Mixed Martial Arts Forum banner

The Must Have List For MMA Gear

57K views 46 replies 27 participants last post by  burkeds 
#1 ·
Hey all... I was thinking of putting together a "must have" list for folks who are looking at training in MMA. What I'm thinking of putting together is a listing of gear to be used with one person and 1 training partner to effectively train. Considering this is going to cover both striking and grappling, and that this list is for those with wallets that aren't the deepest in the world, what would you put down as "must have" equipment and gear for the budding MMA practitioner? For instance:

Grappling
Mandatory:
Bike or Support Shorts (wear them under your rolling shorts so that your genitals don't play a game of ping-pong when you get taken down or thrown)
Supporter and Cup (I've been struck in the groin more times rolling than I have ever been when standing up)
Mouth Guard (Chipping and breaking teeth happen a lot when you're thrown around, or being put in the Chokehold or Neck Crank du jour)
Knee Pads (self explanatory)

Optional:
Wrestling Mats (too expensive for most, open carpet or grass can always suffice, just not as nice to roll on)
Wrestling Shoes (this one is a toss-up, rolling without shoes is okay, but traction and not getting your individual toes caught is nice; wearing shoes can be like attaching velcro to your feet on some leg holds)
Grappling Gloves (if you're leisurely rolling, these are completely useless... if you're preparing for competition, then they're a must)
Head Gear (cool for regular Greco-Roman work, but if you put your arm up around someone's head in a submission scenario, you might as well ask for your opponent to put you in an armbar, or choke you out).

That's what I've got for Grappling so far. I'll get into the Striking equipment when I have a little more time.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
the only other thing I would list as optional is elbow bads for some espically if your not on a mat.. and i am not a fan of knee pads so I'd list them under optional.. and to prevent wearing so much under your shorts they have support shorts that have a built in holder for a cup. I like these I was a hockey goalie and had a pair used them for training as well..
 
#3 ·
The Don said:
the only other thing I would list as optional is elbow bads for some espically if your not on a mat.. and i am not a fan of knee pads so I'd list them under optional.. and to prevent wearing so much under your shorts they have support shorts that have a built in holder for a cup. I like these I was a hockey goalie and had a pair used them for training as well..
I'd list Elbow Pads as optional. The reason why I listed knee pads as mandatory is because all the times I've rolled where it's not high impact, we've always started out on our knees, and avoided standing fully. In that case there, the knee pads always saved us from undo scrapes, cuts or bruises.

Striking Gear list coming soon. I'm at work right now, and I have to take care of Admin stuff before posting in earnest.
 
#4 ·
Striking Equipment

Okay, now I'll try to delve into a "Must Have" list for striking gear. Remember, this is for a situation where you have yourself and a training partner. I'm going to address this from the standpoint that you are training a full 8-point offense system that encorporates Knees and Elbows, not just Punching. With that, let's see what I can come up with...

Striking
Mandatory:
Head Gear (Simple boxing head gear will not keep you from getting KTFO, but will lessen the chance of superficial injuries like cuts and bruises. fat lips are one thing, but a bad gash on your eyebrows is lot more to deal with in training or afterwards)
Mouth Piece (Again a simple single-sided mouth piece goes a long way to avoid dental injury, and is a must for any contact/combat sport)
Supporter and Cup (If any sparring is done, this is a must for obvious reasons).
Boxing Gloves (I would go with your generic 16oz training gloves. Having these big ass gloves will do wonders for the actual speed of your punches)
Shin Guards (Simple cloth shin guards will help if you're trying to effectively learn how to throw MT style kicks, and also when you're learning how to defend such MT style leg kicks)
A Large Target Shield (With a training partner this can be used to improvise for a lot of other equipment: MT Pads, Focus Mitts, Heavy Bag, etc)

Optional:
Heavy Bag (Optional if you have a readily available training partner and a Large Target Shield--Mandatory if you have a shortage of training partners or time)
Wrist Wraps (I've never gone into a situation where the punching was so intense while training that these were an absolute must, but if the focus of sparring is going to be in a 70/30 bias towards striking they would be recommended)
Instep/Foot Guards (If you're kicking properly with power, you'll be connecting with the base of your shin more than you would your foot, even then with the more effective thrusting kicks, you'll be connecting more with the bottom of your foot)
Ankle Support/Wraps (This will vary per user. If you have a history of bad ankles, I would say this is definitely recommended)
MT Pads (If you have a readily available and skilled training partner, these will do wonders for you. If you're strapped for cash, just get a large target shield or Focus Mitts-below)
Focus Mitts (See above. If you're trying to decide between Focus Mitts and MT Pads, go with Focus Mitts. You can do everything with Focus Mitts that you can do with MT Pads, and it will require that you be more precise when you train)
 
#6 ·
I would put Rash Guards as optional. In most cases, you can get away with rolling in sweater, jersey or hoodie and be covered (you just happen to create more handles for your training partner). However, if you do any sort of no-gi grappling on a serious basis (no-gi sessions at a dojo, or in competition) they are a must. Considering that you can get a decent rash Guard long sleeve for $20 to $30, it's not too much of an extra expense.

Hmmm... In a bit I'll throw up a listing with prices for everyone to look over.
 
#8 ·
Summarized List With Prices

Here's the summarized list for both Grappling and Striking Gear. Some of the items cross over into both applications of training, making a lot of shopping list smaller than it would seem. I also went out of my way to browse around for prices, to give you a realistic window of how much you can expect to spend on getting a hold of this equipment.

