So you want to know whether using hand wraps is important and necessary when doing Muay Thai. Well, you came to the right place, as that’s exactly what this article will cover. To remove any initial doubts, let’s first examine whether you should use hand wraps in Muay Thai.
Hand wraps are a must-have protective piece of equipment in Muay Thai because it’s one of the most dangerous sports in the world, which involves wrist and hand injuries risk. Therefore, hand wraps, which purpose is to absorb damage and provide proper support, are the perfect fit.
In this article, we delve deep into the significance of hand wraps, exploring their role in protecting your hands, enhancing your performance, and ensuring your longevity in the ring. Join us as we unravel the truth behind the necessity of hand wraps in the art of Muay Thai.
If you step out of your Muay Thai gym with severe injuries that will jeopardize your ability to fight in the near future, the training session wasn’t worth it. In my last Muay Thai session, I overtrained and hurt my neck and back, which now limit my abilities to train in the soon future.
Without further introduction, let’s break down the importance of hand wraps in Muay Thai and understand whether it’s a piece of equipment you must wear in competitions, sparring and other training endeavors.
Are Hand Wraps a Must in Muay Thai?
Muay Thai is among the most dangerous combative sports on the entire globe. You’ll almost not find a sport where two people are conditioned to hit each other in the face and body as hard as possible, as quickly as possible, and as effectively as possible.
Because it’s a striking-based martial art, you’ll be using your hands quite to throw punches, which are one of the best tools you have in Thai Boxing. For instance, you’ll learn to Jab, Hook, Uppercut, and use the Overhand Elbow. These are all exceptionally effective tools. However, because of the unfortunate existence of physics, the force you inflict upon the opponent is also the force your hand will receive back (remember this law? Equal and opposite force.)
Hand wraps are a must-have protective equipment in Muay Thai, as you’ll use your hand a lot, which puts your hand and wrist at high risk. What the hand wraps do is a few things: (1) they support your wrist, (2) they absorb finger damage, and (3) they absorb wrist, knuckles, and hand force.
If you ask me, these are critical benefits such an affordable piece of protective equipment provides. You’ll be able to minimize the amount of force your hand actually takes by wearing them.
And now, let’s look at whether you should use them in Muay Thai.
By the way, if you’re looking for the most protective hand wraps in Muay Thai, here’s the one I use in my training sessions and they do the job perfectly!
Hayabusa Boxing Hand Wraps
Should I Use Hands Wraps for Muay Thai?
Protective equipment in Muay Thai is critical to have, especially the really necessary ones. For instance, you’ll be surprised that not many novice fighters wear gloves when they begin practicing on the heavy bag. If you’re an advanced trainee, you’re currently cringing in your seat, as you know how dangerous that can be, particularly if your punching technique isn’t perfect yet.
If you want to hone your punching technique to the point where you’ll be able to punch bare-handed (although it’s always encouraged to wear gloves and wraps), follow the link to learn how!
Back to our topic.
You should always use hand wraps in Muay Thai if safety is your priority, which it should be if you’re interested in staying an active fighter in the long term. Your hands and wrists are at great risk if you don’t take enough precautions to protect them. So you increase your injury likelihood by not wearing hand wraps.
This is why they’re mandatory.
Are Hand Wraps a Must in Muay Thai Competitions?
Hand wraps are a must-wear item in Muay Thai competitions. All competitors must wear them while competing, assuming the competition they’re in isn’t a bare-handed one, which is very few of them. Hand wraps provide protection, which is even more necessary in competitions, as the fighters are going all-in.
Whenever a Muay Thai disciple is investing all his energy and power into one fight, he’s much more likely to injure himself, either by himself or his opponent.
Imagine throwing the strongest Hook you have while not wearing any hand-protective equipment, which is gloves and wraps. What do you think will happen? Eventually, while it’s not guaranteed, you’re likely to cause either wrist or hand damage, which will prevent you from continuing to train.
I’ve made that mistake before; If you want to take your training seriously, the next quote might grant some insight:
Most men learn from the mistakes of their own, but wise men learn from the mistake of others; or something along those lines.
The last part of the quote is mine, by the way.
Benefits of Hand Wraps
The next part of this article will be about benefits. We all eventually care about what we can benefit from the product. This is what the economy is all about. We buy products because WE want to get something.
