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How to choose the right boxing gloves for MMA Training, Muay Thai and other Striking Systems

After many years of Boxing based training and now coaching Mixed Martial Arts from a striking point of view I often get asked which are the best boxing gloves to buy.

The first point is all about size.  Boxing gloves don’t come in sizes they come in weights between 8 and 18oz.  8 or 10oz gloves are competition gloves designed for actual fighting not really for sparring or training in however a lighter pair of boxing gloves can be handy for pad work and very light sparring although generally speaking purpose built bag gloves are better for pads or bag work.

I recommend no smaller than 12oz gloves for any training that is likely to involve sparring, 14 or 16oz however are the norm for sparring with moderate contact. 18oz I tend to see as cumbersome but can be useful for heavy sparring or for very large guys needing to lower their impact level.  For heavy sparring headgear often available from the same manufacturers as the gloves is probably going to be more appropriate than really big boxing gloves.

Buying Muay Thai brands such as Top King, Fairtex or Twins gloves is generally a better bet than western boxing brands although most good boxing brands will do a job..  In Muay Thai the clinch is an integral part of the sport therefore the gloves are a slimmer design which fits in well for MMA Training too.

Quality is a massively important consideration when purchasing boxing gloves.  There are many cheap gloves made in Pakistan or China and imported here under a whole host of brand names, some are ok, some even good but for the most they are untested, unreliable and poor quality.  I recommend going for a proven brand name such as Top King or Fairtex.  A good pair of boxing gloves if looked after will last years of training whereas a cheap pair you’ll be lucky to get a year out of, the old saying buy cheap buy twice really applies here.

The quality of the gloves also has an effect on the safety aspect of using them. I ban cheap gloves from my gym for this reason.  Boxing gloves are designed to protect the person you are hitting (an obvious but often misunderstood concept in beginners) Poor quality padding which wears down fast will soon offer only a little more protection than bare knuckles, the Velcro on cheaper imports is often not properly covered either so can cause grazes and often infections when making contact with peoples skin.

So it really is a massive factor to consider if you are starting out or have been doing this for years, otherwise you could cause some serious damage to not only yourself but to the person you are fighting with. Is it really worth saving a little bit of money when in the long run you could be doing some serious damage to yourself? If you are passionate about what you do then just take this small factor into consideration and you will have the last laugh.

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When martial arts students first enroll into classes, their goal is often to perfect their technique to the point at which they receive a black belt. Oddly, many people – including students – either do not know what the color means or are under a mistaken impression about it. For example, some believe it represents the highest level of achievement possible in the technique being studied. Others believe it means a student has graduated to the role of an instructor. Still others think it signifies a pupil has successfully demonstrated a predefined level of physical prowess. None are true.

It is important to realize that martial arts instruction never truly ends. Students are encouraged to pursue their training perpetually while using the guiding principles and philosophy of their preferred style in their daily lives. That precludes the notion of achieving mastery through technique alone.

In Japan, the term “black belt” is rarely used. Instead, the Japanese refer to a martial arts practitioner as having “dan” (or rank). While systems vary, dan is often given based upon a pupil’s aptitude in three separate categories: physical, psychological, and spiritual. Below, I’ll describe each in more detail.

Physical Aptitude

The various martial arts styles emphasize different features. For example, judo stresses throwing while karate highlights striking. Even though a person can receive a black belt simply for mastering the moves inherent in his or her chosen technique, a well-rounded proficiency in striking, kicking, throwing, and blocking is preferable. Furthermore, the pupil should be able to demonstrate a highly-refined skill in controlling his body and timing. In fact, while many students emphasize striking moves, it is often the subtler moves that let them stand apart from their peers.

Psychological Aptitude

Most martial arts styles underscore the importance of psychological temperance. In the context of earning a black belt, this temperance should be demonstrated with regard to being alert about one’s surroundings. A pupil should be able to understand his situation quickly and react accordingly. He or she must not only be able to recognize potential danger, but should also be able to discern why that danger exists. In the case of a hypothetical attacker, a student should identify the presence of weapons, accomplices, and possible exit routes.

