Should I wear a protective cup for martial arts?

[Anonymous]

So I do martial arts and sometimes it's male vs female competitive. Kicks to the groin/ balls are legal moves. But wearing a protective cup is allowed if you want. I'm going up against a female in a upcoming match. Should I not wear one and just assume she's not gonna kick me there even if it's allowed? Or should I wear it because I just didn't want them to laugh at me for wearing a jockstrap

Updates

+1 y

I was just embarrassed had girls there know if I was wearing a cup against them sparring

[Freeeckles]

WEAR YOUR JOCK STRAP. Don't listen to the dude "build up your resilience"... if you want to be able to feel shit while doing it and maybing having babies some day I would suggest wearing it. I have been teaching MA for 6+ years. We had a school that didn't check a kid before his match. One of his testicles ruptured and they have to remove it. He was eight years old.

As for if the women will hit you in the groin... you should just stop thinking of gender when it comes to MA. It could land you in some seriously deep waters. You are broken up based on your rank which is earned. There is no difference between an adult black belt female and an adult black belt male. They both had the same training and the same testing regulations.
I did not see you ask whether or not you should hit a woman's chest or groin which I assume is a legal hit; I should also mention a groin it for a girl is also extremely painful... and we do not have equipment for our gender specific extremities. Are you going to just not hit her chest or groin area because she is a woman? To answer your question bluntly, hell to the f*** yea they are going to hit you there. hard.

[Asker]

Yeah I didn't know those are extremely painful for them. And wow he had to get that removed that's awful it sounds like. I can only imagine if I was hit there with no cup. At least I'll be protected and have kids one day instead.

[Johnsmith119]

@Freeeckles There are female groin guards as well, I know getting hit in the groin isn't gender specific and can hurt anybody so why does a lot of females don't wear a groin guard as well, may I know?

[Johnsmith119]

@Freeeckles And also, I don't understand what you mean by "I did not see you ask whether or not you should hit a woman's chest or groin which I assume is a legal hit", please don't mind but can you explain?

[tiffany_elizabeth]

I'd wear one. My dad got kicked in the groin when he was 8 and actually ruptured one of his testes.

Don't assume that just because she's a woman she's going to go for the groin. I never have in my entire life and I've been in numerous fights.

However, accidents do happen. I was playing around with my boyfriend (you'd think you were witnessing domestic violence if you walked in on one of our matches, but we throw each other around the yard when we're bored and need to let off some steam) and I would never intentionally hurt him, but when I was pushing him away my hand slipped from his forearm and landed right in his solar plexus. I had him in his car getting ready to drive him to the ER before he started breathing again.

The point is, accidents happen and your opponent could be aiming for your abdomen and end up getting you in the groin. If I had your equipment I'd wear one even against male opponents.

[Asker]

Yeah good point, I'm just thinking if I'm in a match and they kick me at full speed and I'm cupless it could be bad. I was just embarrassed that they might laugh at me for wearing one.

[tiffany_elizabeth]

Don't worry about it. I doubt anyone will laugh at you. If they do they'll stop laughing when they or one of their cupless buddies takes an errant kick to the midsection.

[Asker]

Yeah that's true. I appreciate the help. I can only imagine though now I think about it. It would probably protect very well and I wouldn't have to go to the ER or something like you said

[Asker]

I did for baseball because I took a terrible line drive but luckily it didn't hurt to bad because I wore one.

[Johnsmith119]

@tiffany_elizabeth Kick to the groin can hurt extremely bad for anybody regardless of gender, then why do a lot of girls don't wear a groin guard as well?

[Johnsmith119]

It can hurt anybody pretty bad, cup or no cup so why will they laugh at you for wearing a groin guard? I doubt they will still not laugh when it hurts you even when you are not wearing your guard

[MarialArts]

I don’t wear a cup? .

[MarialArts]

I use too do that karate? .

[Anonymous]

Why would you not wear one? I'd recommend wearing one for any sort of sports or physical activity where your man parts could get injured

[Asker]

Yeah true. I was just worried people would laugh at me there because they know I'm wearing a jockstrap and a cup

[Opinion Owner]

Why would they laugh that your taking precaution to prevent injury to a very sensitive area?

[MarialArts]

I dont wear a cup? .

[Johnsmith119]

It's not just the man parts which is sensitive, the same thing goes with the lady part as well! It can hurt anybody no matter what Gender you are but females have smaller spot

[Phoenix98]

As a man who's been kicked in the balls about a 100 times and has been doing fighting tournaments and martial arts for 10+ years I would highly advise it yeah.

Seriously wear one it hurts like a mother fucker to get kicked there, and don't be embarrassed about it. Lots of martial artists wear them, I wore one in my first tournament in the finals good thing I did to because she was a brown belt and she kicked me right there after I kicked her in the neck.

Trust me if you get fully kicked there it will drop you to your knee's your balls will feel like they flew up into your stomach and in addition to having agonizing pain you'll be really nauseous and light headed.

Only reason why I don't wear one now is because spar with fellow friends and martial artists privately and we have clear and defined no groin rules even though it still does happen sometimes because you know instinct for the most part I don't have to worry about it.

[Asker]

Good point I can only imagine now that you say that to. I just started also. I don't want my first match me having a serious injury

[Phoenix98]

Mhmm.

Probably be a good idea, just remember if they kick you there you should still block it in order to prevent her from getting points but also because if you don't block you'll get used to not blocking there and it can make it hard in the future if you need to. The cup is just there in case your block misses and you get hit, then it won't be painful.

