Controls were chosen from a pool of 5600 women who attended for breast screening and filled in a questionnaire giving details to allow matching with cases. The study took place at the North Lancashire Breast Screening Service. Women were aged 50-65 years and presented with breast cancer or attended for breast screening.Women with breast carcinoma were more likely to report physical trauma to the breast in the previous 5 years than were the controls (odds ratio (OR) 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-10.8, P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in a wide range of other lifestyle indicators including factors relevant to social class, education, residence, smoking and alcohol consumption. In conclusion, recall bias is an unlikely explanation for these results in view of the nature and severity of physical trauma. Models of epithelial cell generation indicate that a causal link between physical trauma and cancer is plausible. A latent interval between cancer onset and presentation of under 5 years is also plausible. The most likely explanation of the findings is that physical trauma can cause breast cancer.

(C) 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Hope this helps answer the question posed. I guess chest protection isn't the most comfortable thing to wear but it's less painful than a mastectomy. :-)

Good stuff Nikki-
even more of a reason to wear chest protection...

I'm worried about this actually. I haven't been going kickboxing long but I am worried about when I am fighting properly in the future. Are breasts more easily damaged if they are still growing? (I'm only 16) Just wondering if you think I need to protect myself.

In my humble opinion it is always a good idea to protect yourself - even more so when your body is still adjusting into it's adult shape. I personally would get some chest protection if you are doing any sort of sparring where you get hit in the chest hard enough for it to hurt properly or bruise. Even if you don't wear it all the time, you can at least reduce the number of traumatic events inflicted upon your poor mammary glands!
And I have nothing to do with anyone who sells chest protectors before anyone thinks I'm biased!!

nikki how can u be a doctor at 22?
and boobs are diff... wen im at my leanest and fittest i hardly have any soft boob left.. have never worn a booby protector and never will... isnt it being hit any where repeatidly that causes cancer?
sharp hits to the boobs hurt a little more than being hit with a broader surface... eg. an elbow jab to the boob hurts where as a push kick not so much.... plus the bizzare front kick that manages to land toe directly on nipple makes ur eyes water....
what about ovary protectors, id be into them... anyone got info on them?

You could always try wearing a bodyshield. Originally they were quite cumbesome. However in recent years they have been really improved upon.

You can one close up on the picture.

Both ladies wore full protective equipment during their contest. The first picture was after Alex had made a succesfull title defence, the bodyshield was removed when the belt was awarded.

gaksun - I don't feel I should have to justify myself but just to indulge you I will. I think you'll see that my ax profile was created over two years ago, when I was 22. I am now however, closer to 25 than 24 unfortunately and so am more than old enough to be a doctor. If you still have no faith by all means check the General Medical Council's register of doctors - my number is 6103459. I think you should be more than satisfied with my qualifications.

im sorry you feel that you had to indulge me... i was in awe not being rude, wow, you seem pretty strung about it tho!!!

im sorry you feel that you had to indulge me... i was in awe not being rude, wow, you seem pretty strung about it tho!!!

Seemingly your tone didn't come across in your writing. Never mind.

i remember in my last fight which was not long ago.....my opponent was wearing a ridiculously long guard starting from just under her neck, to her waist....and she was taller than me so i used the body shots i had been taught previously....but no they couldnt work bcoz either they didnt hurt her enough to go down or every time i did hit her the guard twisted round therefore the fight kept on getting paused so the ref could fix it for her ....then i had try get back in again lol......i hate those things i dont wear em... maybe ill wear a small chest protector but i wont go OTT with it!

Coming in later than everyone else but seems a good topic to add to, I had a lump removed last year from my breast and the doctors said it could have been caused by being hit. Luckly it was just fatty tissue and it did make me think about a chest protector, but as most have pointed out, they just aren't comfy. If cought wrong the plastic digs in and it hurts even more. They should bring out like an over padded sports bra that just mellows the impact.

ouch! that sounds bad! yeah they should do actually....but then again are groin guards comfortable? guys?

