Gear Needed to Train in MMA

Mixed martial arts has gone from underground phenomenon to big business. The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to be the dominant force in the sport but there are countless smaller promotions, and the idea of training in MMA has a tremendous appeal to people, whether with an eye to compete or just to get fit. The only problem is that, without proper planning, these new students can get lost under an avalanche of unnecessary equipment.

  1. Protection

    • A groin guard for male students and a breast protector for female students will give you peace of mind as you train. Try various types and see what protects you but doesn't restrict your mobility. If you have a knee or ankle injury, pick up a set of knee pads or an ankle guard to help take the strain off the injury.

    Traditional Hand Wraps

    • Hand wraps are designed to protect you and your opponent by padding your hands and are an essential if you want to train. Traditional hand wraps are large strips of cotton that you wrap around your hand and thumb and between your fingers, taping them off at the wrist. They are designed to support and protect the bones and tendons of your hands as well as providing support for your wrists and thumbs.

    Contemporary Hand Wraps

    • Wrapping your hands is an essential part of safety for anyone training or competing in a combat sport but it's also a difficult skill to master. As a result, two other types of hand wrap have been developed: inner gloves and gel padded wraps. Inner gloves are just that; padded, fingerless gloves that you pull on in one piece and wear beneath your boxing or MMA gloves. Gel padded wraps are closer to traditional wraps and must be still be threaded onto the hand. However, these have a large pad across the knuckles and offer less thumb support than other types.

    Gloves

    • You'll need two sets of gloves to train: an MMA pair and a pair of boxing gloves. The MMA pair leave the top two knuckles of the hand exposed with a thick pad running along the bottom knuckles to keep your hands flexible for grappling. Look for pairs with strong stitching and thick cow hide to make sure they're durable.

      You'll need boxing gloves for sparring and bag work. Again, make sure they're well made and try both 12- and 16-ounce gloves to see what makes you comfortable.

    Gum Shield

    • A gum shield is essential both in training and competition. Don't get one of the "double" shields that protects both sets of teeth,instead, opt for a top-only gum shield that you need to boil to soften. Once this is done, you can fit the shield to your teeth to get a secure mold. This type will also allow you to close your mouth fully, protecting you from blows to the cheek and jaw while not restricting your breathing.

    Attire

    • MMA shorts are similar to board shorts but have a more secure fastener to make sure they don't come loose during training. They also tend to have slits up the legs to allow a greater freedom of movement. Rash guards are vests or t-shirts that conform to the contours of your body and protect you from the rash caused by you and your opponent pushing against one another. While these are useful, an old-shirt will do just as well.