Martial Arts Gloves – The Components of a Good Glove

by classic_film

As most martial arts use the hands as weapons, it figures that gloves are an essential ingredient in a martial artists training equipment. So what are the components of a good glove? Well, obviously a good glove will serve to protect the attackers knuckles, wrists and fingers from injury. Likewise, in a sparring situation, martial arts gloves will also soften the impact of a punch because a common element is the thick padding protecting the knuckles. While an opponent may be knocked out by the impact of a punch, it’s this padding that will protect against serious damage to an opponent.

So, when you’re choosing gloves keep these things in mind:

Look for a glove that completely covers the knuckle area otherwise injuries for you and your opponent are inevitable. There will always be a level of padding consisting sometimes of leather or polystyrene. Obviously, the thicker this padding, the less danger of hurting yourself – or your sparring partner. Where children are concerned, the padding is almost exclusively for the protection of the puncher because rarely do children have the percussive power to seriously harm their opponent whereas their own bones are still developing. Therefore, thick padding is a must in remaining injury free.

Depending on what style of martial art you do, you may need a palm cover too, such as in some styles of karate. It will have to be flexible enough to stretch laterally to fit the shape of your hand when you strike with it. Another component is the wrist guard. A good martial arts glovewill extend to a few centimetres above your wrist, so that they are protected from impact from kicks and possibly being bent in unnatural directions.

You want your gloves to fit snugly, without being too tight and to be made of durable materials without being stiff. If you’re into MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), I read reviews that have recommended: the UFC Official Fight Grappling Gloves, Revgear Challenger grappling gloves and MMA Grappling Gloves. Another very popular glove which is suitable for most martial arts is the Everlast pro style training gloves. These gloves feature full padding on the front and back of the wrist which promotes effective punching technique.

Happy hunting and punching.