I have just found this nice bit of kit from als gym website/shop this looks like the type of thing you were thinking of Brawler looks comfy as well !

now thats more like it!!!

Ha ha ha yeah that looks more like it....wonder if they do my size :)

Of course ma dear !! Lol I think I might get meself one of these ! Don't think they are too expensive either will go back and check :)

Yeah let us know how much they look alot better than the usual stuff. Do they have differant colours???

thanks jo ...i thought that the only chest protectors you could get were those uncomfortable plastic things....cheers and inform me on the price of that one you found thnks

xXxtashaxXx

Price of these is 37.50 but they are showing sold out at the mo on this site ( Als Gym) but they are usually pretty good with stock so should not be too long before they are back in ! I will do a search later and try and locate some more :)

I have found it for £25 on here.
http://www.windyuk.com/windy_female_protection.html

Excellent . Cheers Laura :)

cheers laura thats great!!

oh and since when do ladies where groin guards?

i've seen ladies wear ovary protectors which look like groin guards... is this what u mean natasha?

this one that was on the website laura gaves us ..... maybe that does what you were saying :S

yep thats the one....
pretty bulky looking if u ask me

yea who says im wearin one !? lol no way :P ....

Do you girls wear them when training, or do you just slip them on when sparring?

I have handed out this post at training to all the ladies, as it was something I hadnt even concidered..

especially the "The most likely explanation of the findings is that physical trauma can cause breast cancer.
(C) 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc." - quote

Also I have just got in several Blitz Maxi Guards , in hope that the ladies will wear them when sparring.

I don't wear one of them either not even when fighting. I suppose it's like the chest protector it's on the gunna list and yeah probably should just don't really think.

Sorry here is the image

no way im putting on something made of hard plastic that would hurt me evn more!!!!!!
the ovary protectors look so bloody bulky too
im all about looking after myself but please!!!!

Hi this is the female groin guard I use on all interclubs and fights ! I am really glad I wear one of these as I have taken quite a few knee's to the area and thought at the time I am really glad I have this on !! It is not too bulky and once in place is fairly comfy and like I said would rather have it on than not be able to pee for a week ! Lol

i wear a plastic one.. its not vry comfy ot b honest but id much rather that than the pain i fele being hit hard in the chest. i saw natashas fight and the guard was rediculous. there should be regulatinos to length and padding ect. a chest guard only need protectthe chest ! ovary protectors? watthe hell for ? i dint even know u cud get those! how are they useful? but anyway..yer i think they are necessary..breat cancer is something we should all consider..but in saying that many of u are rite in sayin that the times u actli gt hurt in the chest are rare (like with the groin guards i guess)

I think it's a case of where do you draw the line. Everyone is consious of the breast damage side of things, but the ovarys protector? Yeah I can understand people wanting to protect there reproductive organs but they aren't over easy to damage and there is only so much you can protect without padding most of your body out and then what is the point of doing the sport. Just my opionion probably differant to everyone elses.

As a pro kickboxer, I admit I dislike any of these protections. I am in that sport for the contact, the guts it needs and the thrills it provides. Pain, severe blows, blood and possible injuries are part of kickboxing and I like that...
Yes, I was hurt in the breast...and what? It even gives me more strength for a quick revenge: one girl who did it was lying unconscious on the canvas the next round... So yes, my breast may also be a target, no problem!
And I know the public appreciates women boxers who step in the ring with no protection at all (I just wear a sports bra), so I do it for them too regardless of my opponents opinion.
I know my position seems extreme to some, but I am sure many agree, right?

cecile, i am with you girl.

And same for groin/ovary protectors...
In some difficult situations, I have kneed my opponents between the legs and must say I enjoyed watching the pain on their face!... I know by experience it is much more painful than a kick on the breast. But, what the hell, hurting and getting hurt is part of our sport, right?

