The Jockstrap and You

[3113]

Do you know, I've never seen one live and in person? That is, on a living, breathing man. I understand that most male athletes go for compression shorts now and that jocks were pretty much phased out in the 80's.

Do guys still wear them? Or were they (still are) pretty much hated and despised and good riddance?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/35/Jockstrap_ad_1941.JPG/180px-Jockstrap_ad_1941.JPG

 

[rgraham666]

Nope. I always found them uncomfortable.

Plus I only wore them in phys. ed. and I have horrible memories of phys. ed.

 

[PublicAffection]

You can still buy them, so SOMEONE is still wearing them.

 

[SlickTony]

Martial arts! They are mandatory in testings and tournaments, and a guy's a fool if he doesn't wear one in class. In the TKD class I'm in, and the organization whose tournaments I've competed in, a below the belt kick is illegal and will get you a warning, even if the guy is wearing a cup. I saw (or, more precisely, bought) when my son graduated from a youth cup to an adult one. Now, of course, that he's given up Taekwondo, I'm not sure he even knows where it is, beyond somewhere in his room.

 

[only_more_so]

Well, I've never worn one, or seen anyone wear one in person either. Of course, I went to highschool in the late 80's early 90's, so they might have been phased out. But most guys wore tighty whities, which do a pretty good job holding the boys for gym class level activity.

 

[jomar]

They were just what one wore back in the day. And as a former baseball catcher, I recall being thankful for the cup option on occasion.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I have never worn one, and would like to never have to wear one. this rules out me ever sparring full contact, but I think I can live with that. I wouldn't be wearing one in a real fight anyway, so why train with protectiont hat I wouldn't have?

 

[SlickTony]

I have never worn one, and would like to never have to wear one. this rules out me ever sparring full contact, but I think I can live with that. I wouldn't be wearing one in a real fight anyway, so why train with protectiont hat I wouldn't have?

I was just speaking from my experience. I've only ever been affiliated with one organization, and through the YMCA, but that's what its rules are and that's what I know. However, what you said makes a lot of sense. My present instructor has the same attitude. He has to abide by the safety rules set by the Y, which are pretty much what ATF handed down, but I can sense his impatience with some of them. It's the same reason he probably wouldn't have rubber puzzle mat flooring (such as another one of my instructors had) in his danjo if he had his own (we have linoleum now). As he pointed out, when you do get in a fight you will likely be on asphalt or concrete. Still, I'm glad my son had to wear one. It does not render you immune from pain, as he would probably tell you, but at least I would not feel obliged to take him to the emergency clinic, as I would have if he had not been wearing a cup.

Now I'm wondering what runners wear. I should think they'd want something to keep the boys from flopping about too much. I know I have to have a good sports bra to keep the girls contained.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I was just speaking from my experience. I've only ever been affiliated with one organization, and through the YMCA, but that's what its rules are and that's what I know. However, what you said makes a lot of sense. My present instructor has the same attitude. He has to abide by the safety rules set by the Y, which are pretty much what ATF handed down, but I can sense his impatience with some of them. It's the same reason he probably wouldn't have rubber puzzle mat flooring (such as another one of my instructors had) in his danjo if he had his own (we have linoleum now). As he pointed out, when you do get in a fight you will likely be on asphalt or concrete. Still, I'm glad my son had to wear one. It does not render you immune from pain, as he would probably tell you, but at least I would not feel obliged to take him to the emergency clinic, as I would have if he had not been wearing a cup.

Now I'm wondering what runners wear. I should think they'd want something to keep the boys from flopping about too much. I know I have to have a good sports bra to keep the girls contained.

they wear spandex shorts ender their running shorts most of the time.

I wrote my post before I even read yours We don't actually do much sparring at my school. It is more of a traditional forms type school, with some practical applications added in from time to time, and the occasional sparring every few months between the people with the want and equipment to participate.

and I don't know how to fight fair, so I probably shouldn't be sparring anyway

 

[tickledkitty]

As I was perusing the dress code for my daughter's ballet school, I came across the term dance belt, which is a requirement for the boys, apparently. Huh? I don't recall seeing any of the boys wearing belts, I thought to myself.

http://www.allaboutdance.com/core/media/media.nl?id=2488&c=429095&h=9bc7d1a7f174108257d8

Dance belt. The jockstrap equivalent for male dancers. It's a thong in the back.

 

[SlickTony]

I wrote my post before I even read yours We don't actually do much sparring at my school. It is more of a traditional forms type school, with some practical applications added in from time to time, and the occasional sparring every few months between the people with the want and equipment to participate.

and I don't know how to fight fair, so I probably shouldn't be sparring anyway

As Mr. T is wont to point out, there is no fair and unfair when you're out on the street.

"This," he said, describing an area all around himself within his arms length, "is your territory. If someone gets in it, you can do anything you need to defend it." We don't get as much sparring anymore as some of the students would like, because there's a constant influx of new students coming in, and nobody gets to spar until they're a green belt.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

As Mr. T is wont to point out, there is no fair and unfair when you're out on the street.

"This," he said, describing an area all around himself within his arms length, "is your territory. If someone gets in it, you can do anything you need to defend it." We don't get as much sparring anymore as some of the students would like, because there's a constant influx of new students coming in, and nobody gets to spar until they're a green belt.

Which is why I don't spar with the other students. I don't know how not to hurt someone. In a real fight I will do my best to break bones, rip off flesh, and make sure that person never lifts a finger against me or anyone else again.

that's not the kind of attitude you should hav when training with friends