As a former professional Muay Thai fighter, I know firsthand how important it is to be prepared for every training session. Over the years, I've learned from my mistakes, and I'm here to share my insights with you. Here’s my guide to the essential items every Muay Thai fighter should have in their gym bag:
Muay Thai Gloves
High-quality leather Muay Thai gloves are crucial for durability and for protecting your hands and wrists during training and sparring. Buying cheap gloves will cost you more in the long run. You need two pairs of gloves:
- Gloves for Pads and Bag Work: The first pair is for hitting pads and the bag. The size of these gloves should match the size you will fight in. For example, heavyweights fighting amateur will usually fight in 12oz gloves, while amateur welterweights will fight in 10oz gloves but the Pro welter weights will use 8oz. If you train in larger gloves, like 14oz, your body will get used to the size when covering up, throwing punches, wearing kicks from your trainer and even seeing through the gloves. I learned this the hard way. I trained in 12oz gloves, but my first fight in Thailand was in 8oz gloves. It felt strange and unfamiliar, so to have one less thing to worry about before your fight, train in the glove size you will be fighting in. It also helps simulate the fight conditions.
- Sparring Gloves: The second pair of gloves is for sparring. Different countries have slightly different norms for this unspoken rule. In Australia, for example, all gyms encourage wearing 16oz gloves to spar. In Thailand, it is common to find fighters sparring with 18oz gloves. I recommend using 16 gloves especially the heavier hitters.
Top King Boxing gloves are all hand made from genuine leather. Top King is known for being premium quality gloves.
Hand Wraps
Hand wraps are essential for protecting the small bones in your hands and wrists especially when sparring. I recommend using hand wraps that are from material that stretches. Always keep a few pairs in your bag so you’re never without them.
Shin Guards
High quality shin guards are vital for running drills and sparring. The aim is to find shin guards that are thick enough that protect your shins and constructed well enough that they stay in place during hard sparring and drills. Top King Boxing USA’s shin guards are made from genuine leather and designed to hug your leg and won’t move. Top King Shin Guards are the best in the business. Worn by professional Muay Thai and UFC fighters like Connor McGregor.
Tip: If you where knee pads when sparring it might be a good idea to check out the different style shin guards to suit your equipment.
Mouthguard
Invest in a custom moulded mouth guard made by a professional. It’ll allow you to breath better thus improve your performance in the ring. To simulate the fight, I recommend to train with the mouth guard. Hit pads, hit the bag, clinch – do it all with a mouth guard, except for running.
Ankle Supports
Muay Thai involves a lot of kicking and kicking an elbow or knee is never fun. The foot has 26 bones, and the ankle joint can be fragile. Ankle supports provide additional stability and help prevent these injuries. Tip: put some padding in the ankle guard for added protection.
Good Running shoes
When getting ready for a fight or if you want to start taking Muay Thai, Boxing, MMA serious you need to RUN RUN RUN, everyday if you are in fight prep – 6km to 10km twice a day, six days a week before training (if you’re in Thailand). Having good supportive shoes is crucial for preventing injuries. Therefore, investing in quality shoes is great for injury prevent and maintenance. Buy proper shoes for your foot position, whether you pronate (roll inward), supinate (roll outward), or have flat feet. Seeking advice when choosing the right shoe is invaluable.
Tip: Although not essential, I strongly advise getting anti-blister socks. They saved me during my second trip to Thailand. My first trip, I ran before training in the morning and afternoon sessions, then the repeated kicking and pivoting generated blisters. It seems the run and the shoes made my feet raw before hitting pads. This wasn’t an issue back home. Soon after, I bought anti-blister socks, which solved my problem. They prevented my feet from feeling raw before all the pivoting that comes with kicking, completely eliminating blisters during the intense training sessions.
Jump Rope
All fighters skip - A jump rope is an excellent tool for warming up and improving your foot work and cardiovascular.
Muay Thai shorts
An obvious one but sometimes overlooked reason for using Muay Thai shorts. They are light weight and easy to roll up when kicking pads. Check out our Top King Muay Thai shorts.
TRAIN HARD FIGHT EASY – Chok Dee!