Is mma clothing going mainstream?

primate boy · 09-05-2006, 01:05 AM

I noticed that "marnold" mentioned this briefly in another post and it got me thinking.

What's your opinion guys? Is mma clothing going mainstream? If so, how? and
Does it piss you off that non-fighters are wearing "our" uniforms?

Personally, I don't see any difference between this development and the fact that I can go buy an NFL jersey and pretend like I'm a football player for a day, but there's also a higher sense of pride in mma...

I don't know...good for the profiteer?...bad for the practitioner?

Ray433 · 09-05-2006, 01:13 AM

it's an interesting topic, I mean I have a UFC shirt because I dig watching it, but I draw the line there out of respect. There are a few shirts by Tapout or Warriorwear that I dig, but until I start fighting in some capacity, I won't be buying

primate boy · 09-05-2006, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray433

it's an interesting topic, I mean I have a UFC shirt because I dig watching it, but I draw the line there out of respect. There are a few shirts by Tapout or Warriorwear that I dig, but until I start fighting in some capacity, I won't be buying

it is definitely an interesting topic, and i posted it in hopes to get everyone's viewpoint. you stated that you don't wear some of the stuff out of respect, but i guess one could argue. is it not your right as a die-hard mma fan to be able to "represent" your favorite sport even if you don't practice it?...hmmm...now i got you thinking.

Gooner · 09-05-2006, 01:45 AM

I see no problem with it. I personally have no "MMA-clothing" myself, but I could see myself wearing something like that.

And where would you draw the line? Do you have to actually have to have a fight in the UFC to be "allowed" to wear their shirt? Or is training in MMA enough? Or maybe training in Muay Thai? Meh.

To me, if someone for example wears a WAND-shirt or Chute Boxe-shirt, it's just like wearing a shirt of your football team. You're just being a fan and supporting someone. How exactly is it "bad for the practicioner"? I don't get it.

WRA7488 · 09-05-2006, 01:48 AM

I personally don't wear jersey's, or any sort of sports memorabilia, and try to stay away from wearing anything with a large brand logo on it, because I refuse to pay to advertise for someone else... BUT, I don't see anything wrong with the selling/wearing of mma gear. We all know when we see someone wearing a Jeter jersey that he/she doesn't think they are derek jeter, or wearing a team jersey at all. I assume thats what you are getting at, things like Tapout and Xyience, or just UFC logo'd stuff. I guess its just a way to represent your favorite fighters, or just the sport in general.

Gooner · 09-05-2006, 01:52 AM

Also, a lot of times the practitioner is also the profiteer.

primate boy · 09-05-2006, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooner

I see no problem with it. I personally have no "MMA-clothing" myself, but I could see myself wearing something like that.

And where would you draw the line? Do you have to actually have to have a fight in the UFC to be "allowed" to wear their shirt? Or is training in MMA enough? Or maybe training in Muay Thai? Meh.

To me, if someone for example wears a WAND-shirt or Chute Boxe-shirt, it's just like wearing a shirt of your football team. You're just being a fan and supporting someone. How exactly is it "bad for the practicioner"? I don't get it.

what's up gooner?

it was actually more of a question than a statement. i forgot to put the ? marks next to it. but, you are definitely right about the "practitioner often times being the profiteer", i didn't really see that angle.

the preach man · 09-05-2006, 02:51 AM

How could it hurt the fighters in any way at all? The more the sport becomse 'main stream' the more the fights will get watched and the fighters will get paid more.

Personally, I cant stand the self righteous attitiude of "if you dont ______ you cant be a fan/wear our stuff..."

If I like something (like OU football) I will wear there stuff if I want to.

Jras0001 · 09-05-2006, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primate boy

I noticed that "marnold" mentioned this briefly in another post and it got me thinking.

What's your opinion guys? Is mma clothing going mainstream? If so, how? and
Does it piss you off that non-fighters are wearing "our" uniforms?

Personally, I don't see any difference between this development and the fact that I can go buy an NFL jersey and pretend like I'm a football player for a day, but there's also a higher sense of pride in mma...

