Kickboxing Equipment

There are different types of equipment needed for kickboxing, each with relative uses to protect the fighter. Each piece of equipment is designed to help protect you and your sparring partners. If you are just starting out, you wont need to purchase everything right away. As a beginner you will not need the protective sparring equipment as contact and sparring will only be allowed when you are ready. 

Kickboxing Equipment 

Kickboxing equipment are the different types of protective equipment and products used by a kickboxer during training and competitive fights. 

kickboxing equipment for training (non contact) can include heavy bags, medicine balls, boxing focus mitts, Thai kick pads, bag mitts and boxing gloves. 

For contact or sparring it will include 16oz sparring gloves, shin pads, head guard, groin guard and mouth guard

Kickboxing equipment for amateur fights or competition include kickboxing gloves (10oz) hand wraps, mouth guard, groin guard, shin guards and head gear. In professional k-1 fights, shin guards and head guards will not be worn. Kickboxers will wear either satin trousers or shorts. 

Foot guards and shin guards

In kickboxing their is generally 2 options to protect your shin and foot. In full contact kickboxing a foot guard is used with an elastic shin pad to slide into it. The foot guards are made from either leather or pu material and are well padded to prevent hard impact. 

K-1 style kickboxing and Muay Thai practitioners use a full leather shin pad with a foot instep attached. This style is secure with velcro straps around the leg and the foot has an under foot support.

Boxing Gloves

Boxing gloves are well padded gloves made from leather material and are secured with a strap to keep them nice and tight.Depending on the type of use for kickboxing, you will need a certain size of glove. For pad or bag work you may use a 10oz or 12oz glove and for sparring a 16oz gloves is strongly recommended. In competitions, 10oz boxing gloves are used and are in a lace up style. 

Mouthguard and Headgear

As the head is a vital part of the body, amateur fights and sparring training sessions require kickboxers to wear a mouthguard and a head guard. The headgear is made with a padded material customized to fit around the head of the fighter. Their are various styles of head guards and a full face design is very popular as it protects the chin and cheek area also.When sparring or during amateur fights, the headgear will be sufficient in protecting the head and face of the person from getting injured, cut and clashing of heads. The mouthguard is also very important to protect the fighter’s jaw, teeth and tongue from injury. There are different kinds of mouth guards available. Entry level gum shields are rubber molds that shape you teeth after softening by boiling water. Top of the line gum shields are made from a dentist that has a perfect fit to your mouth. 

Kickboxing Shorts

One of the basic kickboxing apparel is the  kickboxing shorts. These are usually made of tough and durable satin material. There are some designs that allow some flexibility to keep the material from tearing. The band that goes around the waist is generally thick. It has a width of about 4 inches so that the opponent can easily identify the “below the belt” region.Most designs also have slits at the sides with lengths of about 4 to 6 inches. These allow more space for fighters to kick and extend their legs. The length of the shorts can span down to the knees of the fighter up to 6 inches above it, depending on the fighter’s preference. Kickboxers can customize the design of the shorts to make it more attractive and identifiable.Some will put logos and special characters on the material. Aside from the kickboxing shorts, fighters should also ensure that they wear protective cups or groin guards to protect their groin from getting hit by kicks and knee strikes. There are different sizes available. Make sure that these are snug and fit well to prevent injury.

The Training Equipment 

Kickboxing equipment will also cover several training items that will improve the speed, accuracy and power of fighters as they train. Included in the list are punching bags, speed bags, kick pads and speed mitts. These come in different weights and sizes to help improve the condition and overall prowess of kickboxers. All kickboxing gyms have kickboxing equipment available. Coaches will require the fighters to spend anywhere between 30 to 120 minutes on these various bags to improve their strikes. Kickboxing has 8 different points of contact so the training equipment will be needed, especially if one does not have a training partner.Focus mitts and Thai pads will require another person to hold these for the training fighter to practice on. Thai pads are for kicks and knee strikes while mitts are for punches and elbow strikes. These are often used for fighters to develop combinations and learn more intermediate and advanced tactics.The advantage that mitts and pads have over bags is that these can be mobile. They also give a more realistic approach by simulating conditions inside the ring. Kickboxing equipment will be priced depending on the quality, brand and features. You can purchase these online from kickboxing gyms and sports shops.