For those who have never heard of it the acronym MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts. It is a full contact sport where the disciplines of various martial arts techniques are used to punch and kick an opponent. The original thought was to pit various martial arts against one another in the hope of finding the most effective one in an unarmed combat scenario. Many people around the world enjoy this sport, and take great care when choosing their equipment, especially their MMA sparring gloves.
MMA competitions were introduced into the United States in 1993 with the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. It gained exposure and popularity when a Jiu Jitsu fighter named Royce Gracie won the first tournament. The interest in martial arts saw a distinct increase. Some also say that the father of MMA is none other than Bruce Lee, who believed that the best fighter was one who could adapt to any style.
In those early days it was only professional fighters who got involved with the Mixed Martial Arts scene. Nowadays, thanks to ever growing popularity, it is being taught in more venues. The general public now have the accessibility to train like the professionals in sports halls and gyms throughout the country.
While you are in training you will get involved with sparring, and for that you are going to need some gloves. These come in a wide variety of weights and styles, but are there to protect both you and your partner. As you are going to be doing a lot of sparring in your training it is important to get the right fit for you.
When you are trying to decide which gloves are going to be right for you, notice what your training buddies are wearing. You have nothing to lose by asking their advice, find out why they use that glove and not another style or brand. Find out how long they have been using that particular pair for, this will give you a good idea about how durable they are.
Ideally they should be comfortable and fit firmly in the important areas, probably the most important consideration is that they should feel secure. There is no point having the gloves if you are not confident that they will stay on, especially as your hands start to get slick with sweat. Some opt to get their equipment via mail order over the internet, whereas others the more traditional route of the sports store.
Initially the MMA sparring gloves will feel very stiff, and they are going to need breaking in. This will be especially noticeable in the finger and thumb loop areas. Unfortunately there is no short cut to breaking in these gloves, but remember that the ones you tried on at the club were also new and stiff once.
If you take part in in boxing or martial arts, wearing the right MMA sparring gloves can improve your safety. More information about the best MMA gloves can be found on our website now.
Tags: extreme sports, health, Martial Arts, mixed martial arts, sports
by John MacKintosh on May 31st, 2012 | | trackback