Im all for protecting your self and there is no way I want to end up with breast cancer but I have never had my chest be a major target. I have never copped a blow to the chest, it was always more body shots to the ribs or abs or the other basic kicks and punchs to the legs, head or shoulders. The padded bra thing looks ok but I always get in a foul mood if I pay to see a fight and they're all padded up almost like those mock sumo suits. If I wanted to see a pretend sumo fight i would go to one, but Im paying to see MT or KB. I personally think that if a person needs that kind of full body padding they shouldnt be in the ring. They are obviously badly matched up or they dont have a good enough defensive skill base to protect themselves, they should go back to training and work on their speed and blocks.

ovary protectors.. i keep runnin it over in my hed and stil l cant get my hed round it.. ovaries are internal!!!! hu ever herd of ovary damage from being hit cuple tyms in the groin or waever.. n tbf.. maybe im jus odd but i hav been kiked between the legs n it dusnt hurt.. how can it? :S nah.. i think they are extreme.. if ur gonna b padded all over practically ( especially with those awful long chest guards like tashas fiter wore) then why fyt???

Right, Kelly
Tasha's chest guards are ridiculous. I also had my breast enlarged: I do wear a protection during sparring but I sincerely take pride to enter the ring for fights with a simple sports bra...and I know by experience that the public appreciates, both men and women.
Breast cancer or other possible damage? Boxing is no game, it's war: physical injury is a serious risk and inflicting pain and damage is part of it. I fully accept this. But, until now, I suffered broken ribs and cuts, no breast damage

Please tell me you don't fight with breast implants? If anyone was silly enough to fight with implant augmented breasts, while the public may appreciate your fantastic bravery, they probably won't appreciate footing the NHS bill for an £8000 re-do of your augmentation when you rupture your implant, or the morphine syringe pump you'll scream for.

K I read quite a bit but today was first time on this topic so I didn't get them all...

Has anyone brought up the safety factor? Is there one?

Protection...does anything need protecting. I mean what kind of damage can be done.

Pain is a much smaller issue to me. Not being a woman and not having breasts I don't know that I can say yes or no. But I think the biggest factor is the afety and the pottential damage.

Is there anything serious to consider in that regard or is it a discomfort thing?

Severe blows to the breasts can cause breast cancer or stuff around with your lymphatic system.Pretty serious damage. Pain is expected, knowingly setting yourself up for a serious medical condition is stupid. Breast tissue is fat and soft glands, you are more likely to damage the tissue because it doesnt have a protective layer of muscle over the top. im not sure about ovary protectors but there may be something in them because you can damage your kidneys and they are internal. Kellie you have bits of steel if a kick between the legs doesnt hurt. I met a girl who copped a kick between the legs and ended up in hospital for 3 weeks, she says it was bruised and swollen and she got an infection, i dont want to end up in hospital with a catheter and a bunch of doctors keeping my legs spread and applying ice. There are alot of nerve endings around there I cant see how a good kick that landed right wouldnt bring anyone to their knees. Whoah Cecile You fight with implants. I would be petrified of one bursting if I copped a blow and would spend the fight covering my $10,000 chest. Is there any precautions you have to take when you have implants or do you just fight as normal?

Nikki,
Well, yes I do fight with implants and no protection. And I perfectly know the possible consequences. And I know that if an accident happens, I shall not scream for morphine: in the ring, pain is silent and finishing the fight comes first. I understand it is difficult to understand if you have never entered a ring for a competitive fight. There is no fantastic bravery in this, just the instinct of survival in the ring and the pleasure to provide a good show to the people watching you.
Now, coming back to health risks, I am personally much more afraid of brain damage than breast injury...this seems to me much more vital! But, once again, I accept this risk as part of the sport

breast cancer from getting hit there... I don't make the conection..

I'm a guy but I can see very easily how getting kicked in the groin for a woman can be VERY painful... come on...

