If you are able to, try out other people's armour of various styles and see what feels right to you, and talk to as many fighters about this as you can. Delphi Internet Services Excellency, I do have to differ on one point. Under an eighth-inch lightweight plastic plate with some flex to it, the specific instance of which I wrote, some amount of padding is quite necessary over sensitive areas, in my experience. If they later decide they need more cooling and less padding, it's easy enough to cut down the gambeson, but for starters it provides good security. Learn what you don't.
Information wants to be free.
ALL views expressed here in are subject to change without any notice whatsoever.