Muay Thai is a combat art of Thai origin that involves using stand-up striking along with various other clinching techniques that involve use of Muay Thai gear. This physical and mental discipline that includes combat on shins is known as “the art of eight limbs” because it is characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
This art involves not only punch and kicks but many other parts of body too. Many of these parts, like shins, are quite exposed if proper care is not taken. This is why, Muay Thai gear is frequently bought and used. The Muay Thai gear includes shin guards, sparring gloves, Muay Thai shorts, Muay Thai gloves, Muay Thai pads, and sparring gear. As it is a long-term investment, it is always good to go through a few tips before buying the gear.
Here are our 10 tips to buying Muay Thai gear like a pro:
1. Get a Beginner’s Gear First
Muay Thai gears can be of three types: beginners, intermediate, and expert. You should buy beginners’ gear first and once you are comfortable with your training and sure that you want to carry it on, move to intermediate and expert. Remember that it will take you a few years to move between the levels so it’s also important to regularly clean your equipment to avoid ringworm or staph infections.
2. Decide If You Want Muay Thai Shorts
First of all, make sure that you are comfortable with Muay Thai shorts because they are very short in length. It’s a matter of choice and not a strict requirement until you start moving up in level. You can use your regular workout shorts as an alternative option.
3. Buy Three or Four Muay Thai Shorts
Once you have decided to get shorts, make sure that you get more than one. Three or four is ideal because you will sweat a lot and may not be able to wash the shorts every day. So it’s better to keep a backup that will also help prevent those potential hygiene-related health issues.
4. Hand Wraps Are a Must
There is no question if you need hand wraps or not; you obviously do. They will protect your hands and wrists from injury when you are hitting heavy bags.
5. Muay Thai Gloves Are an Essential
Just like hand wraps, these gloves, too, are essential because they are involved in training from the very beginning. You cannot use your regular boxing gloves here because these are different.
6. Find Out The Best-Fitting Glove
Muay Thai gloves come in different weights and sizes. It is important to try different gloves to find out which size and weight are right for you. For sparring and bag work, staying in the 14-18 oz. range of weight is ideal. Ideally, you should have 2 pairs of gloves. Your instructor will identify the right size and weight for you.
7. If You Plan on Sparring, Get a Mouthguard
A mouthguard is a must if you want to try clenching or sparring. Even as a beginner, it is good to keep a mouthguard with you just in case to avoid damaging your teeth.
8. Shin Guard Saves from Major Injuries
Shin guard protects your shin and leg from fracture during drills and sparring. A shin guard that extends to feet is always a better choice. Lower leg injuries are common in sports in general, but more so in Muay Thai.
9. Knee Pads Are a Good Purchase
Knees are a prone-to-injury part and knee pads are the best Muay Thai gear type to protect them. If you are a beginner and don’t know how to protect knees, you surely need these.
Money-saving tip: As long as you disinfect and properly clean your knee pads before getting rid of them, you can always resell them on Kijiji once you go up in level and no longer need yours. However, cleanliness is key here.
10. Skipping is a Good Warm-Up
The last but not least item on our list of Muay Thai gear buying tips is a skipping rope! Skipping is a good warmup exercise and it is frequently used in Thailand. Skip yourself into shape and into your next training session!
Buying the right Muay Thai gear is a sure way to stay protected from injuries. However, if you do get any sports injury, consider Whole Body Cryotherapy available at our Cryotherapy Toronto center. It is widely used by professional and even celebrity athletes, such as Sean Fagan (Muay Thai Guy – read our list of 7 best Muay Thai gurus to follow on Youtube).
REFERENCES:
Muay Thai Pros. A Comprehensive Guide to Muay Thai Gear and Equipment.
Mastermind Muay Thai. What Muay Thai Gear Do I Need To Get Started? A Beginner’s Guide.
Breaking Muscle. What’s Inside a Muay Thai Fighter’s Gym Bag? The 10 Must-Have Items.