Breast tissue is soft tissue and there are alot of functional but fragile parts that do not have muscle covering them like your abdominal organs do. Cancer is the name for a deformity in cell replication that results in malformed cells or excessive cell division. A strong blow can upset the cell replication causing the cells to divide abnormally and the body focuses on repairing the weakened area around the blow so the natural flushing out process of abnormal cells takes back seat. A similar risk has been found with hard blows to the genitals but most people who recieve a blow to the goolies do not just swallow the pain and ignore it, they treat the bruise or damage quickly and this allows the body to return to normal functioning more quickly allowing the body to moniter cell replication hopefully before any abnormalities becomes too big a problem for the body to deal with. Basicly if you have very weak abs which no fighter should you would have a far higher risk of getting trauma based cancer in other organs too. Muscle and skin cell replication is a fairly robust system and trauma based cancer is very rare in these organs, but breasts and genitals do not have the same protection that the abs do in the form of a muscle barrier.

hmmm Can you point me towards any info on blows and cancer?

Hi
Well you are talking a lot of medical consequences. Anyway doctors hate boxing, mine too... You do not enter the ring if you are afraid of getting hurt or injured. In my case, if I get severely hit in the breast and my implants get ruptured, I know I shall be sent to hospital for surgery. But I shall first finish the fight and send the girl who did that flat unconscious on the canvas for a long sleep. Personnaly, I do not hit my opponents in the breast because it does not really hurt physically: it is however a very agressive move, the breast being an esthetically important and fragile part of our body. In a way, fighting without breast protection is some kind of provocation: fellow fighters might agree, I will never give a chance to survive a fight to a girl who has hit my breast, this is absolutely clear! I am also thinking about the public who comes to fights for beautiful kos and sound blows...I know they prefer fighters who wear little protection and show more of their body, it is more exciting.
I hope some other fighters will react...

I never got the idea of inflicting pain. Head, can KO, slow gthem down, scare them. Legs, yeah it hurts but it can effect thier movement and you can stop them. Body yeah it hurts but you wind them and take thier power away and thier will. chest...(not talking ladies cause I don't know) but in my experience its doesn't hurt much or effect the fight much at the time. After it hurts like alot.. I've never seen it effect a fight much before so why do it?

So the question is. With the adrenalin going etc is it that painful AT the time? Or is it mostly after? If after, why the target?

Doctors hate boxing because they have to pick-up the pieces when someone damages themselves, and if you step back from it a bit, deliberately putting yourself in a position to get hurt does sound stupid to someone who has not stepped in the ring and doesnt know how a fight makes you feel. Breasts tend not to be a major target because more imediate damage that can weaken your opponant can be done by targeting other areas of the body and anyone with good hand positioning doesnt leave their chest that open anyway. Psychologically most females identify their breasts with their femininity so attacking their breasts is a way of making them identify as female not a fighter even if only briefly and is a show of dominance. Pain for the sake of pain is similar, when someone inflicts pain for the sake of it, it is a show of control and dominance basicly its off putting to have someone look you in the eye and systematically hurt you without it serving a fight ending purpose. It works on the mental state of the opponant by suggesting that they are no real opponant and can be toyed with until you are ready to take them out. I have never been kicked or hit in the chest so I dont know if it would hurt any more than anywhere else, but Im pretty sure its going to hurt like hell at some point. And quite franky I fight because I love it not to provide some perve factor to an audience, I dont care how much body the audience wants to see they can watch the ring girls if thats what they want or go to the mud wrestleing. I would rather people appreciated my fighting than saw me as nothing but some tits in the ring and credit for the spank bank. Everyone wants to be seen as attractive but its not something I focus on when Im preparing to fight, if something made me look ugly in the ring but helped me fight I would use it, regardless of audience esthetics.

