Welcome back to my online diary documenting my very amateur experience training in Muay Thai. If you missed the previous entries on Bloody Elbow, read them here.
When I first started out my training a year ago, I received a lot of advice about what gear to purchase. Some of it I used, some I did not. (Nothing personal, but, well, I was cheap, what can I say?) I'm appreciative of all the guidance I've received in this area as the world of gear acquisition can be incredibly daunting to a new trainee. There are just so many different pieces out there, and so many options for each one. Do I need ankle wraps? How about head gear? The super expensive mouthpiece or a more basic one? The Muay Thai steel cup, or something simple? 16 oz gloves? 14? 12? It's a lot to process.
There's no shortage of reviews online, but these can also be confusing. In particular, I found that many reviews focus on the user's initial impressions, but don't always address how the gear holds up over time. So this week, I'm focusing on my gear and providing a quick review of how it's holding up one year later. Hopefully it will help you if you're looking into something similar.
Gloves - I went with your basic Everlast boxing glove, 16 oz - this one I believe. Yes, yes, I know one of the first things you'll hear is that Everlast is the devil, but I chose these because I could try them on at my local Sports Authority, and they cost around $30. My first impression was that I had indeed made a bad choice, as part of the stitching quickly came loose. But 1 year later, I'm still using them, and they're fine. They're starting to get a little worn down, and I'll need to upgrade within the year, but for $30 I am happy. For new folks looking to get started and looking to not immediately drop a huge chunk of change, I think this is a good option.
Wraps - Along with my gloves, I bought a pair of Everlast hand wraps (in snazzy yellow). They're OK, and again, I'm still using them, but not the best. The trouble is they tend to come loose as training goes on, especially if I am taking pads or gloves on and off. Need something tighter, or perhaps just need a better lesson in proper wrapping technique. I probably could have done better, but for around $8 they're fine.
Shin pads - My best purchas. A have a pair of RevGear Defender Gel Shin Guards purchased online at MMA Stop. They cost me about $60 and are fantastic. I'm a tall guy with long legs, and these cover my entire shin and the foot with no trouble. They're big, so at first I felt a bit awkward in them, but with a few sessions, I was fine. I've used them a lot and they show absolutely no wear and tear - like, nothing at all. Perhaps the only downside is that when I drill a lot of leg kicks and checks, they will get knocked askew on my shin, but that's not a big deal. An enthusiastic thumbs up on these (and another thumbs up for MMA Stop, who was great to deal with).
Cup - A terrible cup from Target. It has done OK for me, but I need to upgrade.
Mouthpiece - I got a basic fitted mouthpiece, again from Target. I know I need something better, as I can tell it's not providing me with enough protection, and that's a bad thing.
Headgear - Haven't purchased one yet, but am currently on the prowl.
And that's it. I don't have ankle wraps, a fancy bag, Muay Thai shorts or my own pads. Of those things, my next purchase will probably be shorts, partly because they will be helpful, and partly (I admit) just because they look cool. Of course, those are my specific experiences based on my gym and trainer. Anyone starting off should have a conversation with their trainer to find out what is needed and hear their suggestions. But don't let the cost of the highest end gear turn you off from jumping in and getting started - you can always upgrade later, and better to get going now then wait until everything is perfect.
Question(s) of the day: What is your best gear purchase? What was terrible for you? What did you not have that you needed?
I train Muay Thai under Andre Madiz at Conviction Martial Arts, 4430 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL. www.convictionfitness.com. If you are in the Chicago area, come join us, and be sure to say hello.
2 recs | 59 comments
Get the Nutty buddy for your cup, way better than any other cup out there. The dude that designed was a pro baseball players and to show how well it works he gets hit with 100 mile fast ball to the balls. On one show even the host tried it out. Its amazing, even with a cup getting hit still normally hurts like hell, but with the Nutty Buddy they hardly even flinched.
Kefka - February 21, 2012
What Muay Thai shorts you going with?
Get something that makes you look like a boss, Fraser.
Brent Ducharme - February 21, 2012
Thai shorts
I have been told that some schools will not allow you to wear Thai shorts until the school or your trainer deems you have earned them. Something you might want to ask about before dropping the $60
polevaultking - February 22, 2012
Good advice, though I am good to wear them at mine. But yes, that is something to look into if you are buying.
