Red L Training Gloves ~ Boxing, Kickboxing, Fighting
Black XL Training Gloves ~ Boxing, Kickboxing, Fighting
M-Red Boxing/Kickboxing/Karate Training Punching Gloves
GelTech Handwrap for Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kickboxing
As a long time fan of
kickboxing, it is great that I see more and more MMA practitioners
looking to cross train in kickboxing. That, of course, means they need
to look towards purchasing gloves that are more akin to training the
sport. That does raise questions regarding the type of gloves to
purchase. Here is my take on the matter:
Type of Glove
For kickboxing gloves, you need to stick with
traditional slightly modified Muay Thai gloves or some of the
traditional boxing gloves on the market.
These are pretty much
identical to one another and they come in the common weights of 12oz,
14oz, and 16oz. You would select the weight of the glove based on your
own weight and frame.
The only gloves you would want to stay
away from are those designed for cardio since they provide no protection
and the very light savate gloves designed for light contact and
catching the tip of a shoe. But, traditional boxing, kickboxing, and
Muay Thai gloves are fine.
Material
In general, you will want heavy vinyl or leather gloves that have been designed to handle the high impact of the sport.
One problem I have noticed is that cardio kickboxing has allowed a lot of super cheap gloves to find their way to the market.
They provide next to no protection and this means they always present an injury risk.
Brands
Purchase real gloves made by real professionals instead! Doing otherwise presents a risk that just is not worth it.
Sticking
with gloves produced by name manufacturers is probably your best option
when trying to acquire top gloves. Just beware of the ‘cheapie' gloves
that some name manufacturers release to the retail market.
These gloves are commonly identifiable because they cost under $30 and look really weak in comparison to truly valuable gloves.
Some
may wonder if kickboxing gloves work for MMA. Kickboxing gloves are not
allowed in MMA competition and that is a good thing. Since you cannot
grapple with them, they would become little more than a major negative
not worth the trouble.
That said, you do need to invest the time
with wearing kickboxing gloves when you train in the gym. The use of the
gloves would not alter much from their traditional use in kickboxing.
However, the inclusion of grappling and wrestling drills to the
mix would certainly add another dimension to the process.
However, you
will need to be additionally careful in your training since you do not
want to risk injuries when trying to perform grappling drills with
gloves designed more for striking and clinching.
All in all, if
you follow smart consumer decision making when you seek to add such
equipment to your training program, you will get the most out of using
your gloves.
Where to find these gloves
We offer some quality gloves right here at our
MMA Warehouse.
We also recommend
Fighter Warehouse.
They carry Everlast, Stitch and TKO and offer free shipping.
Another good alternative is
RevGear.
They are a quality brand.
