MANUMISSION... AND SOFT CORE PORN
Every week it seems like a new soap for fighters is popping up on the landscape. We recently got a package of several bars of manly bath soap from a company called Manumission, and I've been using it for a couple weeks now.
So what makes soap for fighters any different from the thousands of fancy overpriced soaps your wives and girlfriends buy? The big difference seems to be the inclusion of several key ingreadients, including tea tree oil, that offer some level of protection from the nasty critters and fungus living on your school's mats, or on your particularly nasty training partners.
So, do these soaps offer any more protection than your standard bar of Dove? I have no idea. I think the answer is probably they do, but I just don't know for sure. That being said, it's a relatively inexpensive safety precaution (sort of - more on pricing in a minute).
So, now on to Manumission in particular. I liked the soap fine, it compares most closely to Defense Soap, with very similar bars, and a very similar scent. The Manumission is not as strongly scented however, so if you don't like the Defense soap smell that's a bonus, but if you do then it's a negative. It lathers up nice and rinses well, and sure enough after I finished my shower I felt clean!
I think the pricing for the soap is high at $8/bar, and contrary to their claims a bar doesn't last close to a month in my shower, but if it does keep the mat critters at bay it's probably worth it. The marketing materials the soap arrived with were a bit cheesey, but I understand they are trying to stand out in a crowded market. (I'm not sure how many bars I need to use before the 1970s style soft porn actress attacks me on my coach, but it hasn't happened yet.)
Overall it's a decent soap, and of all the fight related soaps I have tried, this one is the closest to a traditional bar of bath soap in terms of scent, lather, and general performance. You can check them out at Manumission.
- Bill Thomas
