Sparring Equipment: Yes or No and what is best

[Iron_Eagle_76]

I am curious as to what equipment KFMers use and how they get the most out of the equipment they spar with. I will break it down into a few categories but if I miss something or anyone wants to add something feel free to.

Category 1: Boxing Gloves, Head gear, Shin Guards, could also throw in chest protector or body protector. This equipment allows for the most hard contact sparring with the least amount of injuries.

Category 2: Foam dipped martial arts sparring gear, usually gloves and shin guards, also head gear. Much less durable than leather boxing products, and used mostly for point style sparring.

Category 3: Pretty much the same as 1, but substitute MMA style sparring gloves instead of boxing gloves. This of course allows more trapping and grappling techniques.

Category 4: No equipment. This can fall into light contact sparring or hard contact sparring (Kyokushin style). This produces the most realistic sparring as it is close to how a street fight with no gear on will go down.

Feel free to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each, what you prefer, why you prefer it, and so on and so forth. I am really curious on people's perspective on this subject. Thanks.

[MasterKiller]

will cover about 80% of your training right there.


When you want to hit harder:

[sanjuro_ronin]

Well, based on what I have done:
For training and sparring you NEED:
Mouth guard, headgear, gloves.

For full contact sparring:
Mouth guard, headgear and gloves and if you want to take it to the highest level of "realisim", just Gloves and as light as possible.


For beginners however:
Mouth guard, shin, chest and head guards and gloves.

I suggest getting rid of the shin and chest as soon as possible though.

[Iron_Eagle_76]

MK: Good equipment list, even though I use Title simply because their gear is cheaper, but CSI is good stuff.

SJ: Excellent points, especially on the full contact sparring and particulary if someone is getting ready for a compeition. I personally like to do a mix of light equipment, heavy equipment to get the feel of competing full contact but also do reduce injuries.

[lkfmdc]

I have very little use for headgear in basic training, competition yes, training no

I disagree RE shin padding though, way to easy to mess up seriously your legs and ankles, heck, you mess them up WITH the shin pads!

[MightyB]

A really good investment to make is to go to an actual dentist and get a custom/professional mouthguard.

At the most, it's going to cost you $50, but insurance usually kicks in so you're looking at $15 to $20 out of pocket. They are way more comfortable, durable, and effective than the rubber ones you pick up off the shelf.

[Iron_Eagle_76]

Yeah, when I was younger I never used shin guards, now I use them all the time. I guess as you get older, the sh**it hurts a lot more, at least it does for me. Also, competing at amateur level you are pretty much always going to have shin guards on so you might as well get used to them. I do see the point in sparring and getting used to not having them, and certainly for those fighting pro or under a rule set that does not require shin guards.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I have very little use for headgear in basic training, competition yes, training no

I disagree RE shin padding though, way to easy to mess up seriously your legs and ankles, heck, you mess them up WITH the shin pads!

Dude, I never ONCE used shin pads in all my kyokshin training or sparring and never once when I did MT.
And my shins are uber-sexy in all their hairy glory !
Women want to caress them and men envy me from a far !!


You Sir, are what we in Kyokushin like to refer to as, in technical terms, a P-u-s-s-y !!

[MasterKiller]

MK: Good equipment list, even though I use Title simply because their gear is cheaper, but CSI is good stuff..

Get a wholesale account. I pay about 1/3 price for everything.

[lkfmdc]

Dude, I never ONCE used shin pads in all my kyokshin training or sparring and never once when I did MT.
And my shins are uber-sexy in all their hairy glory !
Women want to caress them and men envy me from a far !!


You Sir, are what we in Kyokushin like to refer to as, in technical terms, a P-u-s-s-y !!

Well, I have news for you, maybe you've heard, but those shin pads, well, they DEVELOPED THEM IN THAILAND IN THE MUAY THAI CAMPS....

But, I mean, what do those Nak Muay know about fighting, it isn't like they've beaten a bunch of Kyokushinkai guys... oh, wait ! THEY HAVE!

[Iron_Eagle_76]

Dude, I never ONCE used shin pads in all my kyokshin training or sparring and never once when I did MT.
And my shins are uber-sexy in all their hairy glory !
Women want to caress them and men envy me from a far !!


You Sir, are what we in Kyokushin like to refer to as, in technical terms, a P-u-s-s-y !!

What about ITF Taekwondo standards, you can't leave that out!

[sanjuro_ronin]

But, I mean, what do those Nak Muay know about fighting, it isn't like they've beaten a bunch of Kyokushinkai guys... oh, wait ! THEY HAVE!

Low blow, I should have worn a cup !!

By the way, they developed them for the white people training there.

[Syn7]

mouthpiece and a cup are the only two i couldnt do without...

im very paranoid of the whole teeth thang, when i was younger i had both my front teeth chipped and it suuuucks!!! finally fixed it but it sucked having to wait to fix it... and chipped teeth just slowly get worse over time... once a tooth breaks, its only a matter of time before it starts chiiping away on ya...


for wrestling, headgear is something i dont have a problem with... i jhate those guys that criticise people for wearing it, cauliflower ear sucks, why do that if you dont have to? just to show your a big man? lots of that in the fight world, unfortunately...


fotr practice, i dont have an isssue with any padding... but i have to assume as you get better you use less padding... if not, then whats gonna happen when you check a cut kick for real, you get a giant knot on ur shin then when you go to check the next kick? its gonna have you scream bloody murder... you gotta start conditioning your body at some point, sooner the better... not to mention general hardening will keep you in the fight longer...

less pads = more fight... teeth and nuttz not included!

[lkfmdc]

Low blow, I should have worn a cup !!

real kyokushinkai guys don't need a cup.....

[MasterKiller]

By the way, they developed them for the white people training there.

lol at all you silly white boys