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Muay Thai Protection
Muay Thai is full contact, and the gear you wear decides whether a bad night in the gym costs you a bruise or six weeks off. Protection is not about being cautious. It is about being able to train hard, tomorrow and next week, and being someone people actually want to spar with.
What you need before you spar
Most gyms will not let you spar without these, and the ones that will should not.
- Gloves — 16oz. Sparring gloves are not bag gloves. The extra padding protects your partner, not just you.
- Shin guards. Shin-on-shin is how people get hurt, and it is not always the person kicking who comes off worst.
- A mouthguard. Every session, however light. Teeth do not grow back.
- A groin guard. Accidental teeps happen constantly in the clinch.
- Hand wraps. Not optional, and not just for hitting hard — see below.
New to this? Our essential equipment guide for beginners walks through the whole kit bag.
Protection for children
A child needs the same protection an adult does — in equipment actually built for a child, not a small adult size.
Gloves in 6oz or 8oz, shin guards sized to their leg rather than their age, and a mouthguard from the very first session. The Fairtex SPK9 shin guard has no metal loops on the straps, which makes it legal for amateur competition — and takes a hard metal edge off a piece of kit designed to collide with another child's shin.
Resist the urge to size up for growing room. A guard that slides does not protect the shin.
Shin guards
The piece people get wrong most often, because sizing is opaque and every brand charts it differently. Measure your shin length and calf circumference — do not trust the height columns. When you are between sizes, size up.
Full method in our shin guard size guide, or browse the full range.
Hand wraps
Wraps do two jobs, and most people only know about one.
They stabilise the small bones and tendons in the hand and wrist, which take a beating in a sport where you punch, block and clinch with the same fist. But they also act as a sweat barrier — they keep moisture out of the glove lining, and moisture is what destroys gloves. A £5 pair of wraps meaningfully extends the life of a £115 pair of gloves.
Mouthguards
Boil and bite is the standard, and done properly it fits well enough that you forget it is there. That matters more than people expect: a badly fitted guard interferes with your breathing, and breathing is the first thing to go when you are tired.
Groin guards
Two schools. The traditional Thai steel cup with rope ties gives the most protection and is what you want for hard sparring and competition. A modern jock strap with a plastic cup is lighter and more mobile, and is fine for lighter technical work.
Elbow and ankle guards
Ankle supports are worth having if you roll ankles or your gym trains on hard floors — the constant pivoting on the ball of the foot is what does the damage. Elbow guards matter once you start throwing and blocking elbows in earnest.
Browse anklets and elbow guards.
Looking after it
Everything in this category fails the same way: sweat gets in, foam breaks down, and it starts to smell. Air it all out after every session rather than sealing it in a bag. Wipe leather down. Never soak padded gear — water ruins the foam long before the outer material gives up.
FAQS
What are hand wraps for?
You should wear them through all types of training that involve boxing. Even if you have very large, soft gloves. After all, your fingers and the tendons in your wrist are fragile, so you should take every precaution to protect them.
What protection do I need?
Having a full set of protection helps you maximise training, while minimising risk to you and your training partners. This is because of the diversity of strikes and areas of attack in Muay Thai.
Do boil and bite mouthguards work?
We highly recommend wearing your mouthguard at all times when sparring. You only have one set of teeth!
How do you choose shin guards for Muay Thai?
We recommend getting a pair of semi-leather or leather pair for your drill work and sparring. In addition, some slip-on cotton shin guards are very useful for conditioning. They are also often the standard for amateur competition.