Brent – my coach is all about the basic black color scheme, emphasizing simplicity and not flashiness. So, something pretty basic and black mainly.
Fraser Coffeen - February 22, 2012
Best purchase was
A pair of nice Revgear gel gloves. I bought the standard Everlast gloves when I started, but they fell apart after a couple of months and smelled like a latrine to boot. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of a good mouthguard; everything else, you can get by with the bare minimum.
Patrick Wyman - February 21, 2012
Awesome
Thanks for lifting the ban. Much appreciated.
superfknmario__ - February 21, 2012
Great post
Thanks for posting this article. It’s cool to get your perspective after one year of training. I’m about 2 months into my Muay Thai training, and I found your gear review really helpful.
Here’s my gear list so far…
1. Everlast 16 oz gloves: cheap gloves I already owned, but they are doing the job so far. I plan on upgrading to Fairtex/Top King gloves in the future.
2. Fairtex Pro Style Shinguards: A bit pricey, but they have been great so far. Very comfortable, and they don’t slip when doing partner drills. Everyone I spoke to recommended them and vouched for their durability.
3. Built to Last handwraps: decent wraps, inexpensive, and doing the job so far.
4. Clinch Gear Signature Series Shorts: Comfortable, good fit.
5. Datsusara Light Gear Bag: Odor prevention was a big consideration, and the antimicrobial properties of this hemp bag convinced me to make the purchase. This is my favorite purchase so far.
6. Fight Dentist mouthguard: Cool graphic, but I haven’t done any sparring yet, so I can’t speak to its effectiveness, though it was recommended I buy a mouthguard when holding Thai pads to mitigate the damage of a possible off-target punch/kick.
Keep the training updates coming!
warpaulharris - February 21, 2012
@Wraps: How you wrap your hands makes a huge difference. Not sure how you are wrapping, so not sure if you need a lesson (where are they coming lose?)… You probably should have replaced them by now, but I’ve used the Everlast wraps and didn’t have any trouble with them coming loose at all, but they only lasted a few months before they were severely warped. Also, always get the longest length available, IMO.
Diz D - February 21, 2012
*loose
Diz D - February 21, 2012
Yeah, I am being lazy/cheap. Need to get new ones ASAP.
Fraser Coffeen - February 22, 2012
If you're buying anything more expensive than everlast boxing gloves
you’re just wasting money, especially if you’re just training in them
Full Mount - February 21, 2012
Unless training = only punching a heavy bag, I respectfully disagree.
Diz D - February 21, 2012
thats a terrible opinion
Even if you are only pounding a heavy bag, like Diz D says above this post, everlast is the worst option.
Its cheap for a reason. Terrible quality on the low end stuff and people buy it because its a recognizable name
Ricardo Arguello - February 21, 2012
Best gear purchase:
Either 16 oz Hayabusa sparring gloves or Fairtex thick Thai kick pads. Both have been proven to be high quality and very durable so far (kick pads might be indestructible).
Worst:
Combat Sports handwraps. Other than that, I’ve been satisfied.
Needed:
Nothing. Purchased gear as needed.
Diz D - February 21, 2012
GOD NO!
Never go for Hayabusa… overpriced as hell. Get Kings, Boons or Raja.
juanchoD - February 21, 2012
I like the Hayabusa MMA gloves. Picked up the Kanpeki Elites recently and they’re an order of magnitude better than the Everlasts I was using before.
No idea bout Muay Thai gloves or boxing gloves though. I bet you’re right with the Kings, Twins, Raja and so on.
Ben Thapa - February 21, 2012
They are a little overpriced, but I still really like them (I like how they are shaped as well, extra wide).
Diz D - February 22, 2012
I have the Hayabusa shin guards and theyre great!!
The pair I had before them were just the Ringsport ones that my gym sells.
They were annoying as they’d spin on your leg any time you checked a kick. The Hayabusa ones dont move at all.
They are expensive. But worth it I reckon.
