Krav Maga Kit Essentials
So you have just started training in Krav Maga , a full contact self defence system invented by the Israeli military, and you are looking for Krav Maga Kit essentials. There are certain bits of kit that you will need to buy to get the most out of a Krav Maga class. Typically the more kit you have the harder you can go and the more contact you will be able to do in class.
Here is the Krav Maga Bristol club the Bristol Titans essential kit list:
Top 5 Essential Kit for Krav Maga
- Groin Guard
- Boxing Gloves or Muay Thai Gloves
- Gumshield
- Shin Guards
- MMA Gloves
Groin guard
It is famously said that “On the street there are no rules” and in Krav Maga we train to target soft and vulnerable parts of the body during an attack. Some parts of the body we can condition to take strikes such as the body and the legs and we can improve our capacity to take head shots through improved stance, positioning, footwork, timing and experience in sparring. However there are parts of the body which are hard to condition such as the groin, throat and eyes. Krav Maga students learn to attack the groin as well as other body parts and as such we need to get some decent protection for this sensitive area!
There are two main types of groin guard for both male and female. The first is built into a sweat wicking compression short such as Underarmour and the second is essentially a Jock strap. Personally I believe the Jock strap variety to be the best, you would want to wear it with briefs and I also use a sweat wicking pair of compression shorts under mine. The Jock straps tend to be the cheapest but they keep everything tucked in and nice and safe.
Boxing Gloves or Muay Thai Gloves
Sparring is an essential part of Krav Maga, it gives you the opportunity to work on your timing, distancing, footwork, head movement and to also build up your ability to take a punch or two. You will need a decent set of gloves, I recommend 14oz Muay Thai boxing gloves and get ones which have velcro fasteners.
Now for gloves don’t go for the absolute cheapest you can get, these ones below are still pretty cheap but will last you a while.
Or if you have a few more pounds to spare and like to go for the best type of kit (which is still reasonably cheap) then you can go for some of the better makes like Sandee or Twins.
Gumshield
To look after your teeth and give you something to bite down on during sparring you will need a gumshield, they run up to £60 for one made by your dentist but you can pick up a suitable and adequate one for around the £10 price range.
Shock Doctor Gel Max Mouth Guard
Shin Guards
For sparring we use Muay Thai shin Guards as they suit us best. You will want to get a shin guard which covers the foot as well as the shin. And I would avoid the MMA sleeve type shin guards as they take ages to get on and off. Krav Maga sessions are pretty fast paced and you will be switching between training with kit (for safety) and training without kit (for realism).
MMA Gloves
4oz MMA gloves are really useful for providing adequate protection for your hands (and your partners face) during sessions of groundfighting. You can use boxing gloves but they are a bit cumbersome on the ground and you’ll want to be setting up for sweeps and grabs so you’ll need some finger movement! The best pair I’ve ever used are Sandee MMA Gloves (see link below) but you can also get some cheaper ones
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