Fighters often wonder which gloves they
should be using; boxing gloves or MMA gloves. One thing
everyone should be clear about is that boxing and MMA are two very different
fighting styles, MMA includes certain boxing skills and moves, but is
inherently very different from boxing. As such, they usually require different
gear to train with. Fighters also need to consider what they are getting gloves
for? Are they practicing MMA, learning some boxing skills, or are they looking
to work on the heavy bag and/ or focus pads in order to develop good form?
For most fighters, the hand is the
single most common body part to get injured. As much as one-third of all boxing
injuries are of the hand. It is vital that you are clear about what you want to
train for and then decide whether you need boxing gloves or MMA gloves. Even if
you need boxing gloves, there are various types of boxing gloves that will be
most suitable for you depending on the activity you wish to focus on. Below
let’s look at some key differences between boxing gloves or MMA gloves.
Fingertips
The most distinct difference between boxing
gloves or MMA gloves is that MMA gloves have open fingertips. In boxing a
fighter’s main form of offense is different variation of closed fist punches.
However, in MMA, a fighter draws from various fighting conventions that would
require him to have his hands free to perform takedowns, execute submission
locks or grapple, requiring his fingers to be free to do so.
Padding
Boxing gloves in comparison to MMA
gloves have much more padding. It is true that there are different types so
boxing gloves with varying degree of padding depending on the activity
performed but the boxing glove with the least amount of padding still has more
padding than a MMA glove.
Whether you are looking for boxing
gloves or MMA gloves, it is important to understand that as a fighter, your
hands are your greatest weapon. So protecting them is of the utmost importance.
Thereby it is important to consider all differences and characteristics among
boxing gloves or MMA gloves and then decide which is most appropriate for you.