Burkey22 - February 22, 2012
Raja, Boon and King
are all LOADS better than Hayabusa, Venum or Bad Boy, they’re not as expensive, and they’re hand made and imported from Thailand. There’s no point in paying more for gear that is not of a higher quality than less expensive gear. I don’t really know about MMA equipment, but since this is a Muay Thai blog that we’re commenting on, I’m giving my opinion on what’s best for Muay Thai. Twins is another good brand, but unless you’re really serious about training Muay Thai, and going far with it, the more generic brands like ring to cage and everlast work.
juanchoD - February 22, 2012
If you are serious about Muay Tha training
Gloves: Twins, Fairtex, Top King. You already know this if you do a second of research online… Everlast is shit gear.-Shins: Twins.
-Any 180 wrap will do. So long as you are taught how to wrap properly and have the appropriate length
Ricardo Arguello - February 21, 2012
Since we’re talking gear, anybody have a Muay Thai heavy bag? I’ve been wanting to hang one in my garage but my only options locally are 80 pound boxing heavy bags. If I get one I want to go ahead and shell out a little more if it means I won’t need to replace it for quite a while. I was looking at some by Century, but i’ve never used them. Also not pumped about paying shipping on a 100 pound bag.
Tag01 - February 21, 2012
thai bags can be pretty pricey. They retail for around $200 plus the shipping costs if you choose to buy the bag filled.
I used to sell equipment and I sold Throwdown 100lb leather Thai bags for 160 with $35 shipping (filled)
Ricardo Arguello - February 21, 2012
Are they worth it?
I’m not opposed to paying that for it as long as they last.
Tag01 - February 21, 2012
I hate to be a salesman on a news blog.
but yes. I sold throwdown bags to a few gyms in my area around a year ago and I havent had any complaints of tearing, which from heavy use is a problem with cheap bags. And gyms, of course, use heavy bags daily in some capacity.
feel free to email me(email in profile) for any more questions.
Again, i dont mean to be soliciting on this site, so sorry to the mods if there is a problem with this. Having sold MMA and Muay thai stuff in the past I kinda have to be very critical of inventory, as I never sold inferior stuff and Im very opinionated when it comes to gear.
Ricardo Arguello - February 21, 2012
Nah, this is fine by me. The purpose of this thread is to discuss experience with gear. If something you personally have dealt with often and over a variety of different conditions is GOOD, then by all means tell us.
Thus, it’s cool by me.
Ben Thapa - February 21, 2012
So you’ve been training for a year, and you haven’t used the head gear yet???? Change gyms, dude, seriously….
Roland Martin - February 21, 2012
Headgear...
Unless you’re like swinging for the fences in sparring, there’s no need for headgear honestly.
juanchoD - February 21, 2012
Randy Couture
said headgear is for pussies.
Diz D - February 22, 2012
(season 1 TUF)
Diz D - February 22, 2012
And apparently they don't really help protect someone as much as they previously thought.
discoandherpes - February 22, 2012
It depends on the type of headgear
The headgear we have at our school basically only protects your nose.
The necessity of headgear also depends on how much sparring your school does, how hard that sparring is, and who you are sparring with.
polevaultking - February 22, 2012
I have used headgear, I just don’t own my own. Like pads, I borrow from the gym, which has some for general use.
So thanks, but I’ll stick with me gym dude.
Fraser Coffeen - February 22, 2012
this is the exact reason I have extra shin pads, gloves, and head gear at my gym/house
the jewish conquistador - February 22, 2012
I used the following equipment for MMA/kickboxing:
Twins gloves: can’t state how much I love them. love.
Everlast handwraps: cheap on the wallet, and if wrapped well, work well. the biggest thing I improved over the time was wrapping my hands.
Fight Dentist mouthguard: worth the $ for the safety.
esquilinho - February 21, 2012 via Android app
Great read, thank you. All of this gear can obviously be very expensive, so it’s nice to know where you can save some money and where you really should just go for it.
Both Fraser and some others here in the comments have said that it’s worth getting a better mouthguard. Originally I was looking at something like the Shock Doctor Gel Max mouthguard ( http://www.martialartssupplies.com/sinmoutpiecc.html ). It seems to have some nice features, costs only $10, and (most importantly to me) comes with a $10,000.00 warranty. Are warranties like that too good to be true? If not, is this one that would be considered a good mouthguard (compared to the cheap ones found at Target or whatever), or is this still a bad one?