I don't know...good for the profiteer?...bad for the practitioner?

I dont think its a bad thing. It brings more publicity and free advertisment to the sport. Also, I dont think that people wear NFL or NBA or any other sports jersey to pretend that they play at that level. I think its more of a way to show support for who your favorite team or player is. I think that would be about the same thing for anyone that chose to wear any type of mma styled clothing.

w0264007 · 09-05-2006, 03:16 AM

Tapout WANTS fans to buy their shirts...that is why fighters get paid endorsements and have sponsers. It could be said that to wear a tapout shirt is like putting money into the pockets of the fighters who are underpaid by the ufc.

On the other hand, a gi and black belt should never be worn by someone who didn't earn it. Perhaps that is where this attitude regarding MMA clothing comes from.

Tapout (representing MMA clothing) and Kudokan Judo (they make black belts) have slightly different motives for marketing their product.

w0264007 · 09-05-2006, 03:19 AM

Now vale tudo shorts are a different story. Only fighters should wear them, and then only the fighters who have the legs for it. Nothin' worse than watching a sumotori fight in some short, very tight shorts... *shudder*

Nimmy · 09-05-2006, 06:01 AM

i bought a pair of Muay Thai shorts when i didnt even do any form of martial arts, i used to use them to practise no gi submissions and for training in general, no wthat iv joing Muay Thai and JJ i feel i can put a practical use to them, but didnt feel out of place in the first instance.

id wear any MMA gear as long as it isnt a Kenny Florian shirt

Anti-Sanchez · 09-05-2006, 06:39 AM

I think it's Uber-retarded for someone to get pissed off about non-fighters wearing TapOut or Full Contact fighter t-shirts. Get a life. I'd like to have a full contact fighter t-shirt and I can assure you anyone that sees me wearing it will not mistake me for an MMA star

The average Joe walking around with a gi and a blackbelt would just look stupid and rediculous in my opinion. Looks cool as hell when it's worn in a martial arts application, but to wear it out to dinner and a movie has loser written all over it. lol

Like someone already mentioned, Tapout wants the average Joe to wear their gear so they can make money. I'm not a huge fan of wearing corporate logo gear but occasionally I like to find obscure beer brand tshirts and wear them to the gym to work out in. And being a fight fan I think a Full contact fighter shirt would be pretty cool to wear when me and my buds get together to watch UFC's.

spiritofbattle · 09-05-2006, 10:28 AM

I work in law enforcement, I have been through many training seminars and boot camps for my career, they always give you a shirt or hat at the end.

Initially it pissed me off when I seen people wearing clothing that incinuated they were part of that law enforcement agency, FBI, CIA, Police, Sheriff, etc. The list could go on and on. These people did not go through the physical and mental exertion we did to earn our title and make it through the training.

It really ticked me off after 9/11, all these people wearing NYFD shirts and hats.

SO, I guess I can relate to some of you being mad. HOWEVER, we don't get money or profits from people wearing our clothing but it is a source of income or your organazation, I might think twice before I made this an issue.

Nimmy · 09-05-2006, 11:03 AM

[QUOTE
It really ticked me off after 9/11, all these people wearing NYFD shirts and hats.QUOTE]

this was a show of support for the loss of firefighters wasnt it, its the same as wearing a poppy for remeberance day or yellow band for testicular cancer, wasnt these shirts and hats available through the fire departments and so contributed to the families of the lost firemen's families, and the preservation and promotion of what your local fire station does. if it was a moneymaing scheme by people jumping on a tragic bandwagon then shame on the makers, but the people who wore them did and dont have intentions of dishonouring anyone, in fact quite the opposite.

firefighters in this country went on strike several times for unfair pay, these guys get paid peanuts to save lives, the only reason the strike didnt last as these guys wernt selfish enough to take time off work as people would die, its about time things like this supported the merchandising of the forces as the government play on the morals of these firefighters and give poor pay knowing a strike action wont last long enough for an impact

