Hey there,
I did full contact Muay Thai for 20 years, and when pumping I would remove it lock it up and correct after. The crappy part is that the infusion site often had to be replaced. So I tried to time it around my classes, or sparring sessions. It is tricky but worth it. I found the most painful blow to my infusion site came from my toddler when she decided to boot it while I had her in my arms, had to yank it right away. I hope this helps. Cheers
from: Three 2 Treat and The Diabetic Caveman
Keep in touch, I am off with a broken rib at the moment but am commencing training this week end.
We had the sort of wraparound doboks so I could clip the pump to the side the slit faced and tucked it in between the belts, since it was double-wrapped so it was very secure and the pump slipped right in. I got a few cheapo tank tops and cut holes in them for the tube and never had a problem.
Unfortunately, you can’t see it under the pads?
Hello Trev:
I am off with a broken rib at the moment but am commencing training this week end
Psssst, broken rib !!!
Stuart
Hey,I recently came across this forum and this topic is something that really describes some of the problems I experience myself, so I thought I’d make a very late response 
I practice jiu-jitsu longer than I’ve got diabetes and after years of injections I recently started on the omnipod. I have had mixed experiences with the pod during our intensve, full contact sparring sessions. When I put the pod on my stomach he stays on most of the time (due to an excessive layer of tape I put over it) but on any other site the pod and infusion set just get jerked of, sometimes tearing a part of my skin with it. So it’s the fact that the pod just get’s ripped of which causes me problems, while the pod itself always keeps on working, despite alle the hits it takes. Does anyone else have experience with the omnipod and contact sports?
Hello Dutch Girl:
Yup, this was my experience as well (using a different pump). Could never make them work together on any level… solo practice, partner practice, “kumite”… it always flew-off like a throwing star. The infusion set was rarely the issue per se. I could never make it STICK … I looked like a mummy, the set would still never stay on my body. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
In what ryu, do you study?
I have studies Wing Chun gung fu for 12 years. I have had the pump for 5 years of that. I find it works out as long as you take precautions with the tubing. Or simply disconnect and do injections during sparing.
I find martial arts to be perfect for Diabetics . My circulation and sense of well being has always improved with its practice.
Hello Josh:
Apologies for the late reply. The purpose of a pump is to wear them, NOT disconnect from the things right!? What kind of tubing precautions do you propose....??? You folks work in much closer then many, as a technical-distance preference...
ROFL... and btw that's not fair injecting your practice partner, DURING SPARRING 8 D. (Like the idea though.. (gentle teasing))
Look forward to hearing when time allows,
Stuart
I suppose an update is in order Stuart.
I've actually been able to get back into BJJ, albeit in a more limited capacity. I started a club at my school and will occasionally roll with the kids. I haven't lost a pod to contact yet, even in a fairly drawn out match with another teacher who is much more advanced than me.
What I discovered is that less is more when it comes to trying to protect my pod, placement is everything, and the real enemy of pod adhesion is sweat and humidity.
So placement on my back is best, with the pod strapped down with just a couple of strips of Opsite, and I have to air out my Jiujitu gi pretty frequently.
Great to hear from you.... thanks for the updating!
Thar was always one of my major problems. As a technical matter we do not grapple or standing grapple the way you jujitsu/judo folks do. Even so partner/solo, the pump would always fly off like some kind of spastic throwing star. Something would always get caught, or the set would stop sticking (taped down as if it were a bullet wound) heck even solo warm up exercises, basic technique warm ups.... Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Starting a club is a wonderful thing... what planted that seed? Always nice to hear there are other diabetic martial arts teachers, diabetic sensei out here too... always thought the parallels were scary complimentary (ie between martial arts practice and diabetes).
Look forward to hearing more!
Stuart
Np Stuart,
As with most extra-curricular activities, it was a few kids at school who really wanted to start up the club and I had talked enough about BJJ that they asked me to sponsor. Turns out, there was another teacher at the school who used to train as well. All we needed from there was the go-ahead from the principal and he's been very supportive. We, come at it more from a self-defense angle than the UFC angle, so we are extremely selective about what we teach and practice.
Hello FHS:
Thank you for sharing! What's wrong with teaching kids how to apply chokes effectively...lol.
I am curious, you have the same ZERO tolerance policy everybody else has re: bullying, violence, etc. And should by all means, conceptually anyway.
I am curious how did you bypass the paradox of self-defense when the concept (much less the physical act) "violence" is not permitted to begin with? I get this one all the time, and am interested how others present-deflect that paradox?
