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How to choose a glove?

We would like to provide you with a simple guide as to how to choose your boxing gloves. This will be great for a beginner who needs a good starting point. Purchasing your boxing equipment and in particular your gloves can be a difficult decision especially for the first time buyer. There are a range of brands, colours, and weights to choose from, so what is right for you?

Brands

Like any apparel item you have your premium brands such as Cleto Reyes, as well as brands that sell both premium and cost-effective gloves such as Adidas and Lonsdale boxing gloves. Despite there being a considerable price difference, if you are planning to box on a regular basis (2 times a week) then it is worth investing in leather boxing gloves which tend to be more expensive. If you are training in various other boxing disciplines such as kickboxing or Mauy Thai then a brand such as Twins will be best suited. We have previously blogged about Twins gloves and how people use them for classic boxing too. They are a great all round glove especially if you are after support, protection and hard-wearing.

Glove Weights

The weight of the glove depends on what you intend to use the glove for. The heavier the weight, the more padding, the harder it is to throw punches, the tougher the workout you get. If you are doing all round boxing training you would opt for 14oz or 16oz boxing glove. Women may opt for a 10oz or 12oz boxing glove. When sparring you usually use a 16oz glove to protect the fighters from injury.

Choice of Colours

The colour of your glove depends on your boxing style. If you are a flashy ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather then go for a bright white, or if you are a raw brawler like Ricky ‘Hitman’ Hatton, then go for a mean black. Obviously this part has no effect on effectiveness of your glove, however it could play a psychological role in your fights and potentially work in your favor.

Sunny days are fast approaching and what could be more productive than learning how to swim. Places everywhere are offering swim lessons, and some even offer promo rates. Swimming is one of the most useful skills that can be used in one’s entire life since it is actually a survival skill.

In places like Austin where waterways, lakes and pools are abundant, swimming is a very handy skill to learn. Not only one could have a useful skill, swimming can let one explore these aquatic places without anxiety, as one knows that he wouldn’t drown because he knows how to swim. In the United States, drowning is one of the major causes of deaths in children.

Swimming can actually be learned by children as young as six months and adults as old as 65 years old. Swimming only depends on one’s willingness to learn. This willingness is also dependent on the comfort of the students that are in the pools. When choosing a swim school, note the pools. Are they indoors or outdoors? Where do they conduct their swim lessons?

Generally, indoor pools are more advised when one has just started to learn. Indoor pools have environments that can be controlled, unlike the outdoor pools that are dependent on the weather for the conditions of the pool. Ideal temperatures are maintained in indoor pools and this promotes comfort in the student who uses the pool.

Comfort is very important when learning swimming. Comfort can actually be detrimental in determining success when learning swimming because if the child is not comfortable with the environment when she is learning how to swim, she would be easily distracted. That is why checking out a swim school personally is important.

There are other benefits of swimming apart from it being a survival skill. First, it is a very useful exercise tool. It works all of the important muscle groups in the body, making the swimmer fit. It also builds one’s strength and endurance as well as lung power. It is actually one of the most prescribed exercises for asthmatics. Swimming also helps in people who have joint problems since this kind of exercise is not weight bearing and therefore, easy on the joints. It also works out the cardiovascular system of the swimmer.

Volleyball on the International Stage

The FIVB is an international federation founded in Switzerland in 1947, and represents all major volleyball rules and tournament play in the world. Standing for the Federation International de volleyball it governs five continental confederations.

The FIVB governs all international volleyball events through an elected congress, which meets every two years to elect a new board of directors, and to make official statements over new rules.

The FIVB is somewhat of a daunting authority in the volleyball world, and can be compared to the UN Security Council of international rules. They have been known to lobby other tournaments and even have been known to stop other tournaments from being able to practice and work.

FIVB Sponsored Volleyball Tournaments

The FIVB sponsors several tournaments in beach and indoor volleyball play. The FIVB volleyball World League is a yearly event-taking place over seven weekends in more than 40 cities. With 12 national volleyball teams competing for more that 20 million in prize money, this is the premier men’s international volleyball tournament.

The FIVB Volleyball World Championships occur every four years, and a multitude of qualifying tournaments occur prior to this insane volleyball event. Only the top 24 teams compete in the world final, with over 200 teams trying to qualify from 14 different country regions.

FIVB and Volleyball Sponsorship

The FIVB lobbies other volleyball groups, and is the main authority on all international play. They can lobby other regional organizations, which gives them the ability to force other authorities to adopt there rules.

Referees can become FIVB certified by attending a volleyball-refereeing clinic. These clinics are offered in a variety of countries, and once FIVB certified, it is much easier to get a position refereeing for local and national tournaments.