Wearing appropriate protective gear is essential when you participate in Muay Thai or any such sparring session. Since you and your opponent often use kicks, something like a shin guard should be there for protection on both ends. Practitioners need help with the kind of shin guard they should choose. The veterans would tell you that the answer is in your training goals, experience, body type, etc. Your selection will vary if you are an experienced or a beginner fighter. Plus, the budget will also have a say in this. Gloves come in many styles and forms. Due to this, one has to consider different aspects. With shin guards, only a few variables play a critical role.
You can focus on the shin guard’s material, dimension, and composition. Then, length is another crucial aspect to consider against your body type. Amid these, it’s also essential to account for the foot padding. Something non-detachable can be even better. Finding shin guards online will be easy if you keep the fundamentals clear. So, let’s dig into some more insights in this context.
Training goals
Your commitment level can be the biggest hint about the type of protection you should wear. How often do you compete? If you are a regular, owning two pairs of this protective equipment will be best. Buy a firm and hard surface for drills and sparring. When you compete, you can wear the cloth pair. This one can also be handy for training sessions. Some Muay Thai practitioners may discourage you from using the cloth-based option. They contend that this can hurt your training companions. While it may have some truth, there is more than this to consider. Ultimately, your training style is the thing. If your gym makes you participate in hard sparring consisting of full-fledged strikes, you would want a good padded option. However, lighter sparring sessions at the gym can be manageable with cloth-style shin guards.
The experts feel cloth guards for shin bone can be an ideal training tool. They can help with conditioning your shin bone. If you accidentally land a tough kick on your opponent during sparring wearing this one, you, as a striker, will be more at risk of an injury than the defender. Nevertheless, you would want to wear a thick guard if your shins faced injuries recently or are tender. In that case, you can layer the cloth shin guard under the firmer synthetic guard for double protection.
Body type
Anyone with a slighter body build may prefer wearing tighter shin guards even if they choose cloth ones. You can imagine this for people weighing around 145 lbs. or so. Bigger people can be more comfortable with heavy construction.
Budget
When it comes to shopping, most decisions hinge upon the pricing factor. One may avoid pricier choices for a more affordable alternative. However, focus on the quality. If you invest in the right product, its durability and service will eventually cover your out-of-pocket expense. Of course, maintenance is vital. It’s wise to wipe, dry, and air your shin guards after every use to help them last longer.
A trusted store will keep only the right quality products. You can visit them to reduce your shopping time and effort.