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Purchase Enell Sports Bra from Bare Necessities

I’m a rather large-busted women. Not as large as some, but still much larger than off-the-shelf bras were able to support. I tried many different types, but frequently found I needed to wear two sports bras at the same time. And even then, the bras didn’t provide as much support as I needed. In frustration, I turned to the Internet, figuring there had to be something better out there.

There is. As I searched, I found one brand name came up over and over: Enell. Finally, I broke down and ordered one of their full-support sports bras. The only regret I have is that I didn’t order it sooner. The product promises ‘no bounce’ — and they’re not exaggerating. When Enell says ‘no-bounce’, it means no bounce. None. Nada. Zip. And it does it without an underwire or extra padding.

Out of the package, the ‘bra’ looks more like a vest or un-boned corset. It looks huge. Half-way up fasting it, though, I worried that it might be too small. I went and looked at the booklet that comes with it (yes, this bra actually comes with instructions) and read “When you try on an ENELL Bra for the first time …. it may seem too small at first… “. I finished putting it on. All done up, it felt tight, but not uncomfortable.

I ran through my poomse and some kicks and punches…it stayed put. It didn’t slide around and, more importantly, I didn’t slide around in it. The longer I wore it, the more comfortable it got (when was the last time you could say that about a bra?). I’ve now worn it for forms, sparring, self-defense…every aspect of taekwondo I can put it through. Additionally, it’s structured so the support comes from around the torso, not just from shoulder straps. Which means no aching shoulders or back. It’s also very difficult to slouch while wearing it; the construction is designed to promote proper back posture.

I’ve only got a couple of minor complaints:

1) As you can see above, it definitely looks like an undergarment. I don’t feel comfortable stripping down to it to lift weights or run a couple of laps, the way I could with other exercise tops. It does, however, come in black, which may change that. It’s full coverage, though, does mean that if you bend way over or your gi comes untied, no one’s going to see a thing they shouldn’t.

2) The cost. With shipping included, it came to just a hair under $75. While it’s worth every penny, and then some, the cost can put it out of reach for someone with a limited budget. As much as I’d like to, I’m not going to be able to rush out and buy a second one anytime in the near future.  Don’t get me wrong, I think the price is more than fair for the workmanship and quality; it’s just difficult for some of us to come up with that chunk of change after school dues, uniform and sparring equipment costs, tournament and belt-promotion fees … you get the picture.

On the whole though, I cannot recommend this bra more. If you can find a way to trim your budget and squirrel away the cost, I think you’ll be happy you did. Enell also makes a ‘lite’ version of their bra for low-impact sports or everyday casual wear. You can purchase Enell by clicking on the photo in this post.

Other product reviews:

• Original Enell Sports Bra Review
• The Self-Defense Deck
• Training Women in the Martial Arts

1. American/Traditional: A/T’s author is a teacher and student martial arts and is highly traditional, as am I. I enjoy reading his philosophy and often find his beliefs echo mine. He makes a very good case why traditional martial arts practices are necessary, even for 21st century Americans.

2. Black Belt at 50: The newest member of my blogroll. As another martial artist who became a serious student after 40, I enjoy reading about bbat50′s experiences and can relate to his aches and pains.

3. Black Belt Mama: One of the more widely known martial arts blogs, BBM has a casual, “easy to get to know you” style as she blogs about karate, parenting, teaching and other aspects of her life. A friendly, welcoming blog with a strong sense of community and long page of resources.

4. Combat Sports Psychology: Written by Dr. Randy Borum, this blog discusses the medical and psychological aspects of the martial arts. A great health resource and I find his topics, such as “Beating the Jitters” inspirational. I often find information I can directly apply to my practice.

5. Just a Thought: The blog’s author, Michelle, is a martial arts student and instructor. She writes about her T’ai Chi practice, being a karate instructor and her life in general. Another blog with a strong sense of community and an accepting atmosphere, Michelle is one of the people who warmly welcomed me when I started blogging.

6.Martial Arts Mom: Though infrequently updated, I really relate to MAM’s situation. She’s also a martial artist who got a later start in life. And she’s a parent going through a divorce and trying to raise an ADHD child. Many of the issues she talks about echo my own feelings so much it’s uncanny.

