I need help with gear!

[Alex]

Maybe I should have searched a little more but I would like some current opinions on what gear to buy (I'm a beginner so a good medium between price and performance would be best!).

Main pieces of interest :

Gloves

Wraps (wrist and ankle (do you guys recommend ankle wraps?)

Thai Pads

Any other misc equipment

 

[Hannya]

Make sure the wraps are strecthy 180's, and don't go cheap on the gloves. Good gloves (I went with fairtex) will last you a long time, cheap ones go fast. I personally like the ankle wraps, plus its always good to be in full uniform.

Not sure if your school makes you buy your own thai pads, or if you mean shin guards. IMO you don't need the guards, you will be kicking bags nonstop the first couple months and that should condition them for you. Keep it to minimal in the beginning and add on what you think is needed. Good luck.

 

[JB*]

Im currently using TWINS bag mits and gloves. They seem to be lasting me a lot longer than most, plus if you quite fancy yourself they do lots of wierd designs and stuff, not to my taste tho. I don't bother with ankle wraps, all they seem to do for me is take the slap out of kicks to a bag. Don't buy shin gaurds, it'll slow your shin conditioning down, your instructor will tell you whe you need to wer them and in 95% of cases provide them. I have my 2 pairs f gloves, a pair of wraps and my shorts. Thats all need

 

[Alex]

just to clarify, by thai pads i mean the rectangle pads someone strap to their arms and you practice hitting (my girlfriend and I work out together alot and she will help me practice on days when there is no class).

And on the gloves, I noticed that Twins seems to only offer velcro or elastic, haven't checked on fairtex yet. Which do you prefer

One last thing, does anybody know of (or could they write up) a guide to wrapping your hands and ankles specifically for Muay Thai for us beginners. I've found a few for boxing and did not know if they provice the same support and protection that MT requires.

Thanks Again,
Alex.

*edit* also what glove weight do you guys recommend

 

[MuayThaiGuy]

The way you wrap up pretty much depends on what is comfortable for you. There are just two things that you must do: make sure the wraps go through each of your fingers and make sure there is sufficient wrapping around your knuckles and wrist. Chances are the boxing technique you found should involve these two.
As for gear is concerned, I am partial to Fairtex for Muay Thai. I have their shin pads, gloves, wraps, and shorts and they all have lasted a long time. Shin pads aren't needed for bag/pad work but they are definitely a shin saver when sparring. I use 14oz gloves for training and 16oz for sparring. I also got the satin Muay Thai shorts by fairtex because my trainer said they lasted longer, he said he has had his for 6 years and he still wears them. And as was said earlier, wraps don't really matter as long as they are elastic and comfortable.
We use fairtex thai pads at my place but i dont know enough about other company's pads to tell you which is better. But I do know that ours work very well.

Hope this helps!

 

[MuayThaiGuy]

My bad.....

By elastic I am referring to the elasticity of the wrap itself, not the securing mechanism. I think velcro works the best.

 

[wee_blondie]

Personally, I have a pair of bag gloves (Fairtex) a pair of 12oz gloves (Twins) shin guards and mouth gard (a must - especially when sparring!!). I also use hand wraps and ankle supports (for an old injury). Its pretty much up to you to find gear that is comfortable for you to wear.

I buy a lot of stuff on the net from Thailand (pretty cheap but shipping takes ages!!!) but if you're unsure of what to buy, shop around and try stuff on. Keep in mind that gloves will, in time, start to mould themselves to your hand (for a good fit, use them regularly and don't lend them to others). As for clothing, you'll find millions of designs on shorts. Depending on where you train, you may be required to wear a club t-shirt.

For a beginner though, I'd say gloves and a mouth guard are all you really need. Next would come wraps & shorts, then onto shin guards, sparring gloves and Thai pads.

Hope this helps!

Oh, and you may want to invest in a groin guard too.... Apparently they help prevent brain damage in men...... :idunno: