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The Essential Mixed Martial Arts Training Gear Buying Guide for Beginners
Stepping into the world of mixed martial arts is an exhilarating decision! You’re about to challenge your body and mind in ways you never thought possible. But before you throw your first punch or attempt your first takedown, it’s crucial to get the right mixed martial arts training gear. The proper equipment doesn’t just make you look the part; it’s your first line of defense against injury, ensuring you can train safely, consistently, and effectively.
This guide is your complete roadmap to building your MMA kit from the ground up. We’ll break down everything from the absolute must-haves for your first day to the specialized equipment you’ll need as you advance. Get ready to gear up and start your journey with confidence!
What to Know
- Start with the Essentials: For your first class, you only need a few core items: 16oz boxing gloves for sparring drills, hand wraps for wrist support, a quality mouthguard, and a groin protector. Don’t buy everything at once.
- Safety First, Always: Protective equipment like headgear and shin guards are non-negotiable for sparring. Investing in quality safety gear prevents injuries that can sideline you for weeks or months.
- Glove Types Matter: You’ll eventually need different gloves for different tasks. Bag gloves are for hitting the heavy bag, while larger, more padded sparring gloves (typically 16oz) are for training with partners.
- Conditioning is Key: Your performance isn’t just about technique; it’s about endurance. Fitness tools like heart rate monitors can help you optimize your cardio, track recovery, and avoid overtraining.
- Care for Your Gear: Properly cleaning and storing your MMA training supplies not only prevents foul odors but also dramatically extends their lifespan, saving you money in the long run.
What to Consider Before Buying MMA Training Gear
Jumping into buying MMA training equipment can feel overwhelming. With so many brands, styles, and price points, it’s easy to get lost. Before you spend a dime, let’s establish a framework to help you make smart choices that fit your needs and budget.
First, consider your training goals. Are you a complete beginner just trying out a few classes. Or are you committed to training multiple times a week with the goal of eventually competing. A casual hobbyist can start with more budget-friendly options, while a serious practitioner should invest in more durable, higher-quality gear that can withstand rigorous use.
Your initial investment should match your level of commitment.
Second, talk to your coaches and senior training partners. They have years of experience and have seen which brands hold up and which fall apart. They can provide invaluable recommendations tailored to your gym’s specific training style. Some gyms even have partnerships with specific brands that might offer you a discount.
Don’t be afraid to ask, “What gear do you recommend for someone my size and skill level?”.
Finally, set a realistic budget. You don’t need the most expensive, top-of-the-line gear to start. You can get a solid beginner’s kit for a reasonable price. Prioritize your spending on protective items first—a good mouthguard and a solid pair of gloves are more important than fancy fight shorts.
As you progress, you can upgrade your gear piece by piece.
The Absolute Essentials: Your MMA Starter Kit
On day one, you don’t need a gym bag overflowing with every piece of equipment imaginable. You just need the core four items that will keep you and your training partners safe during basic drills. This is the foundational mixed martial arts gear every new student must have.
1. MMA Sparring Gloves (16 oz)
While you’ll see pro fighters wearing small 4oz gloves, you absolutely do not start with those. For training and sparring, the standard is 16oz boxing-style gloves. The extra padding protects your hands and, more importantly, your training partners’ faces. These will be your workhorse gloves for striking drills, pad work, and light sparring.
2. Hand Wraps
These are not optional! Hand wraps are long strips of cloth that you wrap around your hands and wrists before putting on your gloves. They provide crucial support to the tiny bones and tendons in your hands and stabilize your wrist to prevent sprains and fractures when you punch. Learning to wrap your hands properly is a rite of passage for any striker.
3. Mouthguard
A mouthguard is one of the most important and affordable pieces of protective gear you’ll own. It protects your teeth from being chipped or knocked out, shields your lips and cheeks from being cut, and can even help reduce the severity of concussions. Get a “boil and bite” model to start, and make sure you wear it for all contact drills, not just sparring.
4. Groin Protector / Cup
This one is self-explanatory. Accidents happen, and an unintentional low blow is a painful reality of combat sports. A groin protector is essential for all male practitioners and highly recommended for female practitioners as well. It’s a small investment for a massive amount of protection and peace of mind during grappling and striking exchanges.