7. Memoirs of a Grasshopper: This blog chronicles author Krista de Castella’s experiences of studying karate in Okinawa. I enjoy her insights into martial arts and her impressions of life in Okinawa.

8. My Self-Defense Blog: One of my all-time favorite blogs and the one that introduced me to blogging. John Zimmer has a knack for breaking down complicated movements and ideas into simpler components that are easy to follow. His self-defense advice is practical and based on experience. And he’s an entertaining read to boot!

9. Self-Defense & Violence Prevention Blog: Another blog that updates infrequently. Author Scott Hughes discusses violence and abuse from a societial perspective. His focus is on how we, as members of society need to change our attitudes and to help society as a whole change.

10. State of My Arts: SoMA’s author has some great information and advice on Tae Kwon Do basics, such as how to correctly perform a side kick. Additionally, he blogs about his life and how it relates to his martial arts, as well as his teaching. A great blog resource for understanding more about the teaching side of martial arts.

11. Stitching with a Shimmy: Okay, so it’s not a martial arts or self-defense blog. But it is the blog of my bellydance teacher and heart-sister, Romilly Mueller. I’ve mentioned before that I do bellydance as my cross-training for the martial arts, so I’ve decided to include this on my blog list.

12. Striking Thoughts: I read Bob Patterson’s blog primarily for his Martial Arts news, which isn’t to say his other posts aren’t interesting — they definitely are, but it’s the news that keeps me coming back. That and the fact he runs the Martial Arts Toplist .

13. Ultimate Self Defense Blog: A blog that teaches women basic self-defense moves they hope their readers will never have to use. The site has a “lesson plan”, so it’s a good idea to start with their First Visit Planning post and continue from there. I’ve found this site useful for showing Dynamo really basic physical self-defense.

14. Urban Samurai: Author Neal Martin’s blog is casual and fun to read. He wants Urban Samurai “to provide quality, informative information on the martial arts.” and is well on his way to achieving it, if he’s not there already. I enjoy his writing style and his insights on the martial arts and how it pertains to life outside the school, as well as in it.

15. Women’s Self-Defense Institute: Self-Defense Blog for Women: The WSDI blog focuses primarily on non-physical self-defense education. Their articles cover issues such as survival mindsets, ways to reduce your chances of being seen as a target and how society as whole perpetuates a culture of violence towards women.

There you have it: the 15 blogs of my blogroll. If you don’t see your favorite blog listed here, it’s probably because:

1. I haven’t found it yet (the most likely scenario)
2. It didn’t capture my interest enough (I have limited reading time, so I try to keep it to the blogs I feel the strongest connection with.)
3. It hasn’t been updated in two or more months. I delete blogs from my blogroll that have gone two months without an update.

Of course, this isn’t a perpetual or exhaustive list. There are many, many fine martial arts blogs out there. My blogroll is constantly evolving as I find new blogs that capture my interest and drop old ones that stop updating.

So, what blogs are on your “must read” list? Please leave me a comment about your favorites. And don’t forget my book giveaway contest. I won’t enter anyone automatically, so please note in your post if you want to be included.

Authors: Jennifer Lawler & Laura Kamienski
Publisher: Wish Publishing

Buy from: Amazon

Don’t let the thiness of this book fool you. Training Women in the Martial Arts may be only 118 pages long, but it’s 118 pages packed with information and ideas. One of the authors, Jennifer Lawler, is a taekwondo and self-defense teacher, the other, Laura Kamienski, owns and operates a women-only martial arts school in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania where she teaches tae kwon do and self-defense. Both are skilled martial artists and instructors.

One thing I should state up front: this books is unabashedly feminist. Which doesn’t mean the authors hate men — they merely recongnize that women entering the martial arts may be dealing with issues their male counterparts don’t have. Many women who enter the martial arts do so after freeing themselves from an abusive situtation; becasue of this, the authors advocate women-only martial arts classes to help these women regain control of and a sense of empowerment in their own lives. Much of their advice can be adapted to mixed male and female classes.

The book is aimed at anyone — male or female — who teach martial arts to women. It describes the special circumstances/obstacles women may encounter as they begin studying a martial art and gives suggestions on ways to overcome them. These suggestions are valuable for teaching women any physical activity, not just martial arts. I loaned my copy to my bellydance teacher who said she found valuable information there for her students.

