Essential Gear?

[supdudexxx]

Hey guys, I'm new to the game (gonna start muay thai/no gi jiu jitsu) and keep hearing about people and their gear. So my question is, what do I NEED? I don't have a need to be "that guy" decked out with brand new gear his second day of class. Honestly, I'm perfectly content rolling in a t-shirt and basket ball shorts and hitting the bag barehanded, But I know this is wrong due to reading numerous threads about injuries. Any help you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jaymitchnj]

A rash guard, some board shorts, and muay thai gloves (but I train with MMA gloves).

 

[SaneJim]

What you NEED is a good cup and a good mouthguard. Other than that, get a nice rashguard and board shorts.

 

[crossdx]

Do NOT hit the bag bare-handed. Please. Get a good pair of training gloves or bag gloves for that. Lots of good threads and reviews can be found here. You came to the right place.

 

[Cageside]

What you NEED is a good cup and a good mouthguard. Other than that, get a nice rashguard and board shorts.

My teeth are chipped up pretty bad. Another year or so and I'll look like "Lil Evil"

 

[retro inspired]

cup, rashguard, some decent fight shorts, handwraps, good multi purpose training gloves(that can be used in sparring and on a bag), headgear, shinguards, and a MOUTHGUARD. i have one and am awaiting on another from jeff at starsguards. can never go wrong with quality protection.

ask your MT instructor how to properly wrap your hands. being sidelined with hand/wrist injuries SUCKS, especially if you do no gi bjj as well.

in terms of being "that guy," you cant really help it. i was "that guy" but noone really said anything, as i was knew to the training and the gym. if you want to take the sport seriously you have to have quality equipment to rely on.

 

[mmaoverload]

I would suggest:

1) Cup
2) Mouth Guard
3) Gloves w/ Handwraps

Eventually get:

1) Board Shorts
2) Rash Guards
3) Etc.

Try not to spend too much for the first few months until you know that it's something you want to stick with.

 

[mmaoverload]

Sorry, double post.

 

[Mumrik]

for the grappling:

-Mouthguard (shit DOES happen. A boil-and-bite should be fine for grappling)
-Shorts that don't rip and don't restrict your movement (no zipper or buttons please)
-T-shirt or rashguard (matter of taste - I prefer the latter)

You don't need a cup on the floor and people who use them can end up with bad habits with regard to armbars etc.

 

[Mumrik]

My teeth are chipped up pretty bad. Another year or so and I'll look like "Lil Evil"

I got a few of those from being head buttet... makes you a mouth guard user very fast.

 

[supdudexxx]

Okay so,

1. Mouthguard (was thinking shock doctor DNA mouthguard since I don't wanna splurge on a starsguard JUST YET)
2. Have a bike proflex 2 cup with sliding shorts. $20 from big 5, years ago. Hopefully this will be good)
3. I bought a pair of ssf old school fight shorts and am waiting for them to get here (thanks to advice on this forum)
4. Have a longsleeve underarmour rashguard.
5. Have everlast wraps.
6. Gloves (can anyone point me in the right direction as far as these?)


Let me know what you guys think and thanks again!

 

[crossdx]

That new Shock Doctor DNA mouthguard looks like a really good boil-n-bite guard. I think that's a good pick. I personally like the Shock Docotr compression shorts w/cup, but those ones you've got should do. SSF shorts should be good, as is the UA rashguard. For handwraps, semi-elastic Mexican wraps are best. Get the Cageside wraps, they're great. As for gloves, depends on wheter you want bag or sparring gloves, or ones that you can use for cross-training.

 

[supdudexxx]

That new Shock Doctor DNA mouthguard looks like a really good boil-n-bite guard. I think that's a good pick. I personally like the Shock Docotr compression shorts w/cup, but those ones you've got should do. SSF shorts should be good, as is the UA rashguard. For handwraps, semi-elastic Mexican wraps are best. Get the Cageside wraps, they're great. As for gloves, depends on wheter you want bag or sparring gloves, or ones that you can use for cross-training.

Thanks man! For gloves I was leaning towards cross training. Something that could work universally (i.e. Training, sparring, etc). Then again, I don't wanna compromise quality so if I need different pairs of gloves so be it. I'll definitely look into the wraps and purchase a shock doctor mouthguard. If the cup doesn't work out too well I'll definitely look towards the ones you mentioned!

