The Best Sparring Equipment for Muay Thai and Martial Arts sparring

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The best equipment I have found for Martial Arts sparring

Sparring Equipment
Sparring in front of Sifu Richard Bustillo

Through my Martial Arts practice, I have been through many pairs of sparring gear. Here are my personal favorites I use daily and recommend them to everyone I know for their durability, and reliability and just overall quality.

Gloves


For Boxing Gloves I will always stand behind Fairtex products, and specifically the BVG1 Breathable pair. The BVG1 is shorter than the Mexican Boxing line Fairtex offers, with a firm wrist strap that doubles as a wrist support and keeps your gloves in very nice shape. The breathable mesh near the palm of your hand allows for airflow during and outside of training, allowing you to further aerate your gear. I personally, like all Muay Thai practitioners own 16oz gloves but recommend lighter weights for smaller individuals or beginners.



Shin Guards


I have been through many pairs of Shinpads, and absolutely hate having to pause in the middle of the round to keep re-adjusting them. I finally found the Fairtex SP7’s and have never looked back. The SP7’s feature a detachable toe guard, which allows for an absolutely amazing range of motion in your ankle without any restriction from your equipment, I always forget that I am even wearing them. They provide ample padding and have never twisted on me mid-round, despite my opponents catching my kicks. I use the Medium size at 5’8 and they fit perfectly.



Handwraps


As a Muay Thai practitioner, I always use the 180’’ hand wraps and am unhappy with anything shorter. I favor the Revgear line, for their durability as well as the wide velcro which I prefer much more than the thin strips that have become the norm. I liked these so much I bought a 10 pair pack to hand out to my friends and students!



Headgears

I'm not always a fan of Headgears and there are many studies indicating both sides of the argument if they help prevent concussions, however, they do add a nice amount of padding between your partner's fist and your skull. Here are a couple of my favorite headgears

This Fairtex helmet had the least amount of movement that I experienced with the most visibility.


For other Martial Arts or those of us who want to stay beautiful, the status quo is Macho gear. Here is their full face shielded headgear.



There exists Daido Juku helmets, however, I can't find any reputable sellers at the moment which provide 100% face coverage which protect against eye attacks.


Mouth Guard


As someone who has partially fake teeth and more chips than I'd like to admit, I can tell you that teeth are absolutely one of the most important things to protect aside from your reproductive organs and dental bills can be extremely pricey. I personally use a custom made thick night guard from my dentist, however, I was more than happy with my Shockdoctor mouthguards which I used extensively. While, I recommend going to a dentist and getting a custom fitted mouthguard, the boil and bite guards can do the job well if you can follow instructions. I have used both of these guards extensively





Cup


Personally, I’m not a fan of wearing cups as they get in the way too often or are severely uncomfortable. However, I have used them on occasion and was thankful that I did. I personally use the shock doctor compression shorts with a shock doctor cup, I’ve seen the Diamond cups built for MMA that can withstand an adult's full power kick to the groin, but if you are in that situation during sparring I personally think there are other issues that need to be addressed.


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