Boxing Gloves vs. Muay Thai Gloves
Boxing Gloves vs. Muay Thai Gloves
What are boxing gloves? What are Muay Thai gloves?
Although both boxing and Muay Thai are combat sports, they differ in their techniques and styles. In addition to Muay Thai, other sports like kickboxing and French boxing (Savate) are not part of the boxing category. Combat sport gloves have continuously evolved, with boxing gloves and Muay Thai gloves being prominent examples. The following explains the differences between boxing gloves and Muay Thai gloves. MMA gloves, which are specialized for grappling, are not covered here.
Differences between boxing gloves and Muay Thai gloves
The padding
The main difference lies in the padding. Boxing gloves are designed for punches, so the padding is concentrated around the knuckle area. In contrast, Muay Thai involves many elbow, foot, and knee strikes, which requires thicker padding on the back of the hand to block kicks. In general, Muay Thai gloves are stiffer than boxing gloves.
Links: Muay Thai-specific gloves from the Thai company T.
Right: Tuhorn Boxing Gloves
It can be seen that the padding in Muay Thai gloves is focused on the back of the hand, while in boxing gloves, it is concentrated on the knuckles.
Wrist protection
Boxing gloves are designed to prevent the area connecting the back of the hand to the wrist from bending. Boxers need to punch constantly, so it's crucial that the wrist stays firm and the closure provides sufficient support.
Muay Thai gloves are designed to allow and facilitate clinching and wrist bending. Additionally, they are stiffer around the wrist area to protect against the impact of kicks, making them generally more durable than boxing gloves.
Palm and Thumb
Boxing gloves have a thumb construction that allows for a secure fist grip. Additional padding around the wrist increases wrist protection.
Muay Thai gloves are designed so that the thumbs point outward, the palm is lightly padded, and there is plenty of space in the palm to hold the opponent's head in the clinch.
Can you use Muay Thai gloves for boxing and vice versa?
Yes, this is no problem. Both types of gloves can be used interchangeably in training. However, those who engage in longer training sessions should opt for sport-specific equipment that meets the particular requirements of each sport.
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