Mandatory:
Supporter and Cup Low Range: $9.99 High Range: $34.99
Mouth Piece/Guard Low Range: $1.99 High Range: $29.99
Support Shorts Low Range: $19.99 High Range: $29.99
Boxing Head Gear Low Range: $34.99 High Range: $69.99
Boxing Gloves Low Range: $17.99 High Range: $69.99
Knee Pads Low Range: $5.99 High Range: $21.99
Shin Guards Low Range: $7.99 High Range: $69.99
Large Target Shield Low Range: $19.99 High Range: $99.99

So for the Mandatory equipment, you're probably looking at a budget starting at around $120 to $430 (depending on the price of your equipment).

Optional:
Wrestling Mats Low Range: $169.99 High Range: $344.99*
Wrestling Shoes Low Range: $34.99 High Range: $124.99
Grappling/MMA Gloves Low Range: $22.99 High Range: $59.99
Wrestling Head Gear Low Range: $15.99 High Range: $29.99
Heavy Bag Low Range $79.99 High Range: $179.99
Wrist Wraps Low Range: $3.99 High Range: $14.99
Instep/Foot Guards Low Range: $5.99 High Range: $79.99**
Ankle Support/Wraps Low Range: $9.99 High Range: $84.99
MT Pads Low Range: $51.99 High Range: $109.99***
Focus Mitts Low Range: $19.99 High Range: $59.99***

Notes:
*This is for a single 4' X 8' size, foldable section of mats. 8' X 8' would be the minimum size needed to train. Price factored in for 2 sections.
**High range is for full leather Shin/Instep Guards.
***This is per pair (MT Pads and Focus Mitts)

For the optional equipment you would be looking at a starting budget of around $590 and up to $1435! I guess the moral of the story is:

Training for MMA ain't cheap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Squirrelfighter
#12 ·
I need small female mma gloves but don't want to spent $80-$100, I have tried wrapping my hands and putting my lifting gloves over but it was not helpful.

BTW some of us want to wear the UFC or tap out logo on t-shirts etc that we can wear to work out. not booty shorts or tank tops that are only meant to cover breast implant scars.
 
#13 ·
mma gloves

I need small female mma gloves but don't want to spent $80-$100, I have tried wrapping my hands and putting my lifting gloves over but it was not helpful.

BTW some of us want to wear the UFC or tap out logo on t-shirts etc that we can wear to work out. not booty shorts or tank tops that are only meant to cover breast implant scars.


why does the forum tell me to wait 10 seconds, and I do, and post the message and then it comes up 2x on the thread which is annoying to everybody?
 
#14 ·
swpthleg said:
I need small female mma gloves but don't want to spent $80-$100, I have tried wrapping my hands and putting my lifting gloves over but it was not helpful.

BTW some of us want to wear the UFC or tap out logo on t-shirts etc that we can wear to work out. not booty shorts or tank tops that are only meant to cover breast implant scars.


why does the forum tell me to wait 10 seconds, and I do, and post the message and then it comes up 2x on the thread which is annoying to everybody?
Sorry about the slow reply... I'm not sure about the dual posting thing. It may have to do with the speed of your connection...

In any case, if you're looking for a set of inexpensive MMA gloves I can readily suggest going to Ringside Boxing and checking out their "Top Contender" series of gloves. The have their Top Contender Pro Grappling Gloves, and Top Contender Quick Strike Grappling Gloves that clock in at $19.99 and $14.99 respectively.

The reason why I list them is that they are listed as being available in a "Junior" size in the catalog I have, but not on the website. You may have to call them (1-877-426-9464) to place the order for the Junior Size glove. I would definitely call at least to check the availability.

To tell you the truth, I have the Quick Strike gloves and they work fine. I don't actively compete myself, so I can't tell you how they work in comparison to other more expensive sets. Let me know if this helps.
 
#15 ·
swpthleg said:
I need small female mma gloves but don't want to spent $80-$100, I have tried wrapping my hands and putting my lifting gloves over but it was not helpful.

BTW some of us want to wear the UFC or tap out logo on t-shirts etc that we can wear to work out. not booty shorts or tank tops that are only meant to cover breast implant scars.

We have the SSF Ounao style gloves in small that should fit you;

Equipment:Gloves

They are made by the same company that makes Ouano's glove.

Here are some women's gear;

Women Clothing
 
#18 ·
justadude007 said:
Hi, I just started training KM and I need to buy a groin guard - can any of you guys recommend a good brand / model? There are so many types out there it is mind-boggling. I'm not competing; just need it for training...
Any standard cross-fit supporter and cup that you can get from your local sporting good store for around $20 will work fine. It is definitely better than not wearing one.

If you want to go the combined compression shorts and cup, I suggest this: Shock Doctor Compression Shorts with Flex Cup. I use these myself, and I'm probably going to order a second set for when my first is in the laundry. If you're doing any sort of throws/breakfalls you'll appreciate the compression shorts. They help avoiding the situation where the inside of your thighs play a game of "ping pong" with your testicles when you take a fall.
 
#20 ·
Don't worry. I mean any standard jockstrap. Just like this here.
 
#26 ·
Okay guys, I thought I'd add a thing or two to this. If you have the choice of one set of striking training gloves, I highly recommend these: IMF Tech Training Gloves.



These gloves are awesome. The fit and feel are easy to get into due to the molded foam setting. They offer a lot of protection for both you and your sparring partner (unless you are hitting them in the head repeatedly) and still provide a bit of feedback to let you know that you are hitting your target solidly.

The cuff is a velcro closing with an elastic cover sleeve that helps support your wrist and protect your partner from getting scraped up or "velcro-burned." It's a small detail, but it sure as hell helps if you do any sort of clinch work.

The gloves are a steal at $64.95. They are comparable to IMF Training Gloves offered by Ringside. In fact, since they are from the same manufacturer (just branded differently) they are practically identical in function and fit. The new IMF Training Gloves by Ringside are simply the new model in a different color and finish rolled out this season. At $25 price difference, they are a hell of a deal.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top