Headgear for contact wearers

[mocimad3]

Hello, I've been having issues keeping my contacts in during muay thai sparring. It's worse during the winter season where the dry air dries out my eyes + not blinking a lot. I have very bad vision and need contacts or I won't be able to spar.

Sparred with a newer guy and he got nervous and started flailing punches at my head and a contact went flying out. So I tried to tell him I needed to stop and he ended knocking me out for a split second. That's a seperate issue in itself but my point is I am looking for a headgear that will stop a glove from touching my eyes completely.

Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Especially from personal experience because I know a lot of people have vision problems and hoping for suggestions that don't limit ability to see kicks and peripheral vision.

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

I have had a lot of eye issues that have rendered it necessary for me to wear headgear that prevents any direct contact with my eyes (orbital blowout and multiple tears in my retina). I've been using the Winning FG5000. This works well for me in boxing. Not sure how it would fare for MT in terms of being able to see kicks coming, but it would definitely prevent direct contact with your eyes...

 

[Minowafanatic]

There are those "full contact headguards/headgear" ones with the little plastic shield that goes over the face, I have no personal experience with them however. They are normally used for karate and other TMA type stuff I think. I've only ever seen one professional boxer use them (Mia St John). I don't know much about Muay Thai though.

A facesaver headguard like hangulmalmotayo mentioned would be good (whose name I just realized begins with "hangul") at least in the sense that it'd make it very unlikely that any punches would actually physically be able to make contact with your eyes. If the limited visibility was a major problem then you might be able to get away with a headguard with big cheek protectors, like one of the Mexican-made ones.

What headguard/headgear are you using currently?

 

[mocimad3]

I have had a lot of eye issues that have rendered it necessary for me to wear headgear that prevents any direct contact with my eyes (orbital blowout and multiple tears in my retina). I've been using the Winning FG5000. This works well for me in boxing. Not sure how it would fare for MT in terms of being able to see kicks coming, but it would definitely prevent direct contact with your eyes...

It looks like what I need, though a bit expensive. Hopefully the face sits back a bit so that a glove won't push through touching eyes during clinching (probably not cause we use 16 oz gloves to spar) It probably would block seeing someones lower body if they are close enough though. Not sure.

There are those "full contact headguards/headgear" ones with the little plastic shield that goes over the face, I have no personal experience with them however. They are normally used for karate and other TMA type stuff I think. I've only ever seen one professional boxer use them (Mia St John). I don't know much about Muay Thai though.

A facesaver headguard like hangulmalmotayo mentioned would be good (whose name I just realized begins with "hangul") at least in the sense that it'd make it very unlikely that any punches would actually physically be able to make contact with your eyes. If the limited visibility was a major problem then you might be able to get away with a headguard with big cheek protectors, like one of the Mexican-made ones.

What headguard/headgear are you using currently?

Starting to look at the plastic face shield covers and that might be my best bet. Looks kind of goofy though lol but I don't mind. My current headgear has cheek protectors but my face sits snug in it and a glove still easily touches my eye area. I use a title headgear it's pretty basic https://www.titleboxing.com/protection/headgear/title-classic-power-air-headgear . I don't my current headgear anyway because it limits visibility a bit too and still doesn't really have top/back/chin padding

I probably would do best with a clear face mask unless there's something else that covers eyes but doesn't totally block out vertical vision.

 

[makedansure]

is the doubling up on the threads supposed to signify your double vision? A metaphor, perhaps?

 

[mocimad3]

is the doubling up on the threads supposed to signify your double vision? A metaphor, perhaps?

If anything it signifies slight brain damage.. lol

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

The FG5000 is expensive but for sure worth the money. Though if peripheral vision is important, probably not what you're looking for.

If I had paid a little more for the FG5000 a little sooner, I might have avoided thousands in medical bills—no joke. [Kind of sounds like an auto insurance commercial.]

 

[Minowafanatic]

Looks kind of goofy though lol but I don't mind. My current headgear has cheek protectors but my face sits snug in it and a glove still easily touches my eye area. I use a title headgear it's pretty basic https://www.titleboxing.com/protection/headgear/title-classic-power-air-headgear . I don't my current headgear anyway because it limits visibility a bit too and still doesn't really have top/back/chin padding

I've worn that Title one before as a friend had it. There are headguards out there with chunkier cheek protectors which would be more protective for you, but anyway, facesavers limit visibility a lot more than that Title headguard (but would also provide a lot more protection obviously).

edit: Very hard to know what would be best for you; a lot of it is personal preference but you've obviously got three choices, the no contact plastic shield thingy one, facesaver or big puffy cheek protectors. The plastic shield ones will be cheapest, they'll definitely stop anything from touching your eyes however they're probably going to lessen impact from punches the least compared to the other two options. Personally I'd try that out first if you're on a budget as they're very cheap and it's not much financial loss if you aren't into it.

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

UMA R9 has pretty puffy cheeks. I use that from time to time and have not had issues with getting punched in the eyeball.

 

[hangulmalmotayo]

whose name I just realized begins with "hangul"

Do you know where this is from?