Starting kickboxing: what do you really need?

You've signed up for a trial class and now you're looking at ten tabs with boxing gloves on the internet. Recognisable. The honest summary: you need four things, and the rest can wait until you know if you like it.

1. Boxing Gloves

Most gyms have loaner gloves, but they're damp inside and belong to someone else. Your own gloves are more hygienic and fit better. Choose by weight: up to 60 kg 10 oz, 60 to 75 kg 12 oz, 75 to 90 kg 14 oz, above that 16 oz. If you're in doubt between two sizes, take the heavier one. Heavier gloves are safer for sparring and will strengthen your arms.

2. Bandages

Your hands are full of small bones and tendons that can easily be overstressed with a wrong punch. Bandages keep everything together and absorb sweat, making your gloves last longer. Cotton wraps of 2.5 meters are the standard for beginners: long enough to wrap your knuckles, hand and wrist properly, not so long that you spend a minute per hand.

3. A Mouthguard

Once you start sparring, this is not optional. A mouthguard protects your teeth, but especially your jaw joint and indirectly your head. You briefly boil a self-moulding mouthguard, bite into it, and then it fits your teeth exactly. Get one with a storage box, because a loose mouthguard in your sports bag is not a pleasant idea.

4. Shin Guards

This is the difference between boxing and kickboxing. Your shins are not yet used to contact at the beginning, and a ten-centimeter bruise will be in the way for two weeks. Entry-level models with foam padding stay in place best during pad work and sparring.

What can you postpone?

A jump rope, gel hand wraps, and a reflex ball are all useful, but not for your first month. Your own punching bag even less so: in most houses, it ends up in the corner as a clothes hanger after three months. Train in the gym first, then buy what you miss at home.

Practical: what does all that cost?

Buying separately usually costs you between 70 and 100 euros for gloves, wraps, and a mouthguard. In a starter pack, they come together, which saves on price and shipping costs. Shin guards are added separately once you move from boxing to kickboxing.

Finally

The most important thing is that you go. No one in the gym looks at the brand of your gloves; they look to see if you show up. Push your limits.