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dhogsette
dhogsette's picture
Gear for Kata-based Sparring

Hello all,

I'll be starting my students (all beginners) on basic sparring and kata-based sparring in the new year. Any recommendations on gear? I like the Tiger Claw gloves because they allow for grabbing, grappling, and throws, but I find the threading around the finger holes to be poor quality and break easily when grappling. I'm thinking about going to MMA style gloves, but I'm not sure if they provide enough padding to protect the training partner. Recommendations for hand and feet/shin gear would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

David

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

dhogsette wrote:

Hello all,

I'll be starting my students (all beginners) on basic sparring and kata-based sparring in the new year. Any recommendations on gear? I like the Tiger Claw gloves because they allow for grabbing, grappling, and throws, but I find the threading around the finger holes to be poor quality and break easily when grappling. I'm thinking about going to MMA style gloves, but I'm not sure if they provide enough padding to protect the training partner. Recommendations for hand and feet/shin gear would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

David

I use Combat Sports Intl. MMA sparring gloves, which are MMA style gloves that are more padded than competition gloves. They work very well! The new Shureido WKF-approved shin/foot padding is actually surprisingly good, although I generally use Shockwave shin/instep pads.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

There are a growing number of manufactures who make gloves that are open palm (so we can grip), that have a sound wrist strap (so they don’t come off), and have good padding (so they are safe).

The gloves Noah describes are like that.

Those are largely the type we use in the club. Although it can be good to have a selection of gloves depending upon the type of sparring being done. Personally, my kit bag includes the type of glove discussed, standard MMA gloves, WKF style sparring mitts, Boxing Gloves, Bag Gloves, etc.

However, if you are sparring with control and in a way that is “holistic” the sparring gloves shown are good for most types.

As for the shin and feet, we just go with the standard elasticated shin and instep protectors. The only other “must haves” are boxes and gum-shields.

All the best,

Iain

dhogsette
dhogsette's picture

Thank you both! These Combat Sports International gloves look much sturdier than my worn out Tiger Claw gloves. Will check them out and then recommend that or similar to my students. I think the basic cloth shin/instep pads with elastic backing will be fine. Tried and true.

Thanks again!

Best,

David

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

dhogsette wrote:

Thank you both! These Combat Sports International gloves look much sturdier than my worn out Tiger Claw gloves. Will check them out and then recommend that or similar to my students. I think the basic cloth shin/instep pads with elastic backing will be fine. Tried and true.

Thanks again!

Best,

David

They are definitely durable--my Sensei has a pair of old lace-up MMA sparring gloves from Combat Sport Intl, and they have got to be 10 years old, now! Good luck!

Mark B
Mark B's picture

In my dojo we use a more padded glove for newer students, in the first instance with head/face protection. As competence and confidence increases we remove the head guard We then move onto normal MMA gloves, once again with head gear. Again, on occasions as appropriate we leave out the head guard. I don't bother with any other protection, I believe too much can create a false sense of confidence. Also, I only teach "sparring" against scenario based HAOPV, not back and forth typical Kumite. Regards Mark

JWT
JWT's picture

What I use will vary according to what we are doing.  

For normal kata based drills we won't wear any protection whatsoever. If we are increasing intensity and there is a higher risk of head impact then I'll have the students don Blitz cage helmets and MMA gloves (for example my Heian/Pinan Yondan swimming drill or any of our ground and pound drills). If I'm specifically dealing with kicks on the ground then I'll introduce Spartan shin pads to protect both the kicker's shins and reduce the risk of injury to the defender. I find MMA gloves give great versatility without being too cumbersome. Impact with them isn't usually an issue as for safety reasons head contact is always limited in my training - the important thing is the stimulus of a fast head strike, not actually receiving a head strike. People will always get enough accidental knocks to give an appreciation of what they are trying to avoid.  

This can scale up to full body armour armour for completely unpredictable scenario training with HAOV because in that you tend to get hit in untensed/unprotected areas - especially in multiple person events. Added to which without the armour people would not be able to do the number of scenarios we run and take that many hard hits and keep going, they'd just get too tired or too injured after a few goes.  In the hands of inexperienced people the heavier armour can cause issues because people don't recognise the hits they have taken and respond naturally, plus the thickness of the armour can limit certain close quarter tactics. I do however have lighter thinner body armour of my own design that I use to compensate for that and I am using that more often.  

Hope that helps  

All the best  

John Titchen

dhogsette
dhogsette's picture

All very helpful. Thanks so much!

Best,

David