Belly Pads

A belly pad is the reason a fighter can throw a teep at full power without anyone getting hurt. Worn round the abdomen, it lets the holder take front kicks, push kicks and knees straight to the body — the shots you simply cannot practise properly on a Thai pad, because a Thai pad is on someone's arm.

It is also the most commonly skipped piece of equipment in a home setup, which is why so many people who train at home have a decent teep and no idea how to knee.

What it is actually for

• Teeps and front kicks. The only way to throw one hard at a person.
• Knees. Especially in the clinch, where a Thai pad cannot get into position.
• Body shots. Punches to the midsection, at a pace and power a pad holder cannot otherwise take.

Most gyms pair a belly pad with Thai pads on the same holder — pads on the forearms, belly pad on the torso — so one person can feed an entire round of kicks, knees and body work without swapping equipment.

Leather or microfibre?

This one genuinely matters, more than it does for gloves or pads.

Leather — the Fairtex BPV1. More durable, and it will outlast almost everything else in the gym. It is the buy if you are equipping a club and expect the pad to be used every night for years.

Microfibre — the Fairtex BPV3. Lighter, cheaper, wipes clean, and does not hold odour. That last point is not a small thing: a belly pad spends its entire working life strapped against a sweating torso, and a leather one in a busy gym will eventually let you know about it. For most people, microfibre is the sensible buy.

Getting the fit right

The pad should sit across the abdomen and cover the ribs at the sides, with the straps tight enough that it does not ride up when a knee lands underneath it. If it shifts, the next knee finds the gap.

Most belly pads are one-size with adjustable straps, and are designed to be shared between holders of different builds. Check the strap length if the holder is particularly large or particularly small.

Looking after it

Wipe it down after every session — this is the piece of kit in closest contact with sweat, for the longest, and it will let you know if you neglect it. Air it out rather than stacking it in a corner. Leather needs proper drying or it will crack at the fold.

See also Thai pads, focus mitts, or all pads and mitts.