what kind of gloves and or wraps do i need for heavy bag training?

[KungFubar]

what is the minimum i should look for?

[GeneChing]

As you are just starting out (or you wouldn't ask this question), try these for starters:

Regular Hand Wraps (http://www.martialartsmart.com/14-170knry.html)
Vinyl Bag Gloves (http://www.martialartsmart.com/10-830.html)

These are the most affordable.

[boxerbilly]

As you are just starting out (or you wouldn't ask this question), try these for starters:

Regular Hand Wraps (http://www.martialartsmart.com/14-170knry.html)
Vinyl Bag Gloves (http://www.martialartsmart.com/10-830.html)

These are the most affordable.

I spent many a year stupidly beating a bag bare handed. Perhaps if you are just working one technique over and over it is cool but working combos you will cuts your hands.

I only ever wore speed bag gloves myself but the best thing I ever did use for awhile was a pair of chamois car rags. I just wrapped them around my hands and I loved them. Probably cost you 20 bucks but I bet you buy the gloves, lol.

In which case buy the best pair of heavy bag gloves you can afford.

[Jimbo]

I prefer only bag gloves without any hand wraps. I have never wrapped my hands. I'm not training to be a pro fighter, and prefer to train in a way that (1) protects the skin on my hands; (2) allows my training to have some crossover benefit for if I need to use my hands ungloved. I don't want to rely on hand wraps to artificially reinforce my hand structure. I'm sure if I'm wrong on this, someone will correct me. However, it's what's always worked for me.

Even with bag gloves on, if you start out doing too much at a time, you can still skin your knuckles.

[boxerbilly]

I prefer only bag gloves without any hand wraps. I have never wrapped my hands. I'm not training to be a pro fighter, and prefer to train in a way that (1) protects the skin on my hands; (2) allows my training to have some crossover benefit for if I need to use my hands ungloved. I don't want to rely on hand wraps to artificially reinforce my hand structure. I'm sure if I'm wrong on this, someone will correct me. However, it's what's always worked for me.

Even with bag gloves on, if you start out doing too much at a time, you can still skin your knuckles.

I do not think you are wrong Jimbo. I never wore wraps. I did not like them. I used them maybe a month and never again. My main reason for boxing was not for the ring so I placed great value on landing properly. I never seriously injured my hands. Never broke them. But I don't think I was ever in a fight outside of the ring I did not hurt my thumbs. I am not sure why. I did not impact on them but I always hurt my thumbs punching dudes in the head?

Again, my favorite bag glove was just wrapping chamois around my hands. Actually my fingers and knuckles. It is a nice smooth soft leather. Odd are unless they slip a little you will not scuff or cut your hands wearing them.

[Brat]

I do not think you are wrong Jimbo. I never wore wraps. I did not like them. I used them maybe a month and never again. My main reason for boxing was not for the ring so I placed great value on landing properly. I never seriously injured my hands. Never broke them. But I don't think I was ever in a fight outside of the ring I did not hurt my thumbs. I am not sure why. I did not impact on them but I always hurt my thumbs punching dudes in the head?

Again, my favorite bag glove was just wrapping chamois around my hands. Actually my fingers and knuckles. It is a nice smooth soft leather. Odd are unless they slip a little you will not scuff or cut your hands wearing them.

Having spent 3 years in Bangkok in the Muay Thai ring I never really understood the need for hand wrapping even though it is required. 10oz gloves more than protect your hands. Probably goes back to the days when boxing gloves were little more than work gloves. On a more practical note when guys who wrap their hands get in a real fist fight they usually wind up smashing every bone in their hands.

[boxerbilly]

Having spent 3 years in Bangkok in the Muay Thai ring I never really understood the need for hand wrapping even though it is required. 10oz gloves more than protect your hands. Probably goes back to the days when boxing gloves were little more than work gloves. On a more practical note when guys who wrap their hands get in a real fist fight they usually wind up smashing every bone in their hands.


We were never told we had to wear wraps. No one said anything but one guy was made to remove wrapping once. To much. Probably half of us never bothered. We wore 12 oz gloves always.

I guess if you are going to be landing on areas beside to front of the fist then it may be wise to wrap. I know the main reason was to keep the wrist straight and solidify it and to reinforce the bones on the back of the hands. Again, I never hurt my hands once in gloves.

And I never broke a hand ever and I have hit about 20 people in the head barehanded and most 3-6 times generally as hard as I could. I never knocked anyone out cold. I used to cut people all the time. I got those pointy knuckles. At the time I used the bottom 3 knuckles. I now believe a full fist is better for a knock out and probably why I never dumped no one barehanded but it probably increases the odds of a hand break.

Anyway, that was all along time ago. I was young and could not keep my mouth shut and would not let people touch me in anger with out retaliation. Funny, keep you mouth shut and or walk and most people can control their anger.

Oh, I also had my ass handed me 5 times. 2 of which were sever beatings. There are some very mean people alive. If someone told me enough. I was done. I never liked hurting anyone and I never liked fighting but it always seemed to happen to me. Small and mouthy.

I prefer the ring and rules.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for sharing, guys.

Billy, I just may try the chamois. Sounds like a good idea.

