Each person will train in the martial arts for completely different reasons. Some may practice it for health, others will take part in it for self-defense, and then some simply practice it as a leisure activity. Whatever your reason behind enrolling in martial arts lessons, you’ll not get much from the process if you do not have the right equipment.

In the “old days,” it was not unusual for jugs of water, bags of rice, and buckets full of sand to be incorporated into a number of different workout programs. These days, we are fortunate enough to have access to a good selection of martial arts equipment. Through the effective usage of such equipment, it becomes possible to achieve the most from a structured class or private training.

Naturally, this may raise questions regarding the kind of martial arts equipment is needed for the “average” workout. Again, there’s enormous variety to choose from. Here is a brief summary of the martial arts equipment you will commonly come across. Almost all of it is a must for virtually every martial arts practitioner regardless of style.

Undoubtedly, the typical punch bag is a clear must in any dojo or training hall. Punching bags not only provide a definitive target to direct your blows towards. Such bags boost the possible ways to develop solid endurance and cardiovascular conditioning. There is certainly great variety among the many different punching bags available and they include:

Standard Boxing Size: These would be traditional boxing bags that mimic the size and shape of the torso. They are really primarily for the purpose of punching but mid-line and high line kicks are generally effectively trained on these bags too.

Banana Bags: Most are thinner punching bags that are the length of the human body. The lower region of the punch bag enables the effective training of leg kicks, knees, together with other strikes.

Light Bags: Light punching bags are low weight (about 1/3 the size and weight of a punching bag) so are designed mainly to offer resistance to jabbing style punches as well as hook and uppercut line blows. Some even employ a lightweight punch bag to train headbutts!

Punching bags might be hanging bags which can be affixed to various “hooks” in the ceiling or they could be freestanding. Freestanding bags are, essentially durable base mounts. Such bags are considerably more expensive than the majority of the traditional hanging bags but they are much simpler to move and store.

While hitting the heavy bag is a must for effective training, you need to hit it in as safe a manner as is possible. This will likely warrant appropriate protective gloves required for hitting an impact target. This includes all manner of impact targets – heavy bags, focus mitts, shields, and Muay Thai pads. The knuckles in the hand are small and fragile bones. For this reason reliable gloves – whether they are traditional 12oz, 14oz, or 16oz boxing gloves, boxing bag gloves, or mixed martial arts lightweight finger free gloves – must be worn when hitting a heavy punch bag. For those that enjoy sparring with “point karate” gloves, be mindful of the fact that such gloves aren’t devised for hitting impact targets. They won’t provide you with the adequate protection you’ll need for such training. Stay with using them for light contact sparring instead.

As most martial artists realize, the hands aren’t the sole area that need protection and that’s why quite a lot of martial arts equipment will provide protection to the feet. Shin pads and point fighting footwear are two of the most common. Some may assume that such equipment is only used in sparring. In actuality, wearing when hitting impact targets is advisable as well since this may protect the lower extremities and nerve endings from damage. Really, the perennial running theme here is that almost all martial arts equipment is intended to enhance safety. Of course, there are also some items that serve other purposes as well plus they’re well worth a look at as well.

Stretching devices can be employed that will help extend the range of flexibility in the leg ligaments. This will definitely prove helpful for those that desire to enhance their kicking flexibility. Similarly, the “old school” Eagle Catcher is a perfect spring action handheld device designed to develop a great degree of gripping stretch. The classic makiwara pad has long since been used to toughen the hands in traditional karate training. Similarly, the kung fu wall bag is a wonderful asset for developing strikes common in the Chinese martial arts. Such older and more traditional training aids definitely have their place in today’s world which is becoming more and more noted for its sportive approach to training. But, whether you are training for competition or traditional self-defense, you need equipment that helps facilitate your goals.

Regardless of the type of martial arts equipment you purchase, you need to make sure it is from a reputable name brand manufacturer. Some will make the error of buying cheaper equipment from a “no frills” manufacturer. Rarely is such equipment worth much of anything. Not only will cheap equipment not deliver on expectations, it can put the user at an injury risk. Certainly, that would not be helpful in any way whatsoever. Stay with reliable name brands for your martial arts equipment needs. Such an approach will assuredly prove significantly more helpful in the long run.

Author Bio: Ian Woolston has been studying martials arts for over 15 years and is currently a 4th Dan Ju Jitsu. Visit his website, EnsoRyu, if you are interested in punch bags or any other type of martial arts equipment. Be sure to check the blog to read about up to date news, information and a lot more.

Category: Sports
Keywords: martial arts, martial arts training, martial arts equipment, punch bags