I also looked at the Fight Dentist custom mouthguards that esquilinho mentioned above. I’d be willing to spend $75 in a heartbeat for one of these as opposed to $10 for the other if it would offer better protection, but I wasn’t able to find anything about a warranty. Was I just not able to find it, or don’t they offer it? Unless that warranty is a total sham, I’d hate to think that I could possibly spend $75 for a better mouthguard and still be stuck with a huge dentist bill if something were to happen when I could have had better protection with a $10 investment.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Jeffigatame - February 21, 2012
$75> XXXXX in dental repairs from cheap or no mouth piece
Plus your teeth are kinda sorta permanent and you might wanna take good care of them. in combat sports training a mouth guard is probably the most important piece of equipment and one that shouldnt be skimped on (on like the $10 boil and bite sports authority models)
Ricardo Arguello - February 21, 2012
Yeah. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of both time and money on my teeth, so I don’t want to mess around when it comes to protection here. I’m not considering picking something up from the local sports shop or anything, but I wasn’t sure if it would be better to go with a $10 mouthguard (which seems good) that comes with a $10k warranty or spend more on a custom piece that you’d assume would offer better protection, but doesn’t seem to come with a warranty. On paper it seems like an obvious decision, but I wanted to make sure since it almost seems too obvious.
Jeffigatame - February 21, 2012
personally
I went with a custom guard which I had molded at a dentists office. Cost me about $70 but it offers far superior protection.
i dont have a lot of experience with mouth guards like Shock Doctor so i cant speak about their warranty with any sort of authority. Personally I have never heard of anyone cashing in on the dental insurance. Though if I had to venture a guess, as it is insurance, i can imagine it is hard to really get the 10k payoff because it’s hard to prove you had the tooth chip/whatever as the result of inferior protection from one of their mouth pieces.
When asked, I always recommend a custom piece as, in the long run, it is the most negligible of expenses. I dont just use my mouth piece when I spar in MT. I use it when I do BJJ and no gi and of course MMA training. And if you are someone who trains regularly the expense of the mouth piece will pay off after a few weeks of training. By that I mean that you use this piece of equipment so often that paying $70 is like paying a penny per training session over time. Dont skimp on mouth pieces, as there will always be a guys who spar like its a real fight and guys who roll really rough and like to muscle guys into submission with faces cranks. And of course there are always accidents.
Ricardo Arguello - February 21, 2012
I have no first hand experience here, but like Ricardo, I’d be highly skeptical of that insurance ever paying off. Medical insurance is such a tricky thing – I’m sure there are loopholes in the fine print that they’ll use. So personally, I wouldn’t put much faith in that warranty.
Anyone ever heard of someone trying to cash in on it?
Fraser Coffeen - February 22, 2012
Twins gloves are better than all the gloves I've tried.
Anton Tabuena - February 21, 2012
I haven't sparred much,
cause it’s nothing serious and it’s more like a hobby for me, than anything… But I did try to use headgear that looked something like this for the few times I did spar… (it’s a bit different, but it did have a similar cage)
Why? Cause I didn’t have a mouthguard, and I also was worried that if my sparring partner gets frustrated, he’d throw punches at 100% and land something that would break my nose. hahaha.
it’s a bit heavy though, and I couldn’t see properly out of it. But hey! I don’t have cuts, bruises, and my fear of breaking my nose or ruining my face didn’t happen! hahaha.
Anton Tabuena - February 22, 2012
Also, question:
What do you guys think about those gel wraps for boxing gloves? I’m thinking of buying one so I can use it for the muay thai heavy bag I got at home.
It’s such a hassle wrapping your hands when you’re not really in the gym training. I just want to wrap it quickly just so I can hit the bag for a few minutes at home.
and, which one should I buy? Everlast has 3 kinds of them I think.
