Tommy Kono Knee Bands (Medium)

Prevent Knee Injuries and Keep Your Knees in Top Shape

One (1) Pair.

Medium Size: 130lb - 250lb Body Weight



The Story behind the T.K. Knee Bands
by Tommy Kono

I never had knee problems until I gave an informal demonstration at a Boy Scout Jamboree near Dover, Pennsylvania. I performed a Split-style Snatch of 135 lb. My best Snatch at that time was 297 lb. using the Squat-style so you would think that a measly 135 should not bother me. Well, evidently my forward knee, the right one, must have flexed a little out of alignment for it did not feel right after I gave the exhibition. I did not think anything of it and went on to Warsaw, Poland for the '59 World Weightlifting Championships.

At the Championships I tried a World Record lift of 374 lb. in the Clean and Jerk. I shouldered the weight but failed the overhead portion of the lift. The very next day after spending some waking hours moving around, I tried to sit on a chair and found I could not bend my right leg enough to sit correctly. It was stiff and the knee looked swollen. From then on I had a knee problem. Because my right knee was bad I started to favor it and use my left leg more in all my movements, even transferring much of my training load to my left leg.

Yes, you guessed it. I had a problem with my left knee too. I was plagued with both knees being bad going to the 1960 Rome Olympics. My once thickly muscled legs, especially right above my knees, started to shrink in size for I could not perform the full knee bends or tax them without being in pain.

Sports medicine was unknown and especially in Hawaii such a thing as arthroscopic surgery was nonexistent. I suffered through 4 more years but in early 1964 I created a support for my knees that worked wonders. It kept my knees stable, warm and provided good support. I used it every time I used my legs and that meant for Olympic lifting, of course. It was like having a new pair of knees! If I had these knee bands earlier it would have prolonged my weightlifting career...and I may have even won my third gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.

When I was coaching in Mexico I gave a pair to Bob Bednarski at the 1966 World Weightlifting Championships that was staged in East Berlin. He took it back to York and used it in training. It was used by Tommy Suggs, then editor of Strength & Health magazine, and Bill Starr, the assistant editor. It was common for all three to take turns using it because they had only one pair between them.

When I developed the knee band, I called it T. K. Knee Bands. When Bob Hoffman of York took over the marketing, he renamed it B. H. Knee Bands.

Now, for the first time since then, the original design and material are now available to keep your knees in top shape. These specially developed knee bands are not your typical knee sleeves, knee supporters or knee braces. When you wear them, you know you have something that will protect your knees from injuries. After you have used them in your training and remove them, your knees will feel as if they are well lubricated and feel like new. Your knees will actually be sweating. Because of their special elastic quality, the Regular size will accommodate knees of athletes that weigh 130 lb. to 250 lb. Large size is recommended for those weighing over 250 lb. or for those who have exceptionally large knees.

COMMON SENSE

What is the worst setback you can have in weightlifting or, for that matter, in any sport? Injuries, correct? And what kinds of injuries are the most prevalent? In most cases it is a knee injury that besets a large number of athletes.

One of the expressions I heard a long time ago for boxers was, "First your legs go, then you arms go, then your friends go." How much of this is true or not, does not matter but the knees are the most vulnerable joint in the body. This is especially true for basketball players, football players and any sport where the legs are vigorously used.

Take the legs out of action and you have no real strength. Weak legs usually mean weak quad (thigh) muscles. The thigh muscles gather together to become tendons by the knees. The knees then become the important joint so critical for stability and strength in all the body movements.

I learned from experience a long time ago that for an Olympic weightlifter, the knees are the most important joints to keep healthy. With full flexing of the knee joints, it is imperative that they are strong, stable and conditioned to stay that way.

The T. K. Knee Bands were created for the purpose of giving support, stability and warmth to the knees. It should be worn anytime the knees are vigorously used. You will gain confidence in the knowledge that you are taking precaution in protecting this vulnerable, most important joint.

Do not wait until you have injured your knee to wear the T. K. Knee Bands. If you have only one bad knee, you should still wear them on both knees. This is the reason a pair is in each package and not sold individually.

The original T. K. Knee Bands were made in 1964. With modern 21st century technologies added, the best quality of materials are used in making the T. K. Knee Bands.

Once you wear it, I doubt if you will want to exercise your legs without them. If you are into weightlifting, you will feel more confident with them on.

The purchase of the T. K. Knee Bands could very well be the wisest investment you ever made in quality wear for your training.