 

[ljcsov]

I have been using my pair of fairtex ultimate competition gloves for bag work and light sparring. As long as I wrap my hands i have no pain in the hands/wrist even after a good bag work out. It is important to wrap because this is what will give you support and prevent injurty. As for sparring they are fine. We always wear headgear at the gym. Still with these lighter gloves i wouldnt go 100% on anyone but its good for light shots and makes ground work possible which can be difficult with boxing style gloves. If you plan on going all out and hitting harder then sparring/boxing gloves are a must.

 

[thaiboxer92]

gloves dont get less than 12ounce
wrist wraps once you train for a while without them your wrists will hurt
shorts mma shorts will keep you from getting tangled up and what not
rash guards are nice but not a necesity
mouth piece
cup and athletic supporter(s) if you train twice a day it would be wise to have a spare
mma gloves but unless you work alot of mma techniques(takedowns to gnp to submission) you dont NEED them

i use fairtex for gloves and sprawl for shorts until your sure you wanna stick with it you dont need super high end gloves just dont get the all cotton wraps from dicks their way to short i use revgear cause thats what my school sells. under armour or any knock off can double as a rash guard. mouth peice for sparring work is nice if your school allows "rough" grappling i.e. grinding on the jaw or face its nice to have if someone comes down hard on your chin.

 

[SLaKKJaW]

You're fine on what you have. I really hate rolling with guys who are wearing T-Shirts because they tend to snag fingers and toes. They not only restrict movement and effectiveness, but they can also cause injuries to digits. Nothing worse than getting hurt because some inconsiderate prick won't make sure he's got the proper gear.

That leads to the glove question.

If you're sparring, be nice and get yourself a pair of 16oz gloves. Nice cushony ones. You'll be hitting your new friends in the faces with them, after all. I like Twins, personally.

If you're hitting the bag, you don't want to ruin your sparring gloves with the heavy impact. They'll flatten out and become expensive pieces of junk. Fairtex make GREAT bag gloves. Good support, light-weight, tough material and an open thumb and thin palm which is great for the impact on the bag, pad-work and other MMA drills.

And finally, when you're grappling and fighting, you need MMA gloves. Some people use these as "Bag Gloves". I don't like them for that. No support, no padding or cushion. I use Fairtex Ultimate NHB Thumbless. Excellent.

 

[StoicDude]

I do BJJ with the Gi, so I cant help you with muay thai.
Couple of things I have learned and would certainly pass it on.

If possible, wear long pants and long sleeves (this means Gi pants or under armour long pants) to prevent skin diseases. Bad case of ringworm taught me this.

CUP. Make sure you get one, because it will pay for it self when somebody jumps on you trying to do a knee on stomach and it actually ends up being knee on balls.

Ear guard. Some might consider it a pussy move, but its way cheaper to wear it, than to go to the doctor and have your ears drained or risk infecting them when you do it yourself.

Sports tape. To tape up the pinky and the toe next to it, because they are pretty susceptible to damage.

Mouth guard, if you have nice teeth. If you got summa teeth, I guess it already too late.

All of these items are a must for me, because injuries/ infections put a stop to training, whi i really dont want.

 

[folkstyle+thai**]

first of all you're not gonna be sparring the first day so
-handwraps/bag gloves
-any kind of shorts and a comfortable shirt

later
-sparring gloves,headgear,shinguards IF your instructor doesn't provide
-maybe wrestling headgear
-fightshorts and rashguard
-cup and mouthguard

 

[Vice Brazilia]

Top Contender has cheap 12-16oz. sparring gloves, but you get what you pay for in that they won't last long.

 

[supdudexxx]

Thanks for the response and resurrecting this thread. I was actually just referring back to it because I had to put my short time training on hold due to work. NOW I need to get serious and invest in quality gear.

Only thing I need are gloves. The recommended quality brands are all pretty pricey so would I (for now) be okay with just a pair of 14 oz's? I probably won't be allowed to full on spar for a while anyway so I can worry about that later. Also for future reference what would you guys recommend and what are what are the main differences between recommended brands? If body type matters I'm 5'7. Lanky but not super skinny. I'm light but it doesn't show that much (120 lbs last time I checked).