Anton Tabuena - February 22, 2012
The problem with gel wraps (IMO) is that they protect your knuckles, but the ones I have seen have little in the way of wrist support… which is important if you’re punching a Muay Thai heavy bag IMO. For me, it’s worth the 2 minutes to wrap my hands even just for hitting the heavy bag at home. Others may have had a different experience with them though.
Diz D - February 22, 2012
I know it sounds stupid
But I haven’t wrapped my hands since I was in high school.
I’m a big believer in not punching anything harder(wilder) than you can safely and accurately.
I’ve never had one break in my hands. I used to hurt my wrists occasionally when I was younger, but now I rarely miss the bag. I don’t have to worry too much about hurting my hands on a person’s head. Especially not with gloves on. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve hurt my hands, badly at times. But not without doing anything stupid. I just learned to take my time of the heavy bag(the double end bag helped with that) and now I can hit the bag basically as hard as I like without hurting my wrists or hands. It took years of countless repetition to get to that point though.
One thing I liked to do was punch the carpet as hard as I could safely. Over and over and over again.
I honestly think only punching with wraps weakens the hands and gives you a false since of security(when you’re not wearing them).
Surprisingly, my coach doesn’t wrap his hands either. His reason is there’s nothing to hit that hard in our gym. Its basically how I see it, too. If there was a brand new, rock-hard heavy bag, I’d probably wrap my hands just to get used to it. But if I’m swinging wild enough to hurt myself hitting mitts or sparring, I deserve to hurt myself.
TheFilt - February 22, 2012
We don't use wraps at my school either
Our trainer basically considers them a crutch. Your wrists will never get stronger if you wear wraps. I’ve never had any issues with my wrists. When I first started training my wrists were a little shaky when throwing upper cuts when we did work on the focus pads, but over time they have gotten stronger and that is no longer an issue.
I’m guessing we are in the minory on this issue.
polevaultking - February 22, 2012
Well, my wrists have gotten stronger while wearing wraps… I’d consider them more of a support than a crutch. You still are keeping your wrist flexed/tight when you make contact and trying to use proper form and strengthening through repetition. When I switched from Karate to Boxing, my knuckles/wrists/and elbows would be very sore after using a heavy bag (with or without wraps) or hitting thai pads. It took a year or two, but now I only have occasional knuckle soreness (and it’s worse if I don’t wrap), but I no longer have any wrist/elbow issues… because they have gotten stronger.
I don’t think it’s necessarily right or wrong, but I prefer them and I wouldn’t tell other people that they won’t be able to strengthen their wrists by wearing them.
Diz D - February 22, 2012
To each their own… I like the stability. I don’t think they are needed for hitting boxing mitts (I wrap anyways), but I really like them if I am hitting thai pads, sparring, or especially if it’s on the heavy bag.
Not to sound like a typical internet troll/dick, but I’ve always had very heavy hands. When I dig into a heavy bag over and over, my knuckles are sore afterwards even when wrapped and using 16 oz gloves… but it is worse if I don’t. If I’m careful not to get jammed on a punch, my wrists are fine on the heavy bag, but I like not to having to worry about it. Also, I’ve always been big on body shots and punching the lower end of a big heavy bag can result in a fairly solid impact. For sparring, I definitely like having them wrapped because you don’t always hit with clean angles when going after a moving target… at least I don’t :).
For me, repetition isn’t the problem (as far as I know). I’ve had a heavy bag since I was about 4 or 5 and I’ve used it pretty consistently since high school. I’ve never broken anything, but I’ve had a few sprains over the years… but never while my hands were wrapped (I didn’t start wrapping my hands until I quit Karate and started with Boxing/MMA after high school). Also, it may sound stupid, but I like to train with as much weight on my hands as possible, so the extra couple ounces from the wraps is another bonus… for me.
Diz D - February 22, 2012
I know where you're coming from
When I dig ‘in’ to the bag my knuckles can get a little sore, but always put more emphasis on the ‘pop’ of the punch than the weight behind it, if you know what I mean. I’m only 165lbs, so that’s probably a factor, too.
Body shots on the heavy bag, the left hook especially, can suck if you miss; but it just means you gotta put more work into it. Like missing a round kick and slapping the bag with your toes. Shit hurts, so you learn not to do it right away.
