Review of CSI Grappling Shin-Instep Guard. With PICS.

Ok y'all. As promised. A review of the Combat Sports International, Grappling Shin-Instep Guard.
http://www.combatsports.com/detail_tuf2.aspx?ID=22281

First let me thank Joe at CSI for hooking me up with a pair of these bad boys.
These things are awesome! The first thing you'll notice is that these do not have the conventional straps that go around the back of the leg to keep them strapped to you. These have an entire lycra sheath that your entire lower leg slides into.
This not only gives you a nice comfy fit (with no straps biting into the backs of your legs) but it also makes sure they don't slide around from side to side.
These babies stay put!
The padding looks thin, but does a surprisingly great job!

Here's a pic of the fronts. Not too much different here.


Here's the side view. You can see the covering that your leg slips into. Getting these on is easy, but getting them off is tougher...lol


This is the back. You can see the back of the leg, and the bottom of the foot. Everything is kept in place nicely with this setup.


One of the other different things is a "hook and loop" (velcro for us lawbreakers) secure closure at the top. This sinches it up nice and tight at the top. Here's pics of the closure opened, and closed.



All in all, this is a great shin/instep pad! Good for sparring, AND you can wear them when grappling! They'll stay put just fine. And they're very comfortable to wear.
If I HAD to find anything negative about them, I could only find nitpicky things. Like is seems the lycra on the foot overhangs just a little. I'd maybe trim it back. This doesn't effect performance in the slightest. Just feels like that little bit flips up from time to time.
The only other things is, the features that keep them from sliding around can make them a little difficult to take off when you're done.
Once again, that is nitpicky, and I've even figured out a way to get them off a bit easier. I was afraid of tearing the lycra at first, but then I figured out that the padding is stiff enough that you can use that to push them, as you pull from the bottom. (A little extra tip from me to you )

If you're even considering getting these, I'd say DON'T HESITATE! This is a great set, and a good price!
The quality on them is great, and I love that they don't slide around on you.
And if you have any questions, Joe is usually around and he really knows his stuff. VERY helpful.
CSI has a lot of great products. Hopefully (if my wallet allows) I'll get some more gear and throw up some more reviews.

I already have my eye on a pair of the MMA Training Gloves.
http://www.combatsports.com/detail_tuf2.aspx?ID=22292
And I know a lot of people have been curious about them.
Joe at CSI was good enough to let me try them (as well as just about every other glove they carry), and I really liked what I saw. Hopefully Santa will give me some CASH this year!

If I n00b'd pics or links or anything let me know and I'll fix 'em ASAP.

 

Thanks for the review and pictures. This pretty much sealed me snagging a pair of these. My only question being what size did you get and how big are you? I'm 6'4" 235 but I'm not sure if I should get the Large or the XL's.

 

I read somewhere else on this forum that the pads run small and you should get one size larger than you'd think. Any thoughts on this? BTW, great review! Thanks!

 

the padding looks kinda thin, are they good for full contact sparring?

 

Well, that's a tricky question. The pair I got were before they ironed out the sizing issues. They WERE running a bit small, but I think they've gotten that fixed.
Let's put it this way. I'm about 5'11", 165. With bird's legs (shut up, I'm working on it!) and those in the pics were Large size. I'm about 200% positive that I'd never get a Large size ANYTHING that has to do with my legs...lol

But to get clarification on sizing, I'd ask Joe. Like I said, he knows his shiznit, and will know exactly how the sizing is running now.

 

They do look thin, but they are stiff and dense. I'd say they're great for all-around work. If you (or your partner) are a heay hitter, you might want to go with something thicker, but I think they'd be great for whatever you're doing.
I kick prety hard for my size, and these held up great! But I haven't gotten a chance to spar with anybody else yet. Just my own personal testing, and bag work.

 

looks great to me, nice pics, look very studry in the support velcro, might have to pick a pair of these up myself sometime.

~Foz

 

Good review, just wonder why you'd wear them during grappling?

 

[QUOTE=Phen

 

Great review! i'm a bit hesitant on getting the set because of the lycra... although it's better for fitment, would you say these can last just as long as the tradition leather ones with straps?

 

Oh, Ok. We usually just do Muay Thai Tuesdays and Thursday and BJJ M/W. If you get knocked on your ass in Muay Thai you get right back up and continue sparring. Just wondering cause I haven't seen people use shinpads in wrestling/BJJ.

 

[QUOTE=Phen

 

I thought they looked great in the new Holiday Catalog, even more appealing that they offer the combo deal with gloves.

 

I would say so. These are leather too. All the red you see is nice leather. Only the black is the stretchy material. Honestly I'm not sure if it's lycra or what. I'm no seamstress...lol
It feels more like thick neoprene to me. It feels like the stuff my neoprene knee brace is made out of, but thicker.
And it's triple stitched to the leather shell all the way around.
And something I just noticed that makes the thickness a bit deceiving, since the leather shell is stiched to the neoprene/lycra/whatever, the padding is mostly on the "inside" making it hard to see.
I'd say the actual pad is a hair shy of 1" thick.

 

nice job BC, definitallly appreciate it. I was definitally looking at gettin a pair of these and I'm glad that you are very happy with them. When you get a chance to spar with them please let us know how you like them I'm curious to how the padding will feel from shin to shin contact.

 

Very nice review, thanks.

 

Question, does the bunching up of the material annoy you at all where the foot meets the leg/ankle?

 

[QUOTE=Phen

 

Beautiful Review thanks for the honesty! If anyone has any questions at all feel free to contact me with the info thats located on my signature, Yes the sizes are running small still, we have yet to get the proper sizing from our vendor yet.

Any questions get ahold of me guys! Your input and suggestions is important to making our company successful!

Joe Mojica

 

what would the shipping price be to ship to Canada?