81 Wood

Having gained popularity in the West, karate is now a widely practiced martial arts discipline. Just like any sport, particularly those that are of the full-contact variety, karate requires a special uniform and other specialized gear to ensure safety. It begins with
karate uniforms and taekwondo uniforms which are often called “gi” but also go by the Japanese name, the “dogi”. Two main pieces comprise demo team uniforms: a wrapped top known as the “uwagi”, and a pair of loose fitting pants called “zubon”. Although practice of the discipline can be done without a uniform, it helps to promote unity among the students within a school and is also designed for better freedom of movement.

There are also other pieces of equipment that can commonly be found in karate practice. Crash mats, which are the same things you would find used in gymnastics as well as karate supplies and taekwondo supplies help absorb the force from a fall which usually occurs during grapples. Quite a few karate schools also make use of a lot of protective martial arts supplies for the chest, groin, shin, arms, and head during full-contact practice. Also, focus pads are used in mma supplies to hone a particular skill, indicating where the trainee should strike and absorbing the force of the blow during training. This helps a student get used to full-contact rather than having them stop their punches and kicks just short of target.