Boxing Equipment – Some Random Facts
Boxing, as you may surmise, can be risky, if it is not refereed or conducted carefully. Hence, it requires several items that protect the different parts of your body. These items are often a one-time investment; and therefore a boxer doesn’t look at buying cheap items again and again. The first time he invests, therefore, he makes certain he buys strong and durable items that will efficiently serve their purpose for many years to come.
Let’s look in detail at these two categories of boxing equipment items: training and protecting. Here are a few details on each.
1. Training equipment
• Punch bag
If punch bags of a few years ago created so many bruises on the boxer’s knuckles, those of today are a quite different story. They are made of quality materials that provide a safe striking surface and are filled with materials that give flexibility and toughness to the bag simultaneously. The punch bag gives the boxer an excellent surface to practice his knockout punches.
• Speed bag
A speed bag provides the boxer with much needed hand-eye coordination as its movements cannot be predicted. Speed bags keep him focused throughout his training.
2. Protecting equipment
• Headgear
Some form of headgear is the most important of safety equipment for boxing. It protects the skull, temple, eyes as well as ears. A strong and sturdy head covering is absolutely necessary for a boxer, whether during training or in a real match. They are available in different styles and colours.
• Mouth guards
While boxing, the mouth is one area that is highly prone to be attacked; sometimes from a straight punch to the face or while falling down. Mostly, the lips will be bruised as they are smashed against the teeth inside. Mouth guards protect the boxer from all these, including the jarring of the jaw that can affect the brain as well.
• Protective cups
These are additional padding to protect the abdomen and groin areas. They are also available in different styles and are made of different materials.
There is one item that is not mentioned in either of these categories and that is, of course, the boxing gloves. It is not included because it belongs to both categories. Protective gloves are a must for boxing, whether this is for training or participating in a professional boxing match. While selecting gloves a boxer must make sure they fit their fists exactly and give the support their hands need. As you may already have guessed, a boxer’s prowess lies mostly on their fists and it is imperative that they are adequately protected.
The list of boxing equipment doesn’t stop here. There are a lot more items that could be discussed, like knee pads, elbow pads, ankle braces, skin pads, etc. However, most of them are used only during the training sessions, while a professional boxer would use the most important of these accessories, namely, the headgear, gloves, mouth guard, etc. It is not difficult to find these items nowadays, especially with the many online stores that provide these items along with colourful images and detailed descriptions. If you are into the game yourself then get the best boxing equipment you can find, as their role in protecting you is undoubtedly a major one.