So now, let’s dive into the three primary benefits you want to familiarize yourself with of hand wraps in fighting!
#1 – Hand and Wrist Support
The first benefit is perhaps the most important one. This is why all boxers and Muay Thai trainees must wear wraps before throwing any kind of punch whatsoever. You cannot let your hand be unprotected when you throw a punch.
We’ve all seen movies where someone punches another guy in the face without any hand wraps or gloves. Then, the first reaction of the guy punching is that his hand hurts. I mean, do you not see where I’m going with this?
Hand wraps provide support to the delicate bones and joints of the hands and wrists. They help stabilize the wrist joint and provide additional padding to protect the knuckles and metacarpal bones. This support helps reduce the risk of sprains, fractures, and other hand injuries.
#2 – Injury Prevention
The second benefit is overall hand and wrist injury prevention. What hand wraps also do is provide another layer of padding to absorb damage before our actual hands get inflicted with damage.
By wrapping the hands, you create a layer of padding that absorbs impact and reduces the risk of cuts, bruises, and abrasions. Hand wraps also help to compress the hand and maintain proper alignment of the bones and tendons, minimizing the chances of ligament and tendon damage.
#3 – Knuckle Protection
And now, let’s review the last benefit, which is another one I’m confident will convince you to start wearing hand wraps. If you’ve ever punched bare-knuckled, you know that your knuckles can begin hurting.
I won’t lie to you, I participate in knuckle-conditioning workouts, which means that I do heavy bag sessions without wraps or gloves. That allows me to condition my knuckles and strengthen them for when I need to use them. But, I don’t recommend doing the same thing as me if your punching technique isn’t perfect.
The knuckles are vulnerable to damage due to repeated impact on heavy bags, focus mitts, or opponents. Hand wraps provide an extra layer of cushioning over the knuckles, reducing the risk of bruising and swelling. They can also help distribute the force more evenly across the hand, reducing the chances of a single knuckle taking the full impact.
How to Wrap Your Hands for Muay Thai
Wrapping your hands for Muay Thai is quite different than how you would normally do that for Boxing and Kickboxing. The style of the wrap itself is different, which actually originates from Thailand.
So here’s how you do it properly for Muay Thai:
- Gather the necessary equipment: You will need a pair of hand wraps, which are long, elastic cloth strips specifically designed for hand protection.
- Position your thumb: Place your thumb through the thumb loop of the hand wrap, if it has one. This will secure the wrap in place as you start wrapping.
- Start at the wrist: Begin wrapping from the inside of your wrist, just below the base of your thumb. Hold the loose end of the wrap against your palm to secure it.
- Wrap around the wrist: Circle the wrap around your wrist a few times, making sure to keep it snug but not too tight. This will provide a stable foundation for the rest of the wrap.
- Move towards the thumb: After wrapping the wrist, bring the wrap diagonally across the back of your hand, toward the base of your thumb.
- Wrap around the thumb: Pass the wrap behind your thumb, then bring it across the front of your hand, between your thumb and index finger.
- Wrap between the fingers: From the base of your thumb, continue wrapping between each finger, starting with your index finger and ending with your pinky finger. Wrap around each finger twice for added protection.
- Return to the wrist: After wrapping between your fingers, bring the wrap back around your hand and wrist. Continue wrapping in a figure-eight pattern, moving between your fingers and around your wrist. Ensure the wrap is snug but not overly tight.
- Secure the wrap: Once you reach the end of the hand wrap, tuck the loose end under a few layers of the wrap to keep it in place. You can also use a piece of tape to secure the end if desired.
- Repeat for the other hand: Repeat the entire process for your other hand, ensuring both hands are wrapped evenly and securely.
Final Words
The importance of protecting your hands and wrists cannot be overstated. Hand wraps provide crucial support, stability, and padding to help minimize the risk of injury and ensure longevity in your training and fighting career.
Muay Thai is a combat sport that involves powerful strikes using various parts of the body, including the hands. Without proper hand wraps, the impact and repetitive stress on your hands and wrists can lead to fractures, sprains, and long-term damage. Hand wraps effectively distribute the force of your strikes, reducing the strain on your bones and joints.
So get yours now! To see which ones are the best, you can read the article that I’ve linked below.
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