I'm a Dad of Two Martial Arts Boys. I Thought I Was Buying a Resistance Band. I Was Wrong.
Let me save you the money I wasted on home training gear my kids never touched.
My name's Brogan. I've got two boys, 14 and 16, and they absolutely love martial arts. I've always wanted to be the best parent I can be and give them every opportunity I can.
But I can't always get them to the gym. And on the nights they were stuck at home, they had nothing useful to do.
I'd bought equipment before. The boys used it for a day, then it got forgotten in a corner, or it broke. So when I saw a Ji Martial Arts post about their resistance band, I was skeptical.
A friend had bought the bands for their kids and said they loved them, so I took a chance and bought two sets. Here's why it's now the only training gear in our house that actually gets used.
Note: Read this BEFORE you buy your kid another piece of kit that ends up gathering dust.
Brogan
Dad of 2 Martial Artists (14 & 16)
1. It's Not "Just a Resistance Band." It's a Full-Body Training Suit.
I pictured one of those rubber loops you buy at a supermarket. It's nothing like that.
The Ji Full Body Resistance Band is a padded waist belt, wrist straps, ankle straps and four bands that clip between them. You wear it like a suit, and your hands stay completely free.
So every punch, kick and footwork drill my boys already know now has up to 200lbs of resistance working against it. Take it off, and they feel lighter and faster straight away.
The boys tried them on the day they arrived and immediately loved them.
They were genuinely shocked by how intense the resistance felt, especially when they crossed the bands behind their back. Crossing them is how you turn the difficulty up, so it grows with them instead of getting too easy after a week.
With up to 200lbs of resistance, this is real training. Not a toy they'd get bored of.
This is the part I didn't see coming. The boys scanned the QR code, found the Ji Martial Arts YouTube channel and started doing the free follow-along home workouts.
Every order also comes with two training guides for free: How to Punch Faster and 50 Exercises to Increase Speed & Power, worth $100.
I didn't even realize all of that came with the bands. My boys never had to wonder what to do next.
I was worried they wouldn't fit. Two boys, two different heights. They fit both of them perfectly.
The band fits anyone from 5'5" to 6'5", and the waist belt adjusts. If your child is a bit shorter, crossing the bands behind the back takes up the slack, so it fits from around 5'3".
When they're done, the whole thing packs into the Ji drawstring bag. No box, no clutter in the living room.
5. They Actually Use It. And Then It Became a "Problem."
Every other piece of kit I've bought lasted a day. This one became a serious issue, because they didn't even want to go to the gym anymore.
They put the bands on, do the home workouts and learn new skills from the comfort of home. The skills they've picked up and the exercises they get are incredible.
When I can't get them to the gym now, it's no longer an issue. They just train at home.
I looked into who was behind it. The band was created by Joshua Iyalla, who holds three Guinness World Records and is known as the fastest puncher in the world.
He trained in these bands twice a day in the weeks before his record attempt. This isn't a gadget someone dreamed up in an office. It's what he actually used.
8. It's Safer Than Heavy Weights in the Living Room
As a parent, this mattered to me. There are no dumbbells to drop, nothing heavy swinging around near the TV, and nothing they have to grip while they punch.
The resistance moves with their body, and they control how hard it is. They start with the bands uncrossed and only cross them once they're ready for more.
I was so impressed that I sent Ji an email. A few hours later, Joshua himself called me to say thank you.
He told me his mission is to make martial arts free for under-18s worldwide. He was bullied growing up, and martial arts got him through it. Every band sold helps fund free YouTube training that any young person can use.
There aren't many companies that genuinely care about their customers like that. Whenever I need martial arts equipment now, I'll go straight to them.
Think about what you already spend. Gym memberships every month. Private lessons. Gear that ends up in the garage.
The Ji band costs less than a single month of gym fees, it's a one-off payment, and it comes with the guides and free workouts. I'm genuinely considering stopping their gym membership because of how much they get from it at home.
My sons have never been happier. If your kids love martial arts as much as mine do, get them one.
This article shares one customer's personal experience with the Ji Full Body Resistance Band. Individual results vary. Young martial artists should train with appropriate supervision.