Spiritual Aptitude

Unfortunately, this category is often overlooked, if not completely ignored, when determining whether a martial arts pupil is deserving of a black belt. Spiritual aptitude is just as important as the other two areas. Many experienced practitioners argue that students should possess a clarity of their moral and ethical position. Every situation is unique and clarity of such things aids decision-making.

For example, if an assailant attacks, should he be thwarted without causing harm or does the situation justify a counterattack? Is there a likelihood that others will be accidentally harmed? Will greater good emerge from avoiding a confrontation rather than challenging an aggressor?

A Confluence Of Multiple Capabilities

While earning a black belt can be accomplished without mastering the three categories above, a true immersion into the martial arts practically demands their mastery. Students should be able to not only demonstrate a physical proficiency in their chosen style, but should also exhibit a psychological and spiritual competence. Indeed, mastering a specific discipline requires several skills.

Many martial arts instructors feel that a pupil is most deserving of a black belt once he or she has clearly demonstrated an ability to learn. More than merely becoming skilled at a series of strikes and blocks, the student must be able to understand the precepts upon which the martial arts are founded. Indeed, this may be the best criteria by which a black belt is awarded.

Are you serious about mastering the martial art of “enduring against all odds” – do you want to learn ninjutsu – the art of the Ninja?

To learn ninjutsu is to go beyond the conventional idea of martial arts. What many see – including students and teachers within the art today – is merely one aspect of a system of living life fully – of recreating yourself to realize your fullest potential. And this system has been producing real results for its practitioners for well over 900 years!

One of the qualities that you must develop, not just for effective self defense, but for producing results in every facet of your life, is that of “strategic thinking.” What that means is that you must go from being at the mercy of the automatic, habitual response way of thinking and acting that was developed as a child, to the mature, observational, and problem-solving mindset that…

Sees what is going on, behind and beyond the outward actions…

…recognizes how that fits into a bigger picture, or is part of a grander goal/result, and…

…realizes the best course of action which will produce the results needed.

This is a lesson inherent in the Ninja’s kihon happo. But, hidden within this apparently fixed set of basic techniques, is a method for discovering more than just how to block, punch, kick, and throw an opponent across a dojo floor.

Without going into the specific models that most students are familiar with, this article will focus on the lesson – not what the lesson looks like. So, what I’m going to do is to outline a way to turn 1 simple technique example into much more. In fact…

…what I’m about to give you should keep you busy for a long time to come, and allow you to realize that your teacher only had to teach you one technique for each principle to be learned – rather than the hundreds that everyone seems to be bent on collecting.

So, lets begin with a simple model – one where you are defending against a right punch to the face from your attacker. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume that the base model has the attacker throwing what many consider to be a “traditional” lunging, straight punch.

And the model we’ll use is one where we pull back and away from his attack at a 45 degree angle, inside the attack, to catch his balance, and then counter attack with an omote shuto, palm-up knifehand strike to the side of his neck.

So, let’s take the lesson of “creating variations” from the kihon happo and, after we get the basic model, let’s double our technique by training it against a left punch. Then, in whatever order you want, you can…

• Practice by going outside the attack – left and right. Now we have 4 techniques.
• Do this with your attacker throwing a straight kick instead. Now we have how many? Right… 8.
• Replace the kick with a stomach punch. How many now?
• Now defend against a hook punch.
• How about a knife stab or a swinging strike from a club or hanbo (“half-staff”)?

Get the idea?

By my count, my teacher’s single technique model is now 24 techniques!

And, believe it or not, each attack change will create different challenges that can only be answered by letting go of the limiting thinking of the beginner focused on step-by-step mechanics – and thinking strategically about distance, timing, and the results you’re trying to create.

And, that’s just from changing the attacks. What would happen if you changed the way you…

• Receive the strike, grab, or kick?
• Break his balance?
• Take up kamae at the beginning, middle, and end of the foray?
• Control his perceptions? Or…
• Choose different strikes or other skills to counter-attack?

Are you serious about mastering the art of ninjutsu – about having the power, confidence, and control to handle any attacker – any situation?

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