Martial arts and veterans tend to share a common ground; a number of big names in MMA are ex-military, including Brian Stan, Martin Stapleton, Paul Daley, Randy Couture and of course Tim Kennedy, who’s still serving his country. It doesn’t just stop with professionals though – a lot of veterans find that the discipline, comradery and physical challenge of martial arts training helps them with transitioning from military to civilian life. Liz Carmouche, who served three tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps helicopter mechanic, has said in interviews that without her MMA training she would have struggled a lot more when she left the military, and may not have become the person she is today.
There are several charities that work with veterans to help them get involved in martial arts and other sports including Merging Vets and Players. Based at the Unbreakable Performance Centre in Hollywood, but with affiliates in Atlanta, Chicago and Vegas, MVP (as its known) aims to bring vets and ex-pro athletes together to share their strengths and experiences and help them transition away from their previous lives. Founded by Jay Glazer (Fox Sports NFL insider and business partner to Randy Couture, who also trains NFL players in MMA during their off season) and Nate Boyer (Former Seattle Seahawks player who served in the Green Berets) MVP is able to leverage the unique experience of its founders to best provide for the veterans and athletes they serve.
Hayabusa have made it one of their goals to positively impact the lives of American military veterans, and so have decided that they are going to partner with MVP and donate a portion of their sales to the charity in the form of martial arts gear. To kick off this partnership they’re launching a sale across some of their key products and offering some cool bundles on their site. They’re labelling it as their ‘Back to Class’ sale, and we’ve picked out our favourites from what’s on offer for you to pick up a bargain, and get everything you need to get yourself started with some MMA training:
Classic Lace Up Gloves – $20 Off
We picked up a pair of Hayabusa’s Classic Lace Ups to test out and we were impressed by how well rounded they were as gloves, with a clean design and great breathability – though they do have a lack of colour options and are only available in two sizes. With the Back to Class sale you can get a hold of a pair with $20 knocked off the price, meaning you get a premium level glove for a hair under $100.
T-3 MMA Gloves (7oz Hybrid and 4oz MMA) – $25 and $20 Off
While we haven’t tested out the T-3 MMA gloves yet we have reviewed their big brothers, the T-3 boxing gloves, and we thought they were great, with a slick design and plenty of support for your wrist and hand. The range extends to include a pair of bigger 7oz hybrid gloves, build more for MMA sparring and padwork, and smaller 4oz MMA gloves, the more traditional competition style gloves. In the Back to Class sale you can get the T-3 Hybrid gloves for $25 off and the T-3 MMA gloves for $20 off.
Warrior Gi – $40 Off
We’re currently testing out Hayabusa’s Goorudo 3 Gi, and we’ll be letting everyone know what we think of it soon, but you can get yourself one of their Warrior Jiu Jitsu Gi’s as part of the Back to Class sale. Hayabusa pride themselves on the craftsmanship and quality of their gi’s, and in our experience they’ve got every right to celebrate it. You can get yourself one of the Warrior Gi’s for a $40 discount, or as part of a bundle with a Meratu rashguard for $50 off the total price.
Lightweight Shorts – $10 Off
The only piece of clothing from Hayabusa we’ve tested was the Hayabusa x Marvel Punisher Rashguard, but we know from using that how much thought goes into their designs. The lightweight shorts and built to be all rounders, with a durable front panel made to roll, run and spar while the back panel is breathable to keep you cool while you train. A great addition to anyone’s gym bag, you can grab a set for £10 off as part of this Back to Class sale.
No Stretch Handwraps – $5 Off
Again, we haven’t personally tested the No Stretch wraps – we’ve only used the Perfect Stretch versions. From what we’ve heard the No Stretch versions are great quality and a good length and with $5 off as part of the Back to Class sale they’re a bargain.
So you can restock your gym bag (and even get a bag as part of a bundle) with some shiny, high quality Hayabusa gear and support veterans leaving the forces at the same time. Head to Hayabusa’s website to check out the full range of products included in their Back to Class sale, and make sure you check out our other Hayabusa Reviews while you’re here.