Plate-and-mail hips for buhurt full contact

Hip defense based on 15th–17th c. prototypes: plate coverage combined with flexible mail sections. Helps protect the hip joint area without heavily restricting stride. For full contact it works as a historical outer layer and needs additional hidden protection plus stable suspension to a belt/arming system.

Select the material type.

Type	SKU	Price
Tool steel	(Al16-01)	$350
Stainless steel	(Al16-02)	$400
Hardened steel	(Al16-03)	$450
Titanium	(Al16-04)	$700

Product description

Plate-and-mail hips are an outer defense element for the hip joint area, made on historical prototypes and oriented to 15th–17th century sources (Middle Eastern/Ottoman tradition and finds from Russia). The build combines rigid plate coverage with flexible mail zones, keeping mobility for stepping, squatting, and turning—areas where a solid plate tends to bind.

For buhurt / full contact, this type of hips is best treated as a historical outer layer. It is not intended to be used “standalone” under tournament impacts: for fighting you need additional hidden protection (dense padding and/or concealed elements) and a correct suspension system so the load is carried by the belt and hips rather than drifting into the groin area.

Service and durability: check strap tension and suspension symmetry—this affects coverage during movement. Mail sections are straightforward to maintain: damaged rings and small areas can be replaced locally. Plates and fittings are repaired with standard consumables (rivets/straps), which is useful for regular training cycles.

Rules compliance: with proper fit and hidden protection it can be used across multiple formats (e.g., HMB, IMCF, ACL and similar rule sets). Final approval always depends on the specific rules and the marshals’ inspection on site.