Believe it or not, boxing is one of the oldest sports out there, but it gained mass popularity during the 19th century when it was widely practiced across the UK; now, it remains as one of the most popular sports around the world.
Although it only gained its popularity in the 1800s, it first appeared in the Olympic Games back in 688. B.C. and the concept of the sport has more or less since stayed the same. This doesn’t come as a surprise due to the fact that, unlike some martial arts, boxing is pretty simple in terms of the techniques that are included. Your main and only weapon is your punches, as there is no leg use involved, apart from the fluent footwork that you need to have.
If your dream is to become the next Mike Tyson or leave a legacy similar to the one Muhammad Ali did, you will have to practice a lot. Still, one good thing is that while boxing is a demanding sport, it is not expensive. Yes, you will need some equipment other than shirts and shorts – you need boxing training equipment. But if you know where to look, you can find just what you need.
We recommend using Findbestboxinggloves.com as a great source where you will find the essentials for a discounted price. Bearing this in mind, let’s go ahead and answer the question of what is the equipment used in boxing and take a look at each.
Boxing Gloves
This one didn’t come as a surprise, now, did it? Boxing gloves are essential, without which you wouldn’t be able to practice boxing. Unique to this sport, there are hundreds of different boxing gloves and brands, but that doesn’t mean that choosing the right one isn’t difficult.
Buying from a brand like Everlast, you can never go wrong as it has a long history of providing exquisite boxing equipment. What you should look for are gloves that have two layers of ventilated foam and a comfortable Velcro strap. You will be wearing these for most of your practice, so make sure that they are the best you can get.
Apart from the regular boxing gloves, you will need to get a pair of sparring gloves, which are especially important for the partner you are sparring with. These, along with the headgear, will ensure no injuries occur during your practice session.
Bag Gloves
While competition gloves are essential for you to become a professional, and sparring ones are there to protect your partner from serious injury, bag gloves have a whole other purpose. These are much thinner and are in fact there to protect your hands while you are punching the bag. Yes, you can go without these, but a good pair will allow you to go all-out without worrying about injury. Along with these, you can invest in hand wraps that will protect your knuckles from bleeding and fracturing.
Boxing Shoes
Now, these are not essential, but if you want to look and feel like a pro, we recommend that you go ahead and buy a pair of Rival boxing boots. Comfortable and sporty, these will contribute to your overall style in the ring, and allow you to “move like a butterfly and sting like a bee!”
Punching Bag
An essential part of any boxing kit is a proper punching bag. While you can find these at a fair and affordable price, to begin with, we still recommend that you invest in one that has a soft filling and is made of quality leather that can withstand days, months, and years of punching abuse. A proper bag should weigh around 70-80 pounds and have a sturdy swivel mount so you can attach it to your ceiling.
Headgear
Headgear is an important part of boxing equipment for both sparring and competitive matches. Unless you want to end up with soft tissue damage, you need to invest in quality headgear that will not affect your breathing or sight, but will keep your face protected from cuts and scrapes.
Mouthguard
Last but not least, a mouthguard is something that you simply have to invest in. Proper headgear will provide a lot of protection, but you can never go wrong in giving your jaw and teeth some extra protection. A lot of boxing punches and jabs aim for the teeth and jaw, thus with a mouthguard, you will do everything in your power to protect this area.
Conclusion
While boxing is not expensive, there are still essentials that you need to invest in for the optimal training results and protection. Our recommendation is that you buy online as you will be able to find discounted and premium boxing gloves, bags, and headgear offers with ease.