Step Up Your Protection: Crucial Safety Equipment
Once you’ve mastered the basics and are ready to start sparring, you’ll need to upgrade your protective kit. Sparring is where you apply your techniques against a resisting partner, and it’s essential to do it safely to ensure longevity in the sport. This is where specialized MMA training supplies become non-negotiable.
According to data from Johns Hopkins Medicine, combat sports carry an inherent risk of head and facial injuries. Proper protective gear is the single most effective way to mitigate these risks during training. Investing in these items isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a requirement at any reputable gym.
Headgear for Sparring
When you begin sparring, headgear is a must. It’s designed to absorb the impact of punches and kicks, reducing the risk of cuts, bruises, and more serious head trauma. Look for headgear that offers good visibility and doesn’t shift around when you get hit. Models with cheek protectors offer more facial coverage, which is great for beginners. Remember, headgear doesn’t make you invincible, but it significantly reduces superficial damage and allows you to train more consistently.
Shin Guards
Checking a kick with your bare shin—or kicking an opponent’s elbow—is an incredibly painful experience that can lead to deep bone bruises or even fractures. Shin guards protect your shins and the tops of your feet (the instep) during striking exchanges. For MMA, you’ll want shin guards that are lightweight, offer good mobility, and can be put on and taken off quickly for transitions between striking and grappling.
Ear Guards for Grappling
If you plan on doing a lot of wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, ear guards (or wrestling headgear) are a wise investment. Repeated friction and impact to the ears can cause cauliflower ear, a permanent deformity caused by blood pooling and hardening. Ear guards protect your ears from this type of damage, ensuring you don’t carry a permanent reminder of your time on the mats.
Choosing the Right Gloves: A Deep Dive
Not all gloves are created equal. As you progress, you’ll realize that having the right pair for the job makes a huge difference in your training. The 16oz gloves you started with are fantastic for sparring, but they aren’t ideal for every situation. Understanding the different types, sizes, and materials will help you build a complete glove collection.
Bag Gloves vs. Sparring Gloves vs. Competition Gloves
This is the most important distinction to understand. Using the wrong glove can be unsafe for you and your partners.
- Bag Gloves (10-12oz): These are lighter and have denser padding designed specifically for hitting heavy bags, focus mitts, and Thai pads. They allow you to feel your punches connect and help build proper form and power. Never use these for sparring, as the dense padding is too harsh for a person’s face.
- Sparring Gloves (14-18oz, typically 16oz): These are the big, pillowy gloves used for training with a partner. The padding is softer and more distributed to absorb impact and protect both fighters. The 16oz size is the universal standard for gym sparring for most adults.
- Competition Gloves (4-6oz): These are the small, open-fingered gloves you see in the UFC. They offer minimal padding over the knuckles and allow for grappling. These are only for competition or very specific, advanced drills under a coach’s supervision. They are absolutely not for regular training or sparring.
Sizing and Weight
The weight of a glove (measured in ounces) corresponds to the amount of padding it has. A heavier glove means more padding and more protection. For sparring, 16oz is the gold standard. Heavier individuals (over 200 lbs) might even use 18oz gloves. Lighter individuals or those with smaller hands might use 14oz for sparring, but always check with your coach first. For bag work, 12oz is a great all-around choice.
Material: Leather vs. Synthetic
Gloves are typically made from genuine leather or a synthetic material like polyurethane (PU) leather.
- Genuine Leather: This is the premium option. Leather gloves are more durable, breathe better, and will conform to the shape of your hand over time. They cost more upfront but often last much longer, making them a better investment for serious practitioners.
- Synthetic Leather: These are more affordable and are a great starting point for beginners. While they don’t have the same longevity or breathability as real leather, modern synthetic materials are surprisingly durable and offer excellent performance for their price point.
Pro Tip: To break in a new pair of leather gloves, don’t just start sparring with them. Spend a few rounds doing heavy bag work first. This will help soften the leather and mold the padding to your knuckles without being too stiff on your training partners.
Dress for Success: What to Wear for MMA Training
Your training apparel is more than just a fashion statement; it’s functional MMA training equipment designed for the unique demands of the sport. The right clothing provides comfort, prevents mat burn, and allows for a full range of motion. You can’t just show up in basketball shorts and a cotton t-shirt.
Rash Guards
A rash guard is a compression shirt made from a spandex/polyester blend. It’s the standard top for no-gi grappling and MMA. A cotton t-shirt gets heavy and stretched out when you sweat, and it can easily get tangled or ripped. A rash guard fits snugly, wicks sweat away from your body to keep you cool, protects your skin from mat burn and scratches, and helps reduce the transmission of skin infections. They come in both short-sleeve and long-sleeve varieties.
