If you are looking to get involved in Mixed Martial Arts for fitness or to train for your first amateur fight you will find a great workout either way. Not only is it a great physical workout but it’s extremely valuable on a mental aspect as well. You learn discipline and skills that can be practised anywhere.

Most MMA gyms will have items that you don’t need to purchase yourself like sparring pads, first aid kits and training weights. But there are many things that you should be purchasing on your own as it’s not hygienic to be using used equipment such as a mouthguard, handwraps, cup and gloves.

That’s a fairly good start when you first begin in MMA although as you get more experienced you will probably want to add to your equipment. Certain clothing like shorts and rash guard gear as well as shin pads etc are all good items to add to your equipment as you progress. We will take a look at this equipment in more detail.

MMA Clothing (Shorts and Rash Guard)

When it comes to MMA gear, clothing is something you are going to want to look into. It’s essential to your workout and something that you will always keep on you. You need to be properly prepared if you want to train in MMA and that means wearing clothing that is durable, and will resist tears. If you can get clothing that is snug fitting as well it will be better for you. A rash guard shirt is a perfect option for MMA as it protects your arms and elbows during grappling sessions to avoid burns. They also stretch and suck up any moisture on your body.

Wearing old gym shorts aren’t the best idea for an MMA workout. You want something that keeps moisture under bay and is also sturdy enough to handle a hard MMA workout. Regular gym shorts are easy to tear and will become soaked in sweat. The best pair of shorts for you are grappling shorts, or at least shorts that are made of either nylon or polyester. Board shorts or swimming shorts will work until you can get something better but with board shorts they have snaps that could make an opponent angry.

Protective Gear

The gear that you want to have immediately is a mouthguard and a cup. These are the most important pieces of equipment and they need to be purchased first. A mouthguard is going to protect gums and lips from damage and prevent you from getting your teeth knocked out.

A cup is pretty self-explanatory, you are going to take some serious hits and you want to have fragile body parts protected. There are other protective gear you will want to invest in as you get more experienced such as head guard and shin pads.

Sparring Equipment

Sparring Equipment consists of gloves and handwraps, both essential for being in MMA. Handwraps protect your hand and wrist from damage, offering you support and alignment when punching.

Gloves are made to not only protect yourself but your opponents body as well. This is what you will use for most of your training and they should be at least 14 ounce gloves.