[Asker]

Yeah true. And it shouldn't affect how I perform I feel like to much. Do you like the shorts one more just with the jock instead?

[Phoenix98]

nah it doesn't affect your performance really I mean you feel it but other then that your just as agile and everything as if you weren't wearing one.

And I wore a jockstrap one of course that's just what came with my fighting gear so *shrugs*

[MarialArts]

i don't wear a cup. .

[Phoenix98]

@MarialArts You should if you practice sparring, it can really screw up your boys if you get kicked there a lot.

[MarialArts]

Sports turning us into girls? .

[Phoenix98]

@MarialArts No lol, just painful when you get kicked there.

[Anonymous]

It's weird that kicks there are allowed. Why?
Even if they weren't allowed, when you are sparring with someone that doesn't necessarily know how to kick properly, it could slide right up your leg and hit you there. Sometimes you'll still get hurt there, but at least it won't be a direct shot.
So yeah, wear one.

[Asker]

Sounds like a plan lol

[rjroy3]

I just can't wrap my head around a martial arts school where ball shots are legal and men hard spar women.. I guess wear a cup. If you're sparring a girl embarrassment over how you might look is the least of your concerns.

[MisterWack]

Wear a jockstrap & protective hard cup.

Easiest choice to make as a guy in any contact sport especially the ones where kicks can hit your cherry vine 🍒, yeahhh be a man & wear a cup!

[FemaleAssassin]

Both of u should be wearing one, urgh groin shots just make me cringe 😬😬😬

[Asker]

Yeah that would probably suck

[Anonymous]

Don't. Build up some resistance to getting hit in the dick. In martial arts there are rule, in the real world fighting has no rules. So you better be prepared for getting nutshots if you're taking martial arts for self defense reasons.

[Anonymous]

You would be a lot more embarrassed crying like a sissy, when she gets the easy point there!!
Don't be an idiot!! Trusting a woman to NOT take advantage is the WORST BET, EVER!!!

[Asker]

Good point. And I could lose because of that

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah, like not being able to be a 'daddy' later!! ALWAYS protect yourself!!

[Asker]

It is beneficial lol

[Shaft50]

Um, just wear it... the embarrassment you may feel will pale in comparison to the agonising pain that you may feel...

[Asker]

Yeah good point lol. Because know I think about It i don't wanna be on the ground not able to get up.

[Shaft50]

... and if groin kicks are allowed (what style are you competing in?), the prepare for the worst, man... have you ever been kicked so hard there, that you throw up?

[Asker]

I've been hit there in other sports unfortunately lol. This is my first time doing competitive martial arts

[Shaft50]

What style is it?

[Asker]

It's like a mixed martial arts league.

[Shaft50]

Fro groin hits to be allowed, it almost sounds like a krav maga style...

[WhiteSteve]

Bro, you don't want to take an errant kick in the beans. Def go with the cup👍

[Asker]

Good point lol. I can only imagine during a match and getting kicked at full speed cup less

[Anonymous]

If you value your testicles, wear one. Getting kicked there too hard could lead to your castration.

[Johnsmith119]

Why only testicles? Why not the clitoris as well?

[HeresJohny245]

Which is why I wear a steel cup

[PiuBravoRagazzo]

Make sure to get the proper cup
Baseball cups and bicycle cups might not offer adequate protection

[kingofknights]

Yes, unless you want to get kicked in the balls, no one likes getting kicked in the balls.

[Asker]

It's a awful pain

[Omar5881]

How the hell is fighting a female allowed? It's like saying that female soccer team is playing aganist the male ones

Well wear one just in case

[Freeeckles]

Are you saying that because I am a female I am less equal to a man? On the mat there is no female and male gender segregation. You are segregated based on your ranking in the system which you earn. I am 5'7 135 lb female. I am a 4th degree black belt (that means I have tested for 12 black belts total), I am trained and certified to teach 4 separate martial arts and teach 4 different types of weapons. I have been to 15+ competitions across the US. I have placed in every single competition- in every division. I spare adult men of my rank and higher, I do the same body throws and wrist locks on men as they do on me, I break the same thickness board as all the black belt men and I worked just as hard if not more than them to get where I am today despite the sexist men who would like to think sports cannot be cohabitated. We are not the same but we are equal. I have NO trouble dropping a grown ass man to his knees even with my disadvantage of having a "lady brain" and female body parts.

[Freeeckles]

And the reason they don't let men and women play soccer together is because the woman's soccer team would at least keep up if not even kick the men's team's ass and then you would have no reason to pay the woman's team less then the men's team. Wouldn't it be a shame if woman, who by the way win MORE of their games then men's team, had equal pay? Holy shit... it's like we have equal rights thanks to the 19th ammendmant which was passed 96 years ago. Huh. Would you look at that.

[Omar5881]

@Freeeckles uhmmm whatever

[Freeeckles]

That's what I thought.

[Jan1ssary_]

Just wear it, I am just learning it and I wear that. We can't lose it right? ;D

[robocop666]

no you need to do another martial art that doesn't allow this

[TuMeManques]

I highly recommend it.

[PT1911]

This has got to be a troll question

[Autumn-Bunny]

Haven't you asked this question before?

[SnowHearth]

Wear one.

[sometimesilikecheese]

probably yes

[Dred1614returns]

I would.

[jakeofalltrades]

might be a good idea