After Leaving Fightstorepro for pastures new I thought I'd drop by every so often with some information and with me working with several American brands including Revgear sports from California it would be an ideal time to introduce the Fightstorepro audience to a range of pads that are the staple of many top gyms across America and gaining popularity in the UK and Europe too.
Anyone who's seen my articles and reviews before will know I don't pull my punches and If its garbage I'll tell you! Am I biased? Yes of course I am, I'm biased in favour of quality! Fightstorepro is only really interested in quality products so if its on the shelves its good; occassionally like on the interview/review we did about Thai boxing gloves we'll add in a product we don't stock usually because it's a popular product or brand but we don't want to sell it at Fightstorepro....make of that what you will!
So REVGEAR Pads; Why are they gaining popularity and why is Fightstorepro so keen on them?
Not a lot of people know this but Fightstore rejected stocking Revgear products 3 times during 2010! Bascially the Thai brands we sold such as Fairtex, Twins and Top King all made great quality pads and we just didn't see any reason for another line. Well not until a guy turned up at the warehouse with a whole bunch of them, then we changed our minds! Seeing REVGEAR products in the flesh has a habit of doing that!
The first REVGEAR product that caught my eye was this little beauty (which has since been updated)
The image was taken in 2016 at a local Muay Thai gym called the Faktory in Newcastle. This pad was sold in or around 2010. 6 years professional use and still going....
The fact was REVGEAR made products that were of the same quality standard of the Thai brands but were both different and in the main less expensive. So this is where our relationship began with the USA brand. RG USA had a huge inventory and made products of their own design, constantly worked to improve them and worked with some of the worlds best coaches to get it right! In fact many of the American brands selling points became core to Fightstorepro's ethos too!
Paul Reavlin the REVGEAR president has the respect of top coaches all over the USA because he produces for them...not for the trend or fashion but for the real guys who make sports like MMA, Boxing and Muay Thai operate. Names like Rafael Cordeiro, Erik Paulson and Mark Dellagrotte have been instrumental in developing the products that you now see at Fightstorepro. That's a product ethos we had to roll with, FSPRO's strap line copied by others and imitated all over Europe of "The Fighters Choice" only means anything if you stand by it.
THAI KICK PADS - American Style!
Revgear make three basic Thai Pads. One, The Assassin pad we don't stock at Fightstore essentially because the Thai Brands do that one a little slicker and at the same price point (But look out for the new Thai Original made in Thailand by REVGEAR in 2017) which leaves two others.
The Straight thai pads are well constructed, a medium weight and pretty much do what they say on the tin. They are basic without any bells and whistles but do the job without too much fanfare. Whats great about them really is the price. At under £85 they are really only comparable with the MTG pads which are excellent but everyone else at the same quality level is well over £100. So 30% cheaper and a pad that will last well in professional use or just for your students.
The Curved Thai pad is really a bit of a hybrid pad with only one arm strap and a little shorter than most of the Thai brands versions. This in my mind is an MMA or K1 fighters Thai pad. Its super light but with Rafael Cordeiro using them for Machida, Shogun Rua and Wanderlei you need to take his word for it that they have stopping power due to their dense foam padding. Full leather and tough as nails these pads take a little while to break in and should not be seen as a replacement for straight pads. They are a different tool designed for fast combo use not non stop kicking.
REVGEAR HEAVY HITTERS AIR MITTS - £69.99
If you are sick of your shoulders aching after holding pads for guys who could punch through walls then this is the solution. 3" of paddng with a tennis ball sized air pocket takes the sting out of the impact. I've seen guys catch kicks with these bad ass M*F*ckers. When the list of guys who regularly use them reads Joey Rodriguez (Team Alpha Male) Rafael Cordeiro (Kings MMA) Erik Paulson (CSW) Karl Tanswell (SBG) and many more you know you are in great company! There are several other brands doing these mitts but anything at the same quality are often £100+ such as the excellent but pricey Rival RPM3 at £125. Its arguable Revgear should increase their price to match their competitors but whilst they are still at under £70 get two pairs for the price of one competitor at the same quality!
CURVED CONTOURED FOCUS MITTS - £64.99
This is another no nonsense product which is well constructed out of full leather. They have a great feel and this is compatable with the REYES focus pad for under half the price. simple put there is actually no reason to buy a pad more expensive than this one for general usage it will do the job and do it for a long long time!
REVGEAR MINI Focus Mitt - £64.99
An innovative design with unbeliveable padding for such a small mitt. With 2 inches of padding, a ball in the hand compartment and some of the best leather I've seen used on a pad this is a coaches must have! The only pad we've seen this good in its class was the Boon mini focus pad from Thailand!
REVGEAR THIGH PADS - £79.99
Not to be confused with the Fairtex strap on kick shields which are great but very different this awesome design innovation is a winner for anyone who understands you need to practice low point kicking with movement. Used by Owen Roddy to prepare MR McGreggor for his rematch with Nate Diaz this pad is again expert level use but for low point perfection there is literally nothing else like it!