MMA Shorts (Fight Shorts)
These are not your average gym shorts. MMA shorts are specifically designed for combat sports. They are typically made from a durable, lightweight, and slightly stretchy material that won’t rip during intense grappling exchanges. They feature side slits for high kicks and unrestricted movement, and they use a secure closure system (usually a combination of velcro and a drawstring) to ensure they stay on during wrestling and scrambles. They have no pockets, zippers, or anything that could catch a finger or toe.
Spats / Compression Pants
Spats are compression pants, similar to a rash guard for your legs. Worn under your fight shorts or on their own, they offer the same benefits as a rash guard: they protect your skin from mat burn, wick away sweat, and can help keep your muscles warm. Many grapplers prefer wearing spats for an extra layer of hygiene and protection on the mats.
Beyond the Basics: Supplementary MMA Training Supplies
Once you have your personal gear sorted, you’ll start using the shared equipment at your gym. Understanding what these tools are and how they’re used will deepen your appreciation for the training process. While you won’t need to buy these yourself initially, serious fighters often invest in their own for extra practice.
Focus Mitts and Thai Pads
These are the padded targets held by coaches or training partners. Focus mitts are small, hand-held pads used to develop punching accuracy, speed, and combinations. They are essential for honing your boxing technique. Thai pads are much larger, thicker pads that are strapped to the forearms. They are used to practice throwing full-power kicks, knees, and elbows without injuring your partner.
Heavy Bags and Freestanding Bags
The heavy bag is a staple of any combat sports gym. It’s a large, cylindrical bag, typically weighing between 70 and 150 pounds, used for developing power, endurance, and footwork. A freestanding bag is a similar tool but is mounted on a weighted base instead of being hung from the ceiling, making it a great option for home gyms where you can’t drill into the structure.
Grappling Dummies
A grappling dummy is a human-shaped bag used to practice grappling techniques without a live partner. It’s an amazing tool for drilling submissions, transitions, and ground-and-pound sequences over and over again to build muscle memory. You can practice armbars, chokes, and positional control for hours on end.
Fueling the Engine: Fitness and Conditioning Tools
MMA is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Your technical skill will only take you so far if your gas tank is empty. That’s why a significant portion of your training will be dedicated to strength and conditioning. Having a few key tools can make a huge difference in your athletic performance.
Jump Ropes
The jump rope is an old-school, inexpensive, and incredibly effective tool for building cardiovascular endurance and footwork. It’s the perfect warm-up and a killer cardio finisher. Developing a good jump rope rhythm will directly translate to lighter, quicker feet in the cage.
Kettlebells and Medicine Balls
Functional strength is paramount in MMA. Kettlebells are amazing for developing explosive power, core strength, and muscular endurance through movements like swings, snatches, and Turkish get-ups. Medicine balls are great for rotational power drills (slams and throws) that mimic the explosive movements of striking and grappling.
Tracking Your Performance with Heart Rate Monitors
To truly optimize your conditioning, you need data. A heart rate monitor is an invaluable piece of mixed martial arts gear for the modern athlete. It allows you to train smarter, not just harder. By tracking your heart rate during conditioning sessions, you can ensure you’re working in the correct training zones—whether you’re building your aerobic base or pushing your anaerobic threshold.
Devices like the Wahoo Fitness TICKR are perfect for this. They strap comfortably to your chest or arm and provide real-time heart rate data to your phone or smartwatch. This information helps you pace your rounds, manage your recovery between intervals, and track your fitness progress over time. It takes the guesswork out of conditioning and helps you avoid the common pitfalls of overtraining or undertraining, ensuring you show up to every session ready to perform at your best.
The Unsung Heroes: Mouthguards and Footwear
Some of the most critical pieces of gear are the ones that are easiest to overlook. A great mouthguard can literally save your smile, and understanding the role of footwear is crucial for training effectively and safely.
Why a Custom Mouthguard is Worth It
The standard “boil and bite” mouthguard you find at a sporting goods store is a good starting point. It offers a decent level of protection for a low price. However, once you start sparring regularly, upgrading to a custom-fit mouthguard from your dentist or a specialized company is one of the best investments you can make in your safety.