All doctors don't hate boxing - I'm a doctor and I fight. Look at Jonathon Clark (soon to qualify as a doctor) - I don't see him shrinking away from the ring and a bit of pain.
Love your attitude marlboro, you have it spot on.

whats up doc? - sorry had to be said

Cecile writes:
-And same for groin/ovary protectors...
In some difficult situations, I have kneed my opponents between the legs and must say I enjoyed watching the pain on their face!... I know by experience it is much more painful than a kick on the breast. But, what the hell, hurting and getting hurt is part of our sport, right?
-Now, coming back to health risks, I am personally much more afraid of brain damage...
-if I get severely hit in the breast and my implants get ruptured, I know I shall be sent to hospital for surgery. But I shall first finish the fight and send the girl who did that flat unconscious on the canvas for a long sleep.
I hope some other fighters will react...

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brain damage Eh!???I mean come on .... you want a reaction well here is one. MEN fighting are not stupid enough to fight without a jock(in both kickboxing and boxing),then why should women be?It is an illegal strike-it is not part of the sport.Hence the word'sport' and not 'street fight'.In pro boxing the jock also protects the bladder area as well as forms around the back to also protect the kidneys. Many womens pro boxers wear a similar design made for women so that their bladder/groin and kidneys are also protected as well. Yet you think that it is part of the sport to allow your body to recieve possible trauma to the groin area which is soft tissue and easily damaged..although not identical to that of a man's...still has sensitive spots in it..yes the ovaries are in there too...but the general area is vulnerable to easy soft tissue damage if someone strikes hard there.In thai boxing the men don't wear the wrap around style..as I would assume it interferes with range of kicking motion(although I have seen Ray Sefo wear it in K-1).Women in ice-hockey wear what they call a jill;a jock made for women(I have never heard the term ovarie protectors...which sounds a bit ridiculousLOL)because they know that a stick/puck can inflict serious damage.I have never heard a female debate that 'there was no point'.Sometimes they wouldn't wear em..but they knew there was still logical point why you should wear one.After more than 17years of playing hockey...yes I took a few harsh sticks and pucks in my time on the special occasions when I forgot to wear my jill.Some of the guys I played with forgot to wear their jocks at times as well!ANd I will let everyone know if you have never recieved a hard blow there as a female, that it can take longer to heal than say if you got injured on the leg or another body part.I find often that the people who talk all arrogant about this is because they don't have any real experience in it.Mabey they've been tapped there.Yeah big deal.no wonder it doesn't cause damage.
Kellie ,
Malboro is right...how can you say it doesn't hurt to get kicked in the groin!?If you haven't been hurt being kicked there or knee'd there...then whomever is hitting you has absolutely no power.I'm sure I know of alot of people who could change your mind!I mean who is kicking you anyway!?Yes -it is true ,if a person with a powder puff kick is then I can understand why you can say that.A full out front kick or knee to the groin hurts alot more than a minor punch does to the chest.
As for the getting hit in the chest,although I have never yet worn any of those protectors that are being discussed whether in a real fight or just sparring... (it seems an area which generally does not take that many hits in guys or girls since your arms are usually there)...but I can understand why women would wear one...but I think only a softer padded one would be good as those hard plastic cups probably would make it worse than with nothing at all.That's fine. However I am not a fan of those almost sumo suit full length body pads that cover the chest ,ribs,stomach etc..I have never been in attendance at any fights where they have been worn..but I have seen pictures of them on men and women.I think that is overdoing it.Fighters are supposed to be conditioned to take blows to the abdominal region.

Have you ever seen a footballer go down with a groin injury? I have broken bones and torn muscles and had more than my fair share of injuries but if someone hit me hard enough to rip my breasts apart and require morphine or damaged my groin muscles or busted my pelvic bone I would cry like a fuckin baby and I bet the audience would cry in sympathy too. Have you ever seen a male fighter cop a groin shot, the audience grabs their balls and weeps for the poor bastard on the floor whos pride and joy may be irrepairably damaged, no-one expects him to be a man and finish his opponant off, they are there going breathe poor bastard breathe god just pass out until the drugs kick in. Fighting is about taking punishment but just like no-one expects you to fight on with one leg broken flapping in the wind and most audience members would need therapy if your tits exploded mid fight and you kept going, they wouldnt cheer for you they would vomit on you.