Crashsti · 09-05-2006, 12:40 PM

i just got a UFC sweatshirt for my birthday. its great and its just another piece of clothing.

spiritofbattle · 09-05-2006, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimmy

[QUOTE
It really ticked me off after 9/11, all these people wearing NYFD shirts and hats.QUOTE]

this was a show of support for the loss of firefighters wasnt it, its the same as wearing a poppy for remeberance day or yellow band for testicular cancer, wasnt these shirts and hats available through the fire departments and so contributed to the families of the lost firemen's families, and the preservation and promotion of what your local fire station does. if it was a moneymaing scheme by people jumping on a tragic bandwagon then shame on the makers, but the people who wore them did and dont have intentions of dishonouring anyone, in fact quite the opposite.

firefighters in this country went on strike several times for unfair pay, these guys get paid peanuts to save lives, the only reason the strike didnt last as these guys wernt selfish enough to take time off work as people would die, its about time things like this supported the merchandising of the forces as the government play on the morals of these firefighters and give poor pay knowing a strike action wont last long enough for an impact

if a real firefighter was wearing it yes it was a show of support.
other than that they didn't earn the right to wear it. if money from the purchase of the shirt went to New York firefighters i could see the support. but chances are with the greed in this country, some one else made the money and not a cent went to NYFD.

the preach man · 09-05-2006, 01:48 PM

[quote=spiritofbattle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nimmy

if a real firefighter was wearing it yes it was a show of support.
other than that they didn't earn the right to wear it. if money from the purchase of the shirt went to New York firefighters i could see the support. but chances are with the greed in this country, some one else made the money and not a cent went to NYFD.

some of the most stupid stuf I have ever heard. If a firefighter was wearing it it's because he's show off the fact that he's a firefighter(nothing wrong with that because they should be proud). If someone else is wearing it it's because of two reasons: 1. They think it's stylish (vain but nothing wrong with that) 2. They are supporting that particular orginazation.

People like you are more self righteous than the people that I come across in some churches (not saying all people in church are self righteous, but they are there).

w0264007 · 09-05-2006, 02:12 PM

Quote:

some of the most stupid stuf I have ever heard. If a firefighter was wearing it it's because he's show off the fact that he's a firefighter(nothing wrong with that because they should be proud). If someone else is wearing it it's because of two reasons: 1. They think it's stylish (vain but nothing wrong with that) 2. They are supporting that particular orginazation.

People like you are more self righteous than the people that I come across in some churches (not saying all people in church are self righteous, but they are there).

No. I have to disagree with you. Wearing a NYFD tee shirt isn't the problem. People who wear the authentic, uniform shirt aren't supporting fire fighters. It diminishes the prestige of being in that profession when someone who didn't earn it wears the uniform (not a costume, but an authentic uniform shirt). Whether the wearer realizes it or not, people see him in that shirt and associate him with firefighter. If he behaves poorly, or if there are 10000 people wearing the shirt, it decreases the prestige of being a firefighter, and all the sacrifices and training that are made to become one. If anyone could buy a Ph.D, then being a doctor wouldn't have any value. In a much smaller way, the same can be said for that shirt.

The same can also be said for black belts. If 10000 people bought black belts at online stores, or earned them at dojos where all you had to do is pay the money and show up, it would make being a black belt meaningless. I know 10 year olds with black belts and it makes me sick.

Self-righteous? If you go through basic training, or the police academy, or 10years of college to earn a position of prestige, then you would understand why we seem self-righteous.

A tap-out shirt is nothing. But don't proudly wear a USMC shirt unless you are/were/or will be a marine or want your ass kicked. That's my whole point.

w0264007 · 09-05-2006, 02:18 PM

No one has to earn an Oklahoma U shirt. NO one has to earn a tap out shirt. A black belt or a NYFD shirt is someone's reward for a lot of hard work. And for someone to sell that for $20 is reprehensible in my eyes.

For that matter, no one has to earn salvation preacher man, so that is a whole 'nother issue.