A custom mouthguard is made from a mold of your actual teeth. This results in a perfect fit that is far more comfortable, allows for easier breathing and speaking, and offers a significantly higher level of protection. Because it locks onto your teeth perfectly, it does a much better job of absorbing and distributing the force of an impact.
Pro Tip: When you get a new mouthguard, spend some time wearing it around the house for 15-20 minutes at a time. This helps you get used to breathing with it in your mouth before you have to do it under the stress of a hard training session.
To Shoe or Not to Shoe: Footwear in MMA
For the most part, MMA is a barefoot sport. You will do all of your grappling and sparring without shoes. This provides better grip on the mats and prevents your shoes from injuring a training partner. However, there are a couple of exceptions.
Some fighters wear wrestling shoes during the wrestling-specific portions of their training. Wrestling shoes are very light, flexible, and provide excellent grip on the mat, which can be an advantage. When it comes to your conditioning work, you’ll need a good pair of cross-training athletic shoes for running, jumping rope, and lifting weights. Look for a shoe with a stable base for lifting but enough flexibility for agility drills.
Keeping Your Gear in Fighting Shape: Maintenance and Care
Your MMA training equipment is a significant investment, and taking proper care of it is essential. Not only will it make your gear last longer, but it’s also a matter of hygiene. A gym bag full of smelly, bacteria-ridden gear is unpleasant and can lead to skin infections like ringworm or staph.
Cleaning and Deodorizing Gloves
Your gloves will absorb a lot of sweat, making them a breeding ground for bacteria. After every single training session, you must air them out. Open them up as wide as possible and place them in front of a fan. Never leave them zipped up in your gym bag overnight. You can also stuff them with newspaper or specialized glove deodorizers to absorb moisture. Occasionally wipe down the inside and outside with a disinfectant wipe or a cloth with a mild cleaning solution.
Washing Rash Guards and Shorts
This one is simple: wash your training apparel after every use. Just like any other gym clothes, they are covered in sweat and bacteria from you, your partners, and the mat. Wash them in cold water and hang them to dry if possible. The high heat of a dryer can damage the elastic fibers in the material over time, reducing their lifespan.
Proper Storage to Extend Gear Life
When you’re not using your gear, store it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. A mesh gym bag is a much better choice than a solid duffel bag because it allows air to circulate. Keep your gear out of direct sunlight for extended periods, as the UV rays can break down the materials, especially synthetic leather. A little bit of care goes a long way in protecting your investment.
Frequently Asked Questions about MMA Gear
What is the most important piece of MMA gear for a beginner?
Without a doubt, a quality mouthguard. It’s an inexpensive item that protects you from costly dental work and serious jaw injuries. It’s the one piece of gear you should never, ever train without during any contact drills.
How often should I replace my MMA gloves?
This depends on how often you train and the quality of the gloves. For a serious practitioner training multiple times a week, a good pair of leather sparring gloves might last 1-2 years. A budget synthetic pair might only last 6-12 months. The key indicator is when the padding becomes noticeably soft or compressed. If you can start to feel your knuckles through the padding, it’s time for a new pair.
Can I use boxing gloves for MMA training?
Yes, absolutely! For the striking portion of MMA (sparring, pad work, heavy bag), standard boxing gloves (12-16oz) are what you will use. You only use the small, open-fingered MMA gloves for competition or very specific drills, not for general training.
How do I stop my gear from smelling so bad?
The key is to never let it stay wet. Air everything out immediately after training. Use fans, deodorizing sprays, and cedar chips or specialized deodorizers inside your gloves and shin guards. Washing your apparel after every use is non-negotiable. Prevention is much easier than trying to get a deep-set funk out of your equipment.
Final Thoughts: Gearing Up for Your MMA Journey
Embarking on your mixed martial arts journey is an incredible step, and having the right equipment is the foundation for a safe and successful experience. Start with the essentials—gloves, hand wraps, a mouthguard, and a cup—and build your collection as you become more dedicated to the sport. Prioritize protective gear to keep yourself in the gym and off the sidelines.
Remember that your physical conditioning is just as important as your equipment. Tracking your performance with tools like a Wahoo heart rate monitor can give you a scientific edge, ensuring your cardio is as sharp as your technique. By investing in quality gear and taking care of it, you’re investing in your own safety, progress, and longevity in this amazing sport.
Now that you know what you need, it’s time to get equipped, show up to the gym, and put in the work. Welcome to the journey!
