Mixed Martial Arts is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world today. Due to the rise in popularity of the ultimate fighting championships (UFC) mixed martial arts has become all the rage with teens and adults alike training in MMA either for fitness or for sport. One question a lot of people ask when starting their training is “what MMA gear will I need to start my training”?There are many items available in the market like MMA handwraps, boxing gloves, and many other items.

Below we will outline  essential items that you will need to start your training

1. One of the most important items of kit that you will need is a mouthguard. Due to MMA being a contact sport you will take some knocks and get some bruises but one thing you don’t want is to lose some teeth. A mouth guard goes a long way in preventing this from happening.

When buying a mouth guard buy the best you can afford. This is not an area that you want to save money. There are 2 different types you can get. The first is the “mould in the mouth” type where you put the mouth guard in boiling water then put it in your mouth and it molds to the shape of your teeth.

The second is “custom molding”. With this type, you take a putty mould of your mouth then send the mould off to a dentist and they will make a mouth guard that is a perfect fit for your teeth and gums.

2. The next item might seem a bit obvious but you would be surprised at the number of people who do not wear a groin guard. There is nothing worse than taking a shot in the groin if you’ve experienced this then you will know.

The best MMA gloves for you vary depending on factors like your fighting style and training methods. That said you must know some essential things before you choose or buy and MMA gloves.

You will need different varieties for sparring and practice sessions, for actual competition fights, and for bag work. This is due to the different padding in “MMA training gloves” (which is known as “guanti da allenamento mma” in Italian) and how much movement of the fingers they allow.

MMA fight gloves are built to keep both fighters safe and protected. By design, they have a lot less padding than sparring gloves and are designed for real competition. The type we use for bag work requires a lot more padding to protect your hands

A quality pair of MMA gloves will have padding which is softer and l like these gloves better for sparring. If your sparring buddy complains this will be an obvious clue. As well as protecting your own hands it’s only fair to consider your training partner.

Certain types of gloves feel very ‘snug’ on the hands and this is a personal choice – not too loose, not too tight. Absorbing the shock from big punches is another thing to consider. A good strong bag is needed for this test! Get some real power into some punches and see if this impacts your wrists, hands, or elbows. With the right level of padding, the impact and shock should be minimal.

At the same time as you order your gloves think about what other MMA gear you may need. As well as clothing like MMA shorts you may also order training aids like pads and focus mitts from a decent supplier.

Mouthguards are something else to think about and another item for spending money on and not going for a cheap option. You will take a lot of knocks in a fight and you want to protect yourself as much as you can.