[zderekv]

i'm new to mma, been training for about 4 months now, and i'm tired of laying kicks into my heavybag and paying the price the next day. right now, i'm using cheapo $10 slip on shin/instep guards with thin foam padding in the front/top of foot. i'm not looking to spend $50+ on a set of guards but i was looking at a pair of top contender Top Contender Professional Shin/Instep Guards at Ringside.com and a pair of title guards Vinyl Shin/Instep Guards from Title MMA.

has anyone used either of these and what did/didn't you like about them. i wish i could go to a store and pick up some off of the shelf but there's not a martial arts supplier near me that has anything better than the crap i'm currently using in stock.

thanks for any advice you can give.

[wukkadb]

I usually only use shinguards when sparring, not when kicking the heavybag.

[rafrojas]

i have the top contender once but i dont use them when doing the heavybag not the thai pads only for sparing maybe try kicking the bag with your shins not your foot

[zderekv]

it's my shins that are taking a pounding. how do the top contenders stay on? do they move around a lot?

[rafrojas]

i like them they have a strap on the bottom and two straps for the legs they shift sometimes but not very much but only when I don’t kick right i like them bc i don’t have to slide my leg into them and when i take them off they aren’t a bitch to take off. i recommend you don’t use them let your shin bone get stronger with the constant punishment so when you actually kick someone and get blocked it wont hurt as much.

[obscura1560]

I agree, don't use them at all on the bag. If you're kicking a punchbag, then it will obviously hurt more cause usually they're heavier and filled with more stuff.

I find that kicking a proper banana bag is a lot better for my kicks