Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stuart on June 14, 2012 at 8:12am

Hello busymom:

Ok, multiple practices, one location. Depending on the pump, tubing is always and implied issue, unless you have a tubeless unit.

With weapons of any type safety is the sole issue, always, as we all know. Tubing has to be underneath absolutely everything. Loose invisibles are literally a danger. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings... tubing all the same issue. They can be broken, hurt someone, or potentially us.

As a woman, I'd recommend clipping it on your bra for some practices, "between the girls" as my wife likes to say. But the sternum, the solar plexus are nearby and definite targets for almost everything. Solo practice, probably no problem. Partner stuff.... unnnngh. Looks funny, but use the distraction, right?!

Forearm is good but the issue is keeping it secured, unmoving. All its gotta do is slip, fall off, and the practice has to stop to adjust. Not a fan of adjusting, there to practice my art, not to be a diabetic. As a guy, (and being part Saccswatch) I looked like the family dog after the swimming pool regardless. Had a bear of a time keeping the sets attached because of it... winter summer ugggh, did not matter much.

I used my hip pointer. Manual insert, not fun... but no hair, nothing to shave and plus not a lot of sweat. Never a target. Also clipped mine backwards against my belly INSIDE the double wrapped belt. Was not especially comfortable, but again not a target, higher or lower absolutely... the hip itself never.

Throws, free sparring, not very friendly. One student wore a tiny fanny pack to hold his. Overtime others I've spoken with like the svelt belts -sp.?- (?). Essentially a gigantic garter, a money belt which should not move meaningfully, because its velcroed tight against your body.

Tubing getting yanked out/off, the set sites pulled off... the only cure I found was the EXTRA LONG tubing. As an Okinawan Karate practice standing grappling was very familiar practice. But as a kata (aka poomose, hyung, form) centric art we did A LOT of exploration, applying, using the small pieces which make up the whole (larger) form. Decades...

Ground grappling, some but not too much, not the way Judo, Wrestling, MMA loves the ground. But for those times I detached, or more likely put the pump on my back regardless of where the set/set was placed. The back... not a primary target, we were rarely on our bellies... laying belly down... almost never, on our backs... absolutely. Uncomfortable but not getting pulled out, torn... nada.

One art, ONLY one art deeply.... intense nuances, obscene subtleties... with time then expand. Classical training I guess... but lots of paths are good. How long did you study originally? And as for scared... that makes you SMART. Prefer thinkers people who are awake to practice with, aware of whats an issue for them, for me.... instead of brain dead meat head partners.

Tough is easy. Smart is much, much harder. Glad to help if I can...
Stuart

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Permalink Reply by busymom on June 24, 2012 at 11:27am

Hi Stuart!
Thank you so much for talking with me! I have been waiting to reply in hopes that I could get to karate class again beforehand and then tell you how it went! Sadly, I haven't made it. Between working as the karate studio office person and my teen daughter due to have a baby anytime now, things are busy here. I did purchase KT tape and am going to use that to re-enforce the pod tape on my pump. My omnipod doesn't have tubing so that is easier for class. I have been walking/running, stretching,and working on forms with my kids at home. I originally studied 2 years in high school and one year in college. I love working at the studio and watching my kids' classes and training. Thank you for your help and for encouraging me!!

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Permalink Reply by FHS on June 24, 2012 at 7:14pm

Hi busymom,

Best of luck in all of your martial arts pursuits. Wearing an Omnipod shouldn't hold you back in the slightest.

Here's a pic of the pod I'm currently wearing. It is on my abdomen and survived an hour of Brazilian Jiujitsu drills and an hour of BJJ live training. I use both KT tape and Opsite, as well as various wraps depending on the site.

I make sure I secure the front of the pod where the cannula inserts with quadruple strips of KT. One, about an inch and a half wide and two inches long goes horizontally accross the front, directly over the window. The second strip is about two inches wide and 3 inches long gets rotated 90 degrees and goes over the first strip. Two strips about an inch and half by two inches (not pictured because I cut them off after they broke loose at the end of training) go at 45 degrees out from the front of the pod.

I then secure the back witha few strips of KT tape, but I use those sparingly. None of those are pictured because they just didn't survive the training. I cut them off afterward and stuck some more opsite in to keep the Pod attached til expirartion.

I'll cover the KT tape with a layer of Opsite to keep the edges from peeling up. I'll leave the Omnipod adhesive itself as uncovered as possible. As soon as it becomes saturated with sweat it is useless and I found taht covering teh adhesive with anything just makes the skin sweat underneath.

As long as the front of the pod is secured and doesn't move around, the pod will survive long enough to strap it down some more after you are done training.

I wrap the whole site up with a McDavid wrap, but I'm rethinking that approach because it just makes me sweat more than usual under my gi.

Good luck!!

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Permalink Reply by busymom on June 25, 2012 at 8:03am

Wow! Thank you so very much!! Thank you for the awesome picture and the detailed instructions!! It is just what I need!! Now I have a plan to follow - thank you. My oldest son, age 19 and in MMA training, is reading your post over my shoulder and he says "That's very cool, mom! You need to do that and go to karate class!"
Thank you for taking the time to share this with me. Thank you for the example and the encouragement. It means a lot!!

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Permalink Reply by FHS on June 25, 2012 at 11:22am

Np,

It was nerve wracking hitting the mat for the first time wearing a pod. I've lost a few since I started back, but it's well worth it. As I get more experience securing and training with the pod, I'm managing to work out better ways to keep it secured and I'm losing fewer and fewer pods.

Happy to share anything that might help. I have a new pod on that's scheduled to go 2 hours of instruction and 2 hours of live training this week. We'll how it goes!

Again, good training to you and your family!

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Permalink Reply by ahe05a on June 28, 2012 at 11:07am

I've seen a couple of things - Ace bandage wrapped around the pod to hold it in place, and the sleeve that football players wear pulled over the site.

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Permalink Reply by FHS on June 28, 2012 at 11:25am

An Ace bandage wrap was one of the first things I tried when I started back with BJJ. It was better than nothing but it just didn't hold up very well over the course of drilling and training. The best part is that they are absorbent and breathable which limits the amount of sweat building up at the site. I'd imagine that they would work well enough for most activities.

I've tried a number of different sleeves to cover my sites on various bodyparts. Some work better than others. The best ones seem to be the ones that can be wrapped tightly around a site with some type of binding versus just being pulled over the site. Again, anything that does a good job at wrapping up the site will also be absorbent and breathable.

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Permalink Reply by Stuart on August 5, 2012 at 7:18pm

My biggest problems pump wise were severe adhesion problems (of the set itself) and the clip on the pump was never designed for martial arts practice. Stock in Gillette went down big time when I stopped using one... -wg-

Having body hair, and being sweaty a lot... the sets never stuck for long no matter what I used, prep wipes, enough blessed tape to make a University of Pennsylvania mummy... absolutely nothing worked.

Depending on your arts technical practices, and the costumes worn for them, there are some tricks that can be pulled. What is the art/practice? Some not anything can be done... all depends...

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