An Introduction to Revgear Pads
Created on Updated onAfter Leaving Fightstorepro for pastures new I thought I'd drop by every so often with some information and with me working with several American brands including Revgear sports from California it would be an ideal time to introduce the Fightstorepro audience to a range of pads that are the staple of many top gyms across America and gaining popularity in the UK and Europe too.
Anyone who's seen my articles and reviews before will know I don't pull my punches and If its garbage I'll tell you! Am I biased? Yes of course I am, I'm biased in favour of quality! Fightstorepro is only really interested in quality products so if its on the shelves its good; occassionally like on the interview/review we did about Thai boxing gloves we'll add in a product we don't stock usually because it's a popular product or brand but we don't want to sell it at Fightstorepro....make of that what you will!
So REVGEAR Pads; Why are they gaining popularity and why is Fightstorepro so keen on them?
Not a lot of people know this but Fightstore rejected stocking Revgear products 3 times during 2010! Bascially the Thai brands we sold such as Fairtex, Twins and Top King all made great quality pads and we just didn't see any reason for another line. Well not until a guy turned up at the warehouse with a whole bunch of them, then we changed our minds! Seeing REVGEAR products in the flesh has a habit of doing that!
The first REVGEAR product that caught my eye was this little beauty (which has since been updated)
The image was taken in 2016 at a local Muay Thai gym called the Faktory in Newcastle. This pad was sold in or around 2010. 6 years professional use and still going....
The fact was REVGEAR made products that were of the same quality standard of the Thai brands but were both different and in the main less expensive. So this is where our relationship began with the USA brand. RG USA had a huge inventory and made products of their own design, constantly worked to improve them and worked with some of the worlds best coaches to get it right! In fact many of the American brands selling points became core to Fightstorepro's ethos too!
Paul Reavlin the REVGEAR president has the respect of top coaches all over the USA because he produces for them...not for the trend or fashion but for the real guys who make sports like MMA, Boxing and Muay Thai operate. Names like Rafael Cordeiro, Erik Paulson and Mark Dellagrotte have been instrumental in developing the products that you now see at Fightstorepro. That's a product ethos we had to roll with, FSPRO's strap line copied by others and imitated all over Europe of "The Fighters Choice" only means anything if you stand by it.
THAI KICK PADS - American Style!
Revgear make three basic Thai Pads. One, The Assassin pad we don't stock at Fightstore essentially because the Thai Brands do that one a little slicker and at the same price point (But look out for the new Thai Original made in Thailand by REVGEAR in 2017) which leaves two others.
The Straight thai pads are well constructed, a medium weight and pretty much do what they say on the tin. They are basic without any bells and whistles but do the job without too much fanfare. Whats great about them really is the price. At under £85 they are really only comparable with the MTG pads which are excellent but everyone else at the same quality level is well over £100. So 30% cheaper and a pad that will last well in professional use or just for your students.
The Curved Thai pad is really a bit of a hybrid pad with only one arm strap and a little shorter than most of the Thai brands versions. This in my mind is an MMA or K1 fighters Thai pad. Its super light but with Rafael Cordeiro using them for Machida, Shogun Rua and Wanderlei you need to take his word for it that they have stopping power due to their dense foam padding. Full leather and tough as nails these pads take a little while to break in and should not be seen as a replacement for straight pads. They are a different tool designed for fast combo use not non stop kicking.
REVGEAR HEAVY HITTERS AIR MITTS - £69.99
If you are sick of your shoulders aching after holding pads for guys who could punch through walls then this is the solution. 3" of paddng with a tennis ball sized air pocket takes the sting out of the impact. I've seen guys catch kicks with these bad ass M*F*ckers. When the list of guys who regularly use them reads Joey Rodriguez (Team Alpha Male) Rafael Cordeiro (Kings MMA) Erik Paulson (CSW) Karl Tanswell (SBG) and many more you know you are in great company! There are several other brands doing these mitts but anything at the same quality are often £100+ such as the excellent but pricey Rival RPM3 at £125. Its arguable Revgear should increase their price to match their competitors but whilst they are still at under £70 get two pairs for the price of one competitor at the same quality!
CURVED CONTOURED FOCUS MITTS - £64.99
This is another no nonsense product which is well constructed out of full leather. They have a great feel and this is compatable with the REYES focus pad for under half the price. simple put there is actually no reason to buy a pad more expensive than this one for general usage it will do the job and do it for a long long time!
REVGEAR MINI Focus Mitt - £64.99
An innovative design with unbeliveable padding for such a small mitt. With 2 inches of padding, a ball in the hand compartment and some of the best leather I've seen used on a pad this is a coaches must have! The only pad we've seen this good in its class was the Boon mini focus pad from Thailand!
REVGEAR THIGH PADS - £79.99
Not to be confused with the Fairtex strap on kick shields which are great but very different this awesome design innovation is a winner for anyone who understands you need to practice low point kicking with movement. Used by Owen Roddy to prepare MR McGreggor for his rematch with Nate Diaz this pad is again expert level use but for low point perfection there is literally nothing else like it!