There’s very little equipment a fighter needs to have when he enters the cage.  There’s the gloves, a cup, shorts and the mouth guard.  While many fighters will debate which shorts are better for their style, one thing that many fighters will agree upon is there is a huge variance in mouth guards and that the difference can mean getting knocked out or being able shrug off a punch.

JIG-JAW is the latest brand of mouth guards to hit the market.  The innovated method for creating the JIG-JAW makes it easier for a fighter to breathe, while still giving optimum protection.  MMA Recap is proud to announce them as a sponsor, and this is the first in several articles about not only JIG-JAW, but the importance of mouth guards and the safety they provide.  MMA Recap’s Brent Todd sat down with Coach Jig, one of the founders of the brand to discuss the non-science side of the fantastic product.

In simple terms, what is JIG-JAW?

It is the finest performance mouthwear in the world.  Unlike a typical mouth guard, whether custom fitted or boil n bite, a JIG-JAW will go beyond offering unparalleled level of safety and protection. It will also improve overall performance, including breathing, balance, power, stamina, and flexibility.  But we really believe that JIG-JAW™ is more than all that.  The JIG-JAW™ brand is an experience.  It’s a relationship that begins with the first handshake with one of our staff or us and lasts forever.  When our clients wear a JIG-JAW™ we really do take it personally.  That’s why you will see one or both of the company founders at many events.  We want to be there to support our people and let them know that we care and that they are a part of the family.  We don’t have a single client that doesn’t have my personal cell number, and that we don’t talk to on a somewhat regular basis.  That type of relationship is hard to come by nowadays, and we take great pride in the fact that we invest ourselves in every single one of our clients.

And who makes up the team at JIG-JAW?

Co – Founders, Dr. Jig – the brains behind the technology, Coach Jig – marketing and business development. Executive Assistant, Veronica (the glue that holds our world together) – She is the primary point of contact for our clients.  Along with a friendly staff of assistants at our headquarters in Schaumburg, IL.  We are also currently interviewing sales professionals to help grow our business within high school, collegiate, and community sports organizations.

Why’d you decide to get into mma as more than just a fan of the sport? 

We were watching a UFC event, and I made a comment about how these guys get their heads smashed in and the conversation turned into a discussion about concussion risks.  That’s when Dr. Jig unleashed his knowledge, half of which went over my head, about mouth guards and how important they are to help fighters.  He said there’s a pretty good chance that most of these fighters have no idea what type of risk they put themselves under when they get in the cage without the right equipment in their mouth. The next day, I started digging and came to learn that he was 100% right.  I came back to him with what I had found, we had a 3 hour meeting at B-Dubs, and BAM.  JIG-JAW was born.

Obviously the JIG-JAW is applicable to all athletes who should be wearing a mouth guard, why did you decide to focus on the mixed martial arts aspect first?

One thing that really drew us to this industry as a starting point for the JIG-JAW brand is that while it is the fastest growing sport in the world, it is still near its infancy, and is still going through some huge evolution.  What that means to us is that we can have a huge and everlasting positive influence on this industry and all the people who are a part of it.  We go to so many events and meet so many people, and there’s nothing more refreshing than seeing the fighters and the fans supporting one another, hanging out together, and having a true respect for one another.  It’s sort of like a “We’re in this together” attitude where everybody understands that we all need each other to help this industry grow in a positive direction.  Compare it to some of our major established sports like baseball, football and basketball…where fans and players are detached from one another.  In this sport we are actually happy for a fighter who wins, even if we were cheering for his opponent…because he probably needed the win as much as the next guy, to pay for a school loan or to feed his kids.  It’s almost like if you are a part of this industry…as a fighter, a fan, a clothing line, any vendor or supplier…whatever…it’s like we are all cut from the same cloth.  I’ve walked into a party in Vegas, or a fight in Florida, and people are so welcoming and act like they’re seeing an old friend (“Hey you’re the JIG-JAW guy!”).  It’s a really awesome feeling. There are very few that I’ve seen in this industry who come from a position of selfishness or greed.  Of course we can’t forget how important our piece is for anybody fighting MMA.  We know that we are helping fighters improve their chances of success, and drastically reducing their risk of head or dental trauma compared to anything else out there.  And that’s pretty damn important.

Without getting into the science of it, what separates a JIG-JAW from the competition? 

A JIG-JAW in and of itself is an amazing piece of mouthwear, and Doc will give you further details about it.  Less than 3% of the dentists in the United States have the equipment and qualifications to do what we do. But more importantly it’s more the “WHO” than the “WHAT” – Our clients have access to free personal development coaching, exposure to a network of professionals that can help them land fights, and much more.  There is over 20 years of combined research, study, and experience packaged into an awesome relationship. Our clients get an entire service, not just a mouth guard.

Who all has a JIG-JAW?

Former WEC Champion and Bellator fighter, Chase Beebe and Matt “Sunshine” Fiordirosa are a couple notables.  Due to the nature of our product we have a bunch of pro fighters from out of state that are trying to coordinate schedules to get in our office.  But more importantly, we have bunch of not-so-famous fighters and athletes ranging from 1-0 amateurs, and even “weekend warriors” who hit the gym when they can.  We’re really excited about some new stuff coming up with high schools, colleges, and community sports.

What products do you offer?

JIG-JAW comes in 3 levels of customization.  Dr. Jig will talk more about that.  But we also have an offer that we are really excited about called “JIG-JAW Junior Membership Club” – This is a very affordable program for young athletes to be protected against dental damage and concussions without breaking the family bank.  The average sports related dental injury costs over $1500.00.  The club has a small start fee, and then for $29/month we provide unlimited replacements as the kid’s mouth grows and changes or as they chew up their piece, until age 18 or High School graduation.  Parents love knowing that they can keep their kid out of the hospital for less than half the price of their cable bill.

What events does JIG-JAW play a part in?

While we’ve had a big focus on MMA events, we are actually now working in some other industries.  We’ve partnered with professional moto-x rider Jason Rowe, and his store, “Street Swagg” and are going to be providing mouthwear for their motocross team. We are also working with gyms all over Chicago land to carry our apparel as well as the upcoming “do it yourself” mouthwear to be sold retail.

Where can people find out more information about JIG-JAW?

Fans can visit facebook.com/mouthwear or JIG-JAW.com  We also welcome anybody to visit our dental studio in Schaumburg, IL

What if a gym wants more information? Do you do onsite consultations?

We are more than willing to go to the gym and talk about our product with members of the gym.  It’s one way to develop the personal relationship between a fighter and JIG-JAW.  In addition, I’ve personally done hundreds of seminars across the USA and Canada and have spoken with over 10,000 people.  There are a lot of topics that we can cover and we customize presentations.  Once a part of the family, there’s a lot of resources that we can also provide our clients with including personal development and education.

Chase Beebe Coach Jig Dr. Jig Jason Rowe Jig-Jaw Matt "Sunshine" Fiordirosa Mouth Guards