first of all, slow down. had to read that a few times.
and as for gears, i guess just whatever armors you could get your hand on while taekwon, cause i don't believe they can wield/have anything worth wielding at that level. and i believe books are what the SG/SL use, and i believe you're only supposed to use those with certain cards in them, otherwise, i'm not sure. be aware i'm not an avid taekwon player, i might be completely wrong, but i think thats how it is.
i myself would love to know what maps i should place for leveling a star gladiator efficiently without good gears.