Doug Freeman, founder of BJJ Gi Reviews, always reminds beginner fighters that professional fighters risk their hands more than any other part of the body. Statistics show that one-third of boxing injuries are involved in hands. To prevent hand and finger injuries, fighters are obligated to wear a combination of hand wraps and boxing gloves when they fight. Similar to that, High quality MMA gloves are designed to stabilize the hand and wrist area, reducing the potential hand injuries during impact training or a bout. According to Doug, there are three main types of gloves available in the market:
- Sparring gloves: The name itself specifies that these gloves are used for sparring sessions. Average weight of the gloves is 7 ounces as it focuses more on striking and punching with it having most of the padding on the front and top of the gloves.
- Bag gloves:These gloves are used in training periods like pad work and heavy bag hitting. It secures your hand the most as it has the most padding and weighs more at around 12 to 16 ounces. You can get lighter versions that are suitable for women and men with a smaller build.
- Competition gloves: To be used professionally, these gloves generally weigh a lot less than sparring gloves because they have minimum padding. Average weight of the gloves is 4 ounces depending on the rules of the fight. Competition gloves are generally finger slotted to allow freedom of movement of the fingers; this makes it easier for fighters to hold their opponents. Due to it having the least amount of padding among the categories, it is obligated to be worn with appropriate hand wraps to add more protection.
Doug mentions that there are multiple things to consider when buying a pair of MMA gloves like brand, color, material used, quality control measures, size, technology, and usage. You can check his reviews on MMA gloves to find yourself the best gloves suitable for you at their official website.
More importantly, Doug insists, these best MMA gloves must be kept in good condition for it to last longer, protecting you and your opponent for a long time. Here are some of his tips to protecting your protection:
- A fighter must never take off his gloves and drop them down on the floor. This can cause splits and scratches that can grow in size with continuous use. This leads to abrasions on the opponents’ body or face.
- A fighter must spray special deodorant designed for gloves to keep it clean and free from bacteria.
- Let your gloves dry in the air after a training session. Avoid drying it in direct sunlight.
- Never share your gloves or use someone else’s gloves as this is considered unhygienic. This can lead to injury as your glove is contoured to your hand and not your friend.
About BJJ Gi Reviews
Doug Freeman, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has been training BJJ for 7 years. Because of his love and passion for BJJ, he decided to create a blog where he can share his knowledge and other information on BJJ.