Last night was the first practice where I realized that I need to make a serious effort to upgrade my gear. while slapping a few pieces of leather and metal together can get you started, once you begin to stratagize the mistakes start to show in lue of the bruises you gain when your gear isn't quite what it should be. My arm armor may look nice with leather bracers rivited to metal cops but wtihout interior padding and metal plates it really doesn't protect the way one would hope. Half-gauntlets with good thumb protection, in the form of metal plates, I've decided are also essential seeing as I tend to get hit on the hand more that once in a practice. I've narrowed this down to poor returns and bad timing on my shots. My solution to this particular problem is to crosstrain, strenghten core and upper body, as well as pell work to work on body form and combinations. I'm tired much to quickly and I know it is due to poor fitness and endurance.