I've used the bottom three knuckles and the first two, depending on the punch or angle/target. I always made sure to habitually contact with the middle finger knuckle, so that at least one other knuckle would also land wth it (index or ring finger knuckle). When training, I'd try to stay off the pinky knuckle, which is impossible in a three-knuckle landing. I know that Dempsey, as well as, say, Wing Chun, emphasize the three-knuckle landing. Also, some vertical punches you'll see in Hung Gar and Choy Lee Fut do, too. I'm very wary of the 'boxer break', which happens when all or too much of the force lands with the ring and pinky knuckles only. Most of my punches land with the first two (middle and ring finger knuckles). If it sounds complicated it's not; it's just the way I've trained for so long that it's natural.

I still also do the boxing hook, but keep my fist vertical. In body shots, I position with the first two knuckles; to the head, the bottom three, though I don't like head punching, especially w/the regular forefist, as much anymore. I've never hurt my knuckles punching anyone barehanded, but have also hurt my right thumb before (at the base of it). But in my case, it was because the guy blocked my punch to his ribs with his elbow, and my thumb knuckle hit it.

[KungFubar]

so unless you are training for gloved boxing competition would you all advise against boxing gloves when working out on the heavy bag? What about just wrapping the wrists and using work gloves?

[boxerbilly]

so unless you are training for gloved boxing competition would you all advise against boxing gloves when working out on the heavy bag? What about just wrapping the wrists and using work gloves?

Everyone is going to have different opinions. What ever you choose to use just start slow. Like half speed/power maybe less until you know you are landing square on the bag. Start by working individual techniques and then move into small combos and then you can freestyle probably in a month. The most likely injury will be not landing flush and your fist turns under and that will F---ing hurt and may take you off the bag for more than a month so really, start slow and main focus is landing properly. That is probably way more important than what you wrap or glove in, in my opinion.

[David Jamieson]

Everyone is going to have different opinions. What ever you choose to use just start slow. Like half speed/power maybe less until you know you are landing square on the bag. Start by working individual techniques and then move into small combos and then you can freestyle probably in a month. The most likely injury will be not landing flush and your fist turns under and that will F---ing hurt and may take you off the bag for more than a month so really, start slow and main focus is landing properly. That is probably way more important than what you wrap or glove in, in my opinion.

Get some wraps and learn how to wrap em.
Get a pair of 12 oz gloves.

If you want speed bag gloves, they are smaller, leather and have a bar in the grip.
Don't use these on your heavy bag as the bar in the grip can damage the heavy bag.

You're good to go.

[boxerbilly]

Get some wraps and learn how to wrap em.
Get a pair of 12 oz gloves.

If you want speed bag gloves, they are smaller, leather and have a bar in the grip.
Don't use these on your heavy bag as the bar in the grip can damage the heavy bag.

You're good to go.

I don't think you need wraps. Odds are you will make them to tight.

12 oz gloves are fine as long as they are bag gloves and not ring gloves. Ring gloves leather is soft and will eventually tear on a bag. Bag gloves are tougher. All that padding is great if you are not concerned with conditioning your hands to accept the impact.

I mainly used speed bag gloves. Just like the old timers before they had HB gloves. The bar will only damage the bag if you hammer or reverse hammer the bag. Don't slap with the bar. It hurts your hand bad. You can remove the bar with a simple cut but I would not. That bar improves the fist formation in the glove. All gloves kill a proper fist. The do sell speed bag gloves with a foam bar and that will not damage your bags should you work hammer and such but there is no real padding on any gloves for hammers. Heavy bag gloves and ring gloves does not allow you to make a real fist. The thump sort of lays on top. Sort of isshin ryu style but not exactly. The old times used to twist and break the thumb area to get some thumb articulation. This was mainly for thumbing. Modern gloves have the thumb sewed to the glove so you cant thumb.

I say go to Ringside and look at their sales. Title also has to descent lower cost equipment. All the way up to pro stuff. One can spend hundreds on a pair of pro ring gloves. But Century 12 ozs are just fine for friendly spars and can be had as low as 20. Bag gloves will likely cost you 50 bucks. Everlast speed bag gloves about 20. Old work gloves with the finger tips cut off at just above the first knuckle from the nail and the thumb. Well free-ish.

You can buy a vinyl bag and they are kinder to the hand but still can cut.

[sanjuro_ronin]

what is the minimum i should look for?

Never did bag work ?

I suggest you get some training, maybe join a boxing gym for a bit.

If not, then understand why you wrap and why you use gloves.

Wraps are used for support of the wrist and knuckles, when you are hitting the bag for 1000's of punches as boxers do, you need that.
Gloves are used to condition the arms for the extra weight they must carry over the many rounds of fighting.
Gloves come in various sizes and depending on which ones you will fight with, that is the size you should use.
Some boxers even use the Heaviside sizes for conditioning purposes even if they are going to fight with smaller ones.

Personally, after close to 40 years of hitting punching bags, I don't use wraps or gloves anymore BUT for a beginner I would suggest wraps and bag gloves ( if you are a naturally heavy hitter and are hitting hard).
There are some MMA bag gloves that are good too ( open finger).
If you don't know how to wrap you hands you are better off just using bag gloves.

[sanjuro_ronin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrist_wraps

http://www.titleboxing.com/news/demystifying-wrapping-hands/

http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/how-to-box/how-to-wrap-your-hands