Looking outside of the more obvious gear like MMA shorts and a rash guard for BJJ, here are five essential pieces of training equipment for anyone wanting to get started in MMA.
Shock Absorbing Mats
The first essential piece of equipment for MMA training safety is a shock absorbing mat. It is highly important when beginning MMA training that you invest in a quality mat that is capable of handling the daily wear and tear that training will put on it. You will require a high quality cushion that is capable of withstanding a strong impact from a throw or takedown. The ideal mat will also feature shock absorbing capabilities as to protect the trainee from injuring themselves. It is important that the mat be easy to clean as dirt and bacteria are common.
Protective Gloves
The next essential piece of equipment for safe MMA training is a pair of standard size MMA gloves. It is important that the gloves used for training meet regulation standards for MMA as stated by the Unified Rules of MMA. The gloves used should be fingerless to allow for hand protection, but also allow grappling techniques. The glove should be adequately padded and weigh around the regulation weight of 8oz for sparring. The glove may also be 4oz, which is the standard size used in professional MMA bouts. The padding allows for protection for the trainee and his sparring partner when throwing strikes with the hands.
Mouthguard
It is important when training MMA that you have the best mouthguard to protect from damage that may occur during training. MMA training is a high volume and high intensity undertaking and a mouthguard will be able to protect your teeth from incurring any severe damage. It is important that the mouthguard match regulation standards and that the mouthguard be suitably comfortable and fitting for all mouth types. The mouthguard should be able to absorb and withstand intense damage and be made from a suitable material to do so.
Headgear
It is necessary when training MMA to utilize headgear as a means to protect against powerful strikes that may occur during training. The headgear should fit comfortably, but also be padded enough to be able to absorb punches and kicks that will be thrown during training. The headgear should be able to fit all size heads and remain in place during training as not to incur the risk of injury to the trainee. Headgear is highly important as to protect the trainee from any possible long term damage that may result from absorption of strikes to the head.
A wrestling headgear may also be used to help prevent cauliflower ears while training wresling and BJJ.
Groin Protection
The final piece of equipment that you will need for MMA training is a high quality protective cup. When training MMA, there is a high probability that there will be a time when a strike or kick thrown will land below the waist. A protective cup should remain in place and not shift when the trainee throws kicks. The cup should be comfortable yet able to protect from damage.
