One of the most frequent questions we get when people are looking to purchase sparring gear is "what does it matter, aren't they all the same?"
Helping us to better answer this question, we should define what sparring gear is used in each Martial Art as there are many different Martial Arts. For this review we are going to focus on the most popular questions we receive as they relate to the following:
Karate Taekwondo Mixed Martial Arts
1. Taekwondo As there are various styles of Taekwondo, for this article we will focus on the most popular style - WTF which stand for World Taekwondo Federation. For sanctioned competitions there are only certain manufacturers that are approved for official use at these tournaments. Currently the main mfg is Adidas which has a great reputation in the industry for creating quality sparring gear.
What makes up a set of sparring gear for WTF Taekwondo?
Arm Guards Hand Protectors Foot Pads Chest Protectors Helmets Shin Guards Mouth Guards Groin Protectors
These are the most well known brands: Adidas & Daedo
We have worked with all the above and find that overall Adidas has been the best sparring gear thus far however we will continue our testing across kids, teens and adults to ensure we have a broad range of test environments to provide you with more results over time. Its important to get the best protection you can, that will last. With a major focus now being on head shots, you will want to ensure that your protection comes first over price... a concussion can last a lifetime.
2. Mixed Martial Arts When competing in tournaments or sanctioned matches, MMA athletes don't us sparring gear, this is only used at training times. When training, specific gear is worn depending upon the striking and drills that they are focusing on. When they are grappling there is no gear worn, you can imagine trying to wrestle wearing a chest guard? Not!
What makes up a MMA sparring gear set for strike training? Generally hand, foot, shin, groin & only occasionally chest protection or chest armor is used.
MMA's Most Popular Brands: Century, ProForce
During this testing period so far we see that ProForce and Century gear are both performing to top level conditions. There hasn't been any noticeable difference therefore we will continue to follow our testing over the coming weeks and report back our findings when they become more conclusive.
When you want to ensure that you are protecting yourself, you need to ensure that you have purchased the highest quality gear you can. Understanding that your health comes first, it doesn't make sense to save a little money when you can't put a price on your good health! Pay more now so that when foot meets your head, you know that you are protected by the best equipment possible.
3. Karate Before you purchase your sparring gear set for Karate you will want to check with your organization to ensure that you will get the right equipment because if you are going to compete officially in sanctioned tournaments, you need to make sure you have everything you need that meets their strict requirements:
Hand Protectors, Foot Guards Head Guards Mouth Piece
Some of the most notable brands include: Macho, Century, NKF
Over the past 2 weeks we have seen some noticeable wear on one set of the Century gear so we are extending our testing across multiple Martial Artists to ensure that we have a broader test case to provide you with better results over the next few weeks.
If you are trying to buy on price, think again. Don't jeopardize all your hard work and dedication just to save some money. Always put your health and safety first, don't skimp on one of the most important purchasing decisions when selecting sparring gear. Safety first!
Over the coming weeks we will be working towards providing you with the pro's and con's of each sparring gear set to better help you in your purchasing decisions. Keep on training!
Helping us to better answer this question, we should define what sparring gear is used in each Martial Art as there are many different Martial Arts. For this review we are going to focus on the most popular questions we receive as they relate to the following:
Karate Taekwondo Mixed Martial Arts
1. Taekwondo As there are various styles of Taekwondo, for this article we will focus on the most popular style - WTF which stand for World Taekwondo Federation. For sanctioned competitions there are only certain manufacturers that are approved for official use at these tournaments. Currently the main mfg is Adidas which has a great reputation in the industry for creating quality sparring gear.
What makes up a set of sparring gear for WTF Taekwondo?
Arm Guards Hand Protectors Foot Pads Chest Protectors Helmets Shin Guards Mouth Guards Groin Protectors
These are the most well known brands: Adidas & Daedo
We have worked with all the above and find that overall Adidas has been the best sparring gear thus far however we will continue our testing across kids, teens and adults to ensure we have a broad range of test environments to provide you with more results over time. Its important to get the best protection you can, that will last. With a major focus now being on head shots, you will want to ensure that your protection comes first over price... a concussion can last a lifetime.
2. Mixed Martial Arts When competing in tournaments or sanctioned matches, MMA athletes don't us sparring gear, this is only used at training times. When training, specific gear is worn depending upon the striking and drills that they are focusing on. When they are grappling there is no gear worn, you can imagine trying to wrestle wearing a chest guard? Not!
What makes up a MMA sparring gear set for strike training? Generally hand, foot, shin, groin & only occasionally chest protection or chest armor is used.
MMA's Most Popular Brands: Century, ProForce
During this testing period so far we see that ProForce and Century gear are both performing to top level conditions. There hasn't been any noticeable difference therefore we will continue to follow our testing over the coming weeks and report back our findings when they become more conclusive.
When you want to ensure that you are protecting yourself, you need to ensure that you have purchased the highest quality gear you can. Understanding that your health comes first, it doesn't make sense to save a little money when you can't put a price on your good health! Pay more now so that when foot meets your head, you know that you are protected by the best equipment possible.
3. Karate Before you purchase your sparring gear set for Karate you will want to check with your organization to ensure that you will get the right equipment because if you are going to compete officially in sanctioned tournaments, you need to make sure you have everything you need that meets their strict requirements:
Hand Protectors, Foot Guards Head Guards Mouth Piece
Some of the most notable brands include: Macho, Century, NKF
Over the past 2 weeks we have seen some noticeable wear on one set of the Century gear so we are extending our testing across multiple Martial Artists to ensure that we have a broader test case to provide you with better results over the next few weeks.
If you are trying to buy on price, think again. Don't jeopardize all your hard work and dedication just to save some money. Always put your health and safety first, don't skimp on one of the most important purchasing decisions when selecting sparring gear. Safety first!
Over the coming weeks we will be working towards providing you with the pro's and con's of each sparring gear set to better help you in your purchasing decisions. Keep on training!
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