gabbah

Does you gym generally use head protection in sparring?

In my gym we don't, and I'm starting to feel it's a problem, because I have to hold back my punches so much so I don't hurt my sparring partner. So a few of the "advanced" students are talking about buying head gear so that we can sparr more realistic without getting hurt.
What I'm trying to say is that in my gym it seems it's not obvious you should have head protection in sparring.
What is your gyms "unwritten policy"?

Perhaps this question will apply mostly to the advanced/intermediate group in your gym, as beginners often don't sparr, or sparr only light.

Sagacious Lu

The "unwritten" rule is that everyone wears head gear at my school. I think if a senior student wanted to go with out my teacher might let them. It's strongly recomended though, and I can't think of anyone who doesn't put it on automatically on days when we spar hard. I think it's a good idea, even with the head gear you can still get your bells rung.

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corygoose

At my gym we don't where headgear during light sparring, during full sparring we do use headgear. So with us it just depends on how hard we are sparing.

matbla

yes here is what i wear
it is from awma.com

THT

We do use headgear on designated sparring days and in pick up sessions if we know we'll go hard. Well recognized ass whoopers and senior students often go without, but for the majority we all wear it whenever sparring. Many people even wear theirs during regular class to get used to having it on for fights.

matbla

our adult do not wear head gear but i do
i got it from awma.com
from matt

Nemesis

Where did you get it?

gabbah

Well I finally bought this one.
It gives as much protection as possible without imparing the field of vision I think.

matbla

i got my proforce at awma.com
frommatt blake

gabbah

Seems there are more gyms using head gear than not... but still quite a few without it seems.
I hope more people would vote, so we can se what the trend is.

pfighter

While not as macho - do you want to end up like Mike? What are the reasons for not wearing it?

On a daily basis (non-competition) I find no reason you should spar, beyond light sparring, without headgear. You dont have to pull your punches as much, you are more protected from scapes, and despite what some headgear critics claim, it does reduce brain trauma.

dmcdonnell

Unless you are a pro fighter, you should never NOT use headgear.. Pro fighters need to spar without headgear at some point in the training, just to get used to taking shots without it..

Dave

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David McDonnell
Pittsburgh, PA

gabbah

Yeah, now that I use headgear I can sparr harder without running risk of that much damage, at least it feels alot better. Still get nosebleeds of course.
But we just had a guy from Germany in our gym, and he was surprised my gym didn't use headgear, and told me that in his home gym, you were pretty much considered an idiot if you didn't use it.
My gym should learn to wear head gear... :/
Not only because it's safer, but also because we can sparr harder to the head, which makes it more realistic and closer to real match conditions.

kwai chang pain

Wearing headgear is no guarantee of safety, but I'd HIGHLY recommend wearing it for any striking art.

I had my hearing tested a few years ago and the doc said I had some mid-level hearing loss. He says it can't be proven, but there's strong evidence that blunt force head trauma could've caused it.

I've always been a big fan of watching boxing/kickboxing/etc., but I'm a little worried about the risks involved. Guess it all comes down to personal choice.
If you're willing to take the risks, more power to 'ya.

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Drag'n

In Daidojuku we always use headgear when we spar. But we only wear thin bag gloves,or MMