MMA Beginner Gear Guide

If you are an MMA beginner or perhaps just considering getting started, we have compiled a gear guide that can provide you with a checklist for the equipment you'll need to get going with mixed martial arts. While not a fully comprehensive list, this guide will provide you with the bare eseentials you'll need to get going with a full regimen of MMA training.

Must Haves

Rash Guards

 Rash guards that wick away moisture are a must for grappling, jiu jitsu and wrestling. Wearing a t-shirt won’t cut it because you are going to be soaking up both your sweat and others’ sweat while you're rolling. And believe us when we say there is nothing grosser than smelling like someone else's sweat after a few hours of heavy training.

Other drawbacks of cotton t-shirts include the fact that they rip easily and also that their absorption of wetness can foster the spread of disease and skin conditions.

Long sleeve rash guards are preferable because they leave less skin area exposed and can reduce chances of contracting skin to skin conditions like ringworm, herpes or staph infections.

Grappling Shorts

 Grappling shorts made out of a lightweight and quick drying material such as nylon or polyester are a must. Your old basketball or workout shorts will absorb too much moisture so don’t even think about it.

In some instances you can substitute a pair of surfing board shorts; however often times these have snaps, laces and velcro that can harm your opponent if they rub across their face or eyes when in the north/south position. Additionally, the “cut” of these will probably not be conducive to kicking if you’re training striking, most real MMA shorts are cut slightly looser in the legs, have slit sides to enable mobility and flexibility and may also have stretch panels in critical areas like the crotch.

Sparring Gloves

 On a day to day basis you will probably do most of your sparring using traditional boxing or Muay Thai gloves. You should buy at least 14 ounce gloves (we usually recommend 16 oz gloves). If you buy gloves that are lighter you are putting your sparring partners’ health in jeopardy as there will be less padding to cushion your blows to their head. Many instructors will not let you spar if your gloves are too light. If you are doing everyday sparring you'll probably want to wear velcro gloves (sometimes called by the generic term 'hook & loop') as opposed to lace up gloves. Velcro gloves are much easier to get on and off quickly when training, especially if you have to alternate holding pads with a partner.

Hand Wraps

 In order to protect your hands you’ll need to wrap your hands. The goal of wrapping your hands is to protect the fragile and small bones in your hands while also providing you with some wrist support. Having more than 1 set of wraps is advantageous as you’ll have to be less diligent about your laundering of them. Be careful when washing your wraps as they can get wrapped around the center of your washing machine. You might want to consider a hand wrap wash bag to avoid this.

Shin Guards

 If you’re doing full contact sparring you need a pair of muay thai style shin guards. In recent years there have been some improvements to shin guards that help them stay on during transitions to grappling, these are also a good choice. Most of these "grappling" or "MMA" types of shin guards have neoprene sleeves that go around your calves to help resist twisting. There are a few drawbacks to these types of shin guards though:
  • They are more difficult to get on and off than traditional Muay Thai style shinguards.
  • They do not usually have the same rigid padding as Muay Thai shinguards--you can still get hurt sometimes wearing them.

Mouth Guard

 Mouth guards are usually optional for grappling, but they are absolutely mandatory for striking, even when just doing light drills. If you are training for an upcoming competition, then you should always have your mouthpiece in as it will condition you to function with hindered breathing just like as it will in a real fight. There are two types of mouthguards: the boil & bite kind you fit at home and custom impression mouthguards that require you to mail off an impression of your teeth using a kit they supply.

Groin Protector

 Groin protectors are essential for striking and in particular kickboxing as it is very easy to catch an errant kick to the groin. Many grapplers also wear cups as it is very easy to take a knee to the groin when your opponent is trying to pass your guard. Other grappling positions like arm bars can also be uncomfortable without a cup. There are generally 3 types of supporters on the market:
  • Jock Strap: These offer a good combination of staying in place with minimal moisture absorption.
  • Compression Shorts: These are compression shorts that also have a pocket for a protective cup.
  • Muay Thai Style: These usually consist of a steel cup with a few strings to hold the cup in place.

Knee Pads

 Knee pads are considered a “must have” for many striking coaches as it will save your sparring partners’ shins if you check their kicks with your knee. Additionally knee pads can be helpful if you’re doing repetitive practicing your wrestling shots (takedowns) when grappling or maybe your knees are just getting bruised from practicing your jiu jitsu.

Glove Dogs

 If you want to prolong the life of your boxing or Muay Thai gloves and reduce or eliminate their bad smell, then get a pair of glove dogs to help absorb moisture after your workouts. These are filled with cedar chips that will soak up the moisture and dry them out very quickly.

Optional Gear

MMA Gloves

 While not suited for everyday hard sparring, in order to simulate a real MMA fight you will need to practice with traditional open fingered 4 or 5 ounce MMA gloves. These open fingered gloves will allow you to flow seamlessly from striking to grappling and vice versa for true MMA training. You're probably not going to be training with these on a daily basis when you're hitting pads or a bag, but more likely when fight time is coming close or when you want to work on ground and pound or submission work while wearing MMA gloves.

Jiu Jitsu Gi

 If you are learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as part of your MMA training then many schools will require you to buy a gi. We have assembled a the world's most comprehensive jiu jitsu gi buyer’s guide to help you make an informed decision on how to buy a kimono.

Headgear

Headgear is probably not used as much as it should be, but it is a must if you are doing a lot of standup sparring on a consistent basis. Headgear can help you prevent concussions and headaches that can result from boxing and kick boxing. Headgear with a chin protector can help protect you from even more blows, however some athletes complain about the chin protector shifting and prefer headgear with only a chin strap instead.

Jump Rope

Most traditional Muay Thai and boxing instructors will emphasize warmups and condition using jump ropes. Jumping rope is a great way to gain endurance as well as learn to keep your feet moving. Jump ropes are a great way to stay in shape anywhere you are.

Hybrid MMA Gloves

Hybrid training gloves aim to get the best of both worlds between Muay Thai gloves and MMA fight gloves by giving you additional padding with a smooth punching surface while also allowing you to use your fingers to be able to grip while grappling & clinching. These are recommended for training your standup sparring and transitioning into grappling via takedowns. These are excellent for training ground and pound offense and defense.

Wrestling Headgear

If you're going to be training a lot of wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu, chances are that you might find yourself developing some cauliflower ear (a condition caused by a buildup of fluid in your outer ears that hardens and deforms your ears). You can protect your ears using wrestling headgear if you want to avoid awkward stares in public places :)