Actually in Thailand a kick to the groin isn't a foul, unless its changed lol
But you sure as hell wear a cup!!!!!-don't be a crack head ;P

Proper cups-its not that bad (most of the time). Guys going down from groin shots are wussin out (often slow mo shows a body shot).

Now I know it does happen and it can hurt, usually if cup isn't right size or on right. My bud had an op after getting counted out from a groin kick. But normally its not a prob-

I odn't know how bad it is for you ladies but don't mess that part of your body up ok...for us guys at least wear what you need to.

Lindsay:

Yeh i agree about the groin hitting.... i have been hit there so many times and yeh maybe it doesn't hurt as much as guys getting kicked in their balls....but still it really doeskill afterwards like a bruising and its horrible....but it only happend to me on rare occasions so i dont wear a female groin guard

x tasha x

I have Rachael jones looking over my shoulder as i type so this is from a male and female perspective. Oh and rachael is a top pyshio and looking to train as a doctor.

Repeated blows whether cushioned or not can lead to tissue damage. Head guards can and do mask real damage. Might this be the case for chests? Its probably worth noting Rachael is'nt the heaviest of women up top and wears no protection.

Having sustained groin damage from a knee straight in the sweets I confess I dont see the arguement. A mans groin is by far more fragile than a womans chest. But ultimately it is for the fighter to decide.

Though there should be a distinction between chest protector and chest, abdomen, shoulder protector. For example I have the simple and effective thai style groin protector and the old fashioned boxing style gaurd that restricts leg movement but completely protects the groin, hips and abdomen. My point is that it this is the fight game. and pain and pyshical injury is our calling card.

And with the exception of Dr Choudry I have never met a Doctor than agrees with the fight game and Ive met lots professionally!!

I was sparring with one of the guys at the gym who out weighs me by 50kg 6 months ago and he slipped and I got kneed in the tendon that attatches the inner thigh to the groin. It literally took me off my feet, my leg was spasming I stopped breathing and wanted to vomit. My trainer took me to hospital and I was there for 24hrs. It wasnt the genitals and no cup or jock of any sort would be able to prevent an injury there, but it still hasnt fully healed and probably never will. The ER room Doc was saying that its a rare kind of injury to get and nothing could have prevented it for me but for a guy wearing a box could make it worse because the edge of the box pushes on the tendon, it can be an ironic trade off wear the box to save your balls and risk your groin, or dont wear it and risk your balls to lessen potential damage to your groin. The physio was saying that alot of groin injuries are actually damage to the tendon and once its damaged it will give you problems for life. But apparently there are heaps of nerves there that connect directly to the spinal cord and its not pain that floors you its nerve interfearance the pain comes second.

About chest protection... I think that it's the fighters choice but the guard needs to be for breast not whole upper body (so it's not unfair to opponent like it was for Tasha). I think people need to think more seriously about tissue damage. My girlfriend is not fighting yet but just from sparring she has a big lump, not seen doctor yet but doesnt look good :(

Anyway Jag u got kate's chest guard yet? Not found place to buy them in Thailand. Let me know if anyone knows!!