For me, I don’t throw anything near full power when I spar, save the occasional jab and straight to the body. Its just not safe for either of us, and I’m not that good. I focus a lot more on footwork(now) and landing with clean technique, quickly and accurately while staying on balance. The power is a given if you can do the other things. My coach always says, “I’d rather you throw 1 good punch than 100 bad ones.”
I also have made myself believe that I I’m so fast, I will land every punch I throw and be ready to throw another before he can react. Is it true? Of course, not. But it helps me zip 3 or 4 clean, accurate punches without focusing on speed or power. Just on getting the punches there, if that makes any sense.
TheFilt - February 22, 2012
Yeah, left hook body shot is one of the worst on the heavy bag… but it also might be my favorite punch (or a regular left hook). I agree that it’s much, much, much more of an issue when I miss. You still feel it when you miss with wraps, but just for a few seconds instead of a few days. I don’t spar near full power either, but there are still times when I get jammed if he slips towards the punch and it can make contact at an uncomfortable angle above his forehead, even if not that hard. I also have about 60 lbs on you (…or ~40 if I was in good shape).
I had to completely relearn how to hold my guard/keep my chin tucked, and how to throw every punch outside of my cross when I started boxing, but I’ve always been big on good technique and luckily the footwork, timing, and accuracy all translated immediately from Karate, but I’ve never had the fastest hands. My combos are usually end up being 1 or 2 punches stringed together with a defensive/offensive movement and 1 to 3 more.
Diz D - February 22, 2012
FYI
I heard the way the old Russian boxers developed such amazing hand speed was by alternating between bare-handed and weighted mitt rounds, using wrist weights.
TheFilt - February 22, 2012
Never tried alternating, but glad to hear there’s at least some truth to me liking more weight on my hands.
Diz D - February 22, 2012
Best item: Winning 16oz gloves. I spar, and getting hit with brick-like Fairtex gloves is not a lot of fun. Was also thinking about Twins gloves as they’re much cheaper, but I scored these for ~A$150 which is probably like US$170, which I thought was ok as they’re pretty hard to get around Aus.
A dentist moulded mouthguard was also a good buy, as it seems to fit in my mouth better and makes it easier for me to breathe, which is important after 5 × 3 minute rounds.
I also picked up some Winning headgear secondhand, not cheap, but I chose it over the competition because the cheek(?) protectors keep shots off my nose, and I’m ugly enough already.
Otherwise I just have Twins shinguards and use gel wraps, if I’m whaling on the heavy bag I might wrap my hands. I try and treat handwraps like prophylactics in Phuket…
I got some Thai shorts from Rawai Muay Thai, but I don’t like wearing them because I look like a dickhead in them. In spite of this, I do wear the souvenir T-shirts I pick up from other gyms in public. Hmm.
I might check that nutty buddy device out, you can’t be too careful with the weaponry. Sounds like a brand of peanut butter though.
60steiners - February 22, 2012
Don’t mess with your teeth.
I bought some Shock Docktor (It was 25€ I think, so around 30$) one year ago and I like it.
Sure, it’s not on the level with a custom made one, but I think it has saved my teeth and my jaw a few times. If you’re not ready to spend a 70$, that could be a cool alternative.
Gloves : I go with Metal Boxe, it ain’t the best but it does the job, next time I’ll try some Twins.
And the shorts…
When I started, it was in a MMA Gym, so there was a great emphasis on Muay but it was not the main focus. So you could come with whatever you liked, MMA shorts, beach shorts….
But since I moved to a real Muay Thai club, our Teacher insists on classic Muay Thai Shorts, so I bought 2 RAJA shorts, my favorite :
They’re so over the top, it’s funny.
I even saw someone with a Hello Kitty one..
zarmartiaux - February 22, 2012
Hayabusa MMA Gloves
http://www.mmastop.com/mma-brands/hayabusa-pro-white-mma-gloves.html
I’ve had them about a year and they are in great shape and have slowly molded to my hands over time. They are pricey but worth it.
I have had good luck with Sprawl and Hayabusa shorts.
polevaultking - February 22, 2012
Thanks for the great review! I’m at the point of buying all new gear after using my crappy stuff for a sufficiently long time, so this is quite timely for me.