Stuart
I can't say that self-defense is not permitted at school. We try to instruct kids regarding as many ways as possible to avoid confrontation, but when every option has been exhausted, what's a kid supposed to do? It is recognized that, on occasion, it may not be able to be avoided.
As far as "violence" goes, our PE classes actually has a boxing unit so the physical nature of any self-defense doesn't necessarily have to be applied as violence towards another individual. It's the difference between shooting bullets at a paper target and shooting bullets at a human being. One desn't necessarily lead to the other, right?
With BJJ it's really easy because we are teaching the kids how to subdue an aggressor without actually throwing a punch. The idea, hypothetically, is to protect yourself without having to cause permanent physical harm to your opponent. Really, for the first month, all we did was teach kids how to escape from harm, for example, chokes, headlocks, being grabbed in various ways, etc. Then, we taught the kids how to gain the upper hand from those situations.
We are four months in and the kids and the kids are starting to get the hang of just grappling. They are much better at defending themselves while we as instructors try various attacks.
Anybody in membership practicing Chinese martial arts? "Neijia" practices; Tai Chi Chuan, Hsing Yi, Pakua, Ba Gwa, etc.? There are other "internal" arts and practices but seeking some who practice Chinese arts in particular for the moment...
Good to hear of your success my friend. Lost two programs I've had for several years recently with admin changes at the board/schools. Their theoretical reason they did not want to endorse violence. They denied the difference between self-protection, building confidence, and physically harming other students.
To them protection and attack were identical. Idiotic but a byproduct of brain dead zero tolerance policies. Don't get me wrong, if kids require what you or I are teaching them at the physical level a whole bunch of other things got severely missed and should have been used first.
Out smart, out run, then and only with no other choice only then physically protect.
Sigh...
Stuart
Just like to say I practice competitive BJJ, and I could not imagine training with a pump. Im on novorapid and levemir pens so managing it from a physical perspective is relatively easy. I did, taekwondo for 8 years, krav maga for 2 and for everyone of theses sports aggressive sparring was part and parcel. (sparring happens to be my favorite part). We do alot of wrestling for nogi jiu jitsu and I have to say I just don't see how it would be possible to spar in a high intensity/contact grappling sport with an pump attached but I would be very interested to hear from anyone who is pumping and practicing a grappling art.
That's awesome! We'd have class outside occasionally with one of the groups I used to work out with. The setting sun was great!
Hi there..
I do abit of boxing and ju jitsu.. Classes are typically only 1hr or 1hr 30 in duration. I typically bolus before class and then remove my pump for the duration.
I wouldn't be comfortable grappling or sparring with tubing attached as it would invariably get pulled out at some point.
I haven't had any issues this way. I have been punched on a pump site though and I certainly felt that ha..
If only there were a "like" button for metaphorically feeling your pain with the pump site punch :)
Update: now that I actually have a pump -a little over a year- I might have something to contribute.
I’ve experimented with a lot of different ways to minimize injury and keep it out of the way. I used to clip it to the waist band of my pants. That kind of got in the way and kind of bothered me. Didn’t want to disconnect because I usually go high then crash around midnight so I use temp basal. Then acid rock -thank you!-suggested clipping it to the belt. Which saved my life-or my pump’s, same thing- that’s what I usually do. And if we’re sparring I just wear my armor and completely covers it. Never had an accident. Sometimes though I’ve had minor annoyances where the pump falls off when I’m midair and trying to kick. Which throws me off and I land at an angle. My usual classmates know about the pump and so does my instructer- she doesn’t mind me wearing it- and the armor keeps it out of site that if I’m sparring with someone new nobody even notices it.
Never had an infusion site problem either. If its a thigh site then I’ve got nothing to worry about because no kicks beneath waistline. If its a stomach site the armor covers it. Of its on my arms then I just try to be more careful when blocking.
Hello Asma,
No need to wait, thank you for contributing regardless!
Armor, meaning the Japanese "Bogu" :~D... if so that cuts down on the potential number of arts you might practice, big time!? If you mean the lite foam padding used by many arts for sparring, that's a different creature.
Kendo, Koeikan Karate, Kenjutsu not too many other arts use the heavy bogu armor that I can think of... looking forward to hearing about you particular art(s)/practice(s). Sounds like prewar (Koryu) stuff maybe 8D ?
My practice has an Okinawan genealogy. Typically "low" kicks, nothing airborne. A lot of "standing grappling". I could never make the pump work, sweaty and hairy made adhesion impossible. I could never make the clip stay attached, even doing basic solo warm-ups, striking air intensely... it flew off like a spastic throwing star... sigh.
Pleased to hear you could make it work...
Stuart.