Nikki Thomas writes: what Nikki writes makes sense to me and i am a guy ... i have herd that blows to a womans breast can increase your chance of cancer and to me that is enough to make me tell my wife no guard no sparring but she wears it second nature so happy days ... if the risk is there i would have thought its not worth taking but its up to each woman to weigh up her own decision ... on a second thought though my wife does get some nasty bruises with the Tuttle shells where the edge has dug in a bit could that be as dangerous as not having one in as i want the best for my Mrs any advice i could show her would be nice thanks Lady's

Well...it is indeed an indivudual decision: I always wear a protection during sparring but will never accept to wear anything but a sports bra during fights. From my view, a chest, male or female, has to remain a potential target for strikes and should not be protected. Possible lumps and cuts are part of the game I am afraid...
Each time I fight (not often enough unfortunately...) I try to make sure my opponent wears nothing as well; but I had a bad surprise last month during an exhibition bout: I was throwing a strong push kick to her chest when my foot hurt this steel-like hard shell. It still hurts...
Women fellow warriors, no breast protections please during fights!

I am cuurently looking for an improved chest protector. I dont want a chest plate as I personally feel they are too big and restrictive.

My thoughts :

1 - The guys down our gym generally seem uneasy hitting me around the chest area, however once i tell them its fine Ive got my steel boobs in they seem more chilled about it.

2 - I wear a turtle shells top with circular plastic cups and have found that they can cause some nasty brusing around the edge of where the cup sits as my husband has mentioned above he finds the bruising awful to see even to the point where he asked me if i would consider not sparring. Hence im on the look out for a more suitable chest protector.

3 - One of my reasons for wearing a chest guard is I have a piercing and would prefer to protect it rather than have to take the thing out. The risk of breast cancer is something I have considered, especially as my autie has had a mastectomy.

As an instructor I do promote the use of chest guards for females and to be fair would prefer it to be mandatory at our gym just like it is for the guys to have to wear a groin guard. I do think it should be a chest guard though and not an upper body protector.

I hope I can find a more suitable chest protector as to stop training as a kickboxer would also be very damaging for my health. Prior to taking up this sport I was fast appraoching the 13 stone mark which im sure would continued to increase, definately putting my health at risk.!

Right Moley,
I do think ches protectors should be mandatory in all gyms for training and sparring: there is just no need of taking any physical risk in these non-fight situations
However I do not agree with you: it is not from my point of view the same kind of protection as men's groin guards. I have been hit in the breast in the past during fighting but the kind of pain is certainly not the same from what I heard from guys: I have never felt it could floor me right away!
One question: as an instructor, what is you position about breast protection when fighting competitively? My trainer wants me to wear it but I am firmly against any protection in this case...

i train male and female fighters. i asked a ref what is the ruling about female groin guards and chest protectors.he said both were optional but to remember that if a fighter gets struck in any area that these protectors were made to protect,and the stricken fighter has chosen to refuse the option to wear them he would put them in a count if they were hurt. sounded reasonable to me,but not sure how wearing a groin guard negates the foul of striking the groin area. women are not as likely to suffer as commonly as men,but i have knowledge of a student taken to hospital suffering severe bruising to that area.she was struck with a vicious misplaced strike meant for the abdomen. very sensitive areas, though some are pretty small,do get struck.i have seen girls that are as tuff as nails go down from hits like this even when they were winning so they were not woosing out.i thought the embarrassment would regulate this kind of false complaint,and i think it does to a large extent

when sparring i dont wear any protective gear...and hate my groin guard it doesnt sit nice with my shorts and looks like i have a male bulge lol

but after training on wed i am thinking about wearing it during sparring all the time,cause some guy knee'd me full force in the groin and im still in agony and black n blue :o(

Just been reading back through this thread and seen the Windy chest protector, has anyone bought it and if so how are they finding it? I have tried other chest protectors and find them uncomfortable and bulky so don't usually bother, but after taking a few hard knocks in the chest when fighting I am considering buying one.

Just been reading back through this thread and seen the Windy chest protector, has anyone bought it and if so how are they finding it? I have tried other chest protectors and find them uncomfortable and bulky so don't usually bother, but after taking a few hard knocks in the chest when fighting I am considering buying one.

If you need help with that JoJo, I'm sure I can find someone to lend a helping hand.... :P