This is very much a book aimed at teachers. The average student, male or female, probably wouldn’t get a lot out of it. But if you’ve had trouble reaching a female student, particularly one who seems extremely nervous or afraid, this book could you give valuable insights to help your program.

Other Product Reviews

• Enell Sports Bra
• The Self-Defense Deck

Of course, you’re not going to really be able to learn physical self-defense well from any written material. The techniques require practice and, in my opinion, should be taught by a qualified instructor. But I can see where this deck would be a valuable resource for someone teaching self-defense, effectively providing a series of “lesson plans”. I find the descriptions of the techniques clear and easy to follow.

I wouldn’t recommend this deck for learning physical self-defense. I’m finding it useful as a set of practice reminders; I can take one card a day and focus on that technique. Being cards, they’re sturdy and can be propped up in view for practice, something hard to do with a book.

Other Product Reviews:

• Enell Sports Bra
• Training Women in the Martial Arts

Note: I am not affiliated with Enell in any way, except as a very satisfied customer. I am in the process of setting up an affiliate program with an Enell on-line retailer; I want everyone to have access to this wonderful product.

Okay, this isn’t the Self-Control post I promised last time. I’m preempting the previously scheduled entry for this review. Self-Control will be here next post, I promise

I’m not the largest-busted woman in the world, but a D-sized cup creates the problem of needing as much support as I can get and not being able to easily find a bra that provides the support. I tried many different types, but I still needed to wear two sports bras at the same time. Even then, the bras didn’t provide as much support as I needed. In frustration, I turned to the Internet, figuring there had to be something better out there.

There is. As I searched, I found one brand name came up over and over: Enell. Finally, I broke down and ordered one of their full-support sports bras. The only regret I have is that I didn’t order it sooner. The product promises ‘no bounce’ — and they’re not exaggerating. When Enell says ‘no-bounce’, it means no bounce. None. Nada. Zip. And it does it without an underwire or extra padding.

Out of the package, the ‘bra’ looks more like a vest or un-boned corset. It looks huge. Half-way up fasting it, though, I worried that it might be too small. I went and looked at the booklet that comes with it (yes, this bra actually comes with instructions) and read “When you try on an ENELL Bra for the first time …. it may seem too small at first… “. I finished putting it on. All done up, it felt tight, but not uncomfortable.

The strange thoughts that go through your head at odd times. My first thought after putting it on was “Hey, I can see my toes!”. I usually have the “shelf” of flesh between me and the ground. I ran through my poomse and some kicks and punches…it stayed put. It didn’t slide around and, more importantly, I didn’t slide around. The longer I wore it, the more comfortable it got (when was the last time you could say that about a bra?). I’ve now worn it for forms, sparring, self-defense…every aspect of taekwondo I can put it through. Additionally, it’s structured so the support comes from around the torso, not just from shoulder straps. Which means no aching shoulders or back. It’s also very difficult to slouch while wearing it; the construction is designed to promote proper back posture.

I’ve only got a couple of small complaints. One: there’s no way a tank top is going to cover it — it’s just too big. My do-boke top covers it fine, but take the top off and you can definitely tell it’s an undergarment. I don’t feel comfortable stripping down to it to lift weights or run a couple of laps, the way I could with other exercise tops. The upside of this is, though, is that if you bend way over or your gi comes untied (which did happen to me), no one’s going to see a thing they shouldn’t.

Two: the cost. With shipping included, it came to just a hair under $75. While it’s worth every penny, the cost can put it out of reach for someone with a limited budget. As much as I’d like to, I’m not going to be able to rush out and buy a second one anytime in the near future. (Though I haven’t earmarked my tax refund for anything yet. Hmmm …). Enell also makes a ‘lite’ version of their bra, which is supposed to be great for every day wear but costs $13 more than their regular sport bra. Don’t get me wrong, I think the price is more than fair for the workmanship and product design; it’s just difficult for some of us to come up with that chunk of change after school dues, uniform and sparring equipment costs, tournament and belt-promotion fees … you get the picture.

On the whole though, I cannot recommend this bra more. If you can find a way to trim your budget and squirrel away the cost, I think you’ll be happy you did.

Next post: Self-Control. I promise .

Other Product Reviews

• The Self-Defense Deck
• Training Women in the Martial Arts