Monday, June 22, 2009

Martial Arts Equipment for Safety

Martial Arts equipment is a necessity to safety. Learning any martial art can be dangerous, but that danger can be greatly reduced by proper safety equipment. Tiger Strike, Century, and Macho all have a good reputation for quality martial arts safety equipment.

Sparring gear is exactly what it sounds like. The gear is used to protect students when sparring. Head gear, mouth pieces, sparring gloves, and chest and groin protectors are just a few pieces of equipment to prevent serious injury. Even though students spar at slower speeds, they are still learning and accidents can happen. The gear is there to protect the student from an unintentional strike.

Punching bags are self explanatory too. However, they do come in different weights and types. If you have a sturdy ceiling beam, then purchasing a hanging body bag is ideal. As you get stronger, you can change the bag to a heavier and more durable punching bag. Otherwise, you will want a punching bag with a heavy floor base; oftentimes, you fill the base with sand after you place it. These bags don't swing much which is why I prefer the hanging bags.

Flexibility is key to all martial arts training, therefore, you will want some sort of stretching equipment. Foam mats are what I prefer but there is more advanced equipment to help stretching. Depending on how hard it is for you to do the splits, you may want to purchase a leg stretcher. Stretching prevents injury and it should be considered part of the safety equipment and training.

Finally, there is the list of specialty equipment. There are wooden dummies, swords, nunchucks, throwing stars, paper and wooden targets, the list is endless. The specialty equipment you buy will largely depend on your discipline, your desire to learn equipment, and your desire for flair.