What Equipment Do I Need for Martial Arts?

Thanks to the likes of Joe Rogan and Conor McGregor, martial arts have been growing in popularity in recent years, with more and more people signing up for martial arts classes and looking for equipment to enable them to train from home. Wherever you train, it’s crucial to have the right martial arts equipment so you can train safely and grow your love of the sport.

In this blog, we’ll look at some of the most popular martial arts disciplines, and what equipment you need to be able to train safely at home.

What Are Martial Arts?

Martial arts is quite a broad term to cover many different combat sports from various cultures and countries, so each discipline comprises different aspects to others. “Martial” refers to fighting, while “arts” showcases the sports’ enigmatic and skilled character. Most martial arts focus on self-defence, while others have been developed for military use, or comprise a spiritual and meditative factor.

If you’ve seen mixed martial arts competitions and are intrigued to start, you can choose to train in a variety of disciplines that will give you a broad set of skills, or you can simply start by watching different martial arts on YouTube and seeing which appeals to you most.

Types of Martial Arts

There are so many different martial arts from all over the world, it would be impossible to list them all in one blog (although you can see an excellent list of martial arts by location on Wikipedia).

Some of the most popular martial arts are:

• Karate
• Judo
• Kung Fu
• Muay Thai
• Kickboxing
• Jujutsu
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• Aikido
• Tai Chi
• Tae Kwon Do
• Krav Maga

Boxing is technically a martial art as well, however, it’s often regarded as a separate style of combat sport which is why we haven’t included it in our list. Although, you can learn more about what boxing equipment you need to train at home in our other blogs.

Some martial arts have gained notoriety in recent years due to the popularity of mixed martial arts competitions that showcase many different styles of fighting, while others are well-known through film or culture.

Although each martial art is unique, some of the equipment needed is largely the same or similar, so even if you change your discipline once you’ve invested in equipment, you can continue to use most of the items you have in your possession.

Essential Martial Arts Equipment

Many martial arts don’t require much equipment to train at home, as you can practise shadow fighting, where you train alone and don’t make any contact with an opponent or a replica like a punching bag or free-standing fighting mannequin. However, to advance your martial arts skills, or practise specific techniques, you’ll need to train with a partner, and you’ll both need the appropriate safety equipment as well as clothing. There is also some specialised equipment to take your training to the next level.

Protective Gear

Whether you’re striking your opponent with your hands, arms, legs or feet, some martial arts moves focus on attacking your opponent’s head – which can be useful to dominate your opponent in a real fight scenario, but can endanger your training partner if they don’t have the right protective gear. Padded head guards are the most crucial piece of martial arts equipment to absorb shock and protect your head, face, teeth and neck from your opponent’s strikes and enable you to train safely.

Furthermore, despite low blows being an illegal move in almost all martial arts – especially in competitions – accidents can happen while you’re training and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Groin protectors are designed to keep your sensitive areas safely protected from any strikes or accidental contortions and are a must-have for any aspiring martial artist. Women can benefit from groin guards as well, although they are shaped slightly differently than men’s to be more comfortable and practical.

It’s also beneficial to invest in some equipment for common injuries in martial arts too. Whether you’re just starting or have been training for many years, martial arts are very physically demanding, engaging your whole body in exercise, which can strain various joints if you’re not also regularly performing strength-training activities, or have any existing injuries. Items like strong ankle supports and knee supports allow you to move comfortably following ankle or knee strains or pains, and help you get back into training easily once it’s safe for you to do so following an injury.

Moreover, some people with existing weaknesses in their joints might benefit from wearing supports throughout their training to prevent further injury, due to the twisting and striking movements that are used in martial arts.

Martial Arts Clothing

If you’re beginning martial arts training at home to stay fit or participate in a fun activity with friends, martial arts robes, also known as Keikogi, or Gi for short, depending on the martial art. However, if you’re attending a martial arts class, it’s a great idea to invest in the classic white karate uniform, so you can train comfortably and confidently.

Dressing appropriately, regardless of the activity or social situation is proven to boost our confidence, so wearing the same uniform as the rest of your classmates will help you fit in and improve your performance.

Specialised Training Equipment

Each martial art will require a different piece of specialised equipment according to the nature of the discipline; you might need a Bo Staff in Tae Kwon Do, or shin pads in Muay Thai, although they’re not always used in other martial arts.

For people learning self-defence skills, or military-style martial arts like Krav Maga, rubber knives and rubber guns can be incredibly useful tools to safely learn how to disarm a threatening person. Using a real weapon is extremely inadvisable as it will greatly increase your chances of serious harm, while using makeshift equipment won’t accurately replicate the size, shape and weight of the weapon for you to learn well. So, rubber weapons like guns and knives are ideal for learning key elements of self-defence and disarming aggressors.

How to Start Martial Arts Training at Home

It can be difficult to start learning martial arts from scratch at home, but it’s not impossible since there are many helpful guides and tutorials to be found online. However, to prevent any injuries, it’s recommended to attend a martial arts class to learn the appropriate techniques, and train at home to improve your fighting skills.

When you first start training at home, you should start with shadow fighting, to learn the techniques of the martial art, without yet incorporating any power, to minimise injury risk. However, you can prepare your body for martial arts by participating in strength training activities to build muscle in your arms, back, abdominals and legs, to provide you with a stronger basis to start fighting.

Try:

• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Tricep dips
• Crunches
• Lunges
• Squats
• Burpees

Each of these exercises will focus on a different muscle group, and with regular practice, you’ll notice your muscles growing and your strength increasing.

Who Can Learn Martial Arts?

Martial arts training is an excellent way to stay in shape, relax your mind and achieve incredible feats with your body, so whether you’re 10, 25, 45 or 75 years old, it’s never too late to start martial arts training!

If you aim to become a professional in a martial art, or in mixed martial arts, the optimum age to start training is your early teens, as this is when most people develop their passion for a sport and you’re able to focus on training and recognise day-to-day improvements to ready your body for a long martial arts career. However, realistically, you can still become a professional martial artist even if you start training late in life. Martial arts aren’t about age, but rather mental and physical strength.

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