I have the same wraps and I hate them. I used someone’s Twins gloves once, after using my cheap & terrible Lonsdale ones for forever, and they felt like magic and unicorns.
mollcutpurse - February 22, 2012
twin gloves are the best. period. they have a snug fit, which may take some getting used to. but they’ve lasted the longest of all the gloves i’ve tried. Windy is a close 2nd in my book.
as for cups, get the fairtex steel cup. they dont’ crack or break. yes, you tie it on, but it is BY FAR the best, most comfortable cup in terms of range of motion i’ve ever worn. if it’s good enough for the Thais, it’s good enough for me.
theworldsoldestsport - February 22, 2012
Go for Nutty Buddy for best protection, much better than any normal style cup(steel or not).
Kefka - February 22, 2012
added a few things from a trainers view... I am very bored at work today
Best gear: Windy 16oz gloves the more I use them the more I love them… however the best piece of gear is by far my cup. It is a standard steel cup with strings (Twins brand) and allows for comfortable movement and solid protection.
Worst gear: Old cup from Dick’s the standard jock strap, big, clumsy, not a lot of protection from the malleable plastic, and just terrible. Everlast 16oz gloves, they literally fell apart after a few months.
- something different -
Best trainers gear: it is a tie between the Fairtex Bowlingpin bag and the Fairtex curved Thai pads. Very comfortable, not very heavy, very soft padded inside and top (allows for the trainer to safely jab the student without hurting them), and the hook and loop enclosure has an extra bit of padded leather to provide more protection/secure fit.
The Bowlingpin bag is 75lbs (I think or very close to it), has a highly visible target area, is soft and forgiving, great for clinch and body work, and it is just a great non traditional bag. It absolutely destroys the Everlast teardrop bag as far as quality goes and I can not say enough positive things about that particular Everlast bag.
*honorable mention Title MMA Thai bag and Twins belly pad.
Worst trainers gear: Throwdown Thai pads. Very heavy and extremely stiff. Without question some of the worst pads I have ever seen. I actually do not use them anymore because of how stiff they are and how often people would complain when hitting them. The one positive of them is the hook and loop enclosure they use. It is fantastic and fits virtually any arm size.
the jewish conquistador - February 22, 2012
Some recommendations
Headgear: This doesn’t do much to protect against brain damage against a good boxer, so don’t get overconfident just because you have headgear. The two primary things is protects against are: cuts or abrasions from accidental headbutts or forearms, and cauliflower ear from a sharp blow to the ear. It may give some slight cushion for your brain against hits to the forehead or temple, but none to the chin, so once again don’t overestimate the protection! The best brand in my opinion is Winning, but it’s reflected in the price ($150-$200). Open face headgear (without any nose guard) is ideal for kickboxing, because a nose-guard will make it hard to see low kicks. I don’t recommend the one that Anton Tabuena posted above because of the visibility issue.
Kneepads: Very important if you want to do any sort of clinch work. Every brand is pretty much the same, as long as there is some cushion to prevent your knees from hurting your partners ribs. Also, if you want to do full contact clinch work you will still need body protection on top of kneepads (the type that Thai trainers typically wear to protect their torso). Yes, Thai fighters do light clinch work without any protection at all, but they also have been doing this since they were 8 years old and their control is far better than the average person in a non-Thai gym.
Mouthpiece: Shock Doctor makes a great mouth guard that molds to your teeth. It costs around $20-$30 or so.
Cup: If you plan on doing heavy sparring with people over 150 pounds, you might want to seriously consider getting a steel cup. In Japanese and Thai gyms, getting hit in the groin is your own fault (not the opponent’s), so I advise learning how to defend against the in-low kick (eg, the low kick that targets your inner thigh) and to manage distance carefully when in the clinch as your first line of defense. This is partially the reason why you rarely see K-1 fighters from Thailand or Japan having to take a time-out due to a groin shot; most are well trained at defending this illegal technique. However, in the event that you fail and take a kick or knee to the groin, a steel cup won’t break whereas a plastic one may (if your opponent is a heavy kicker).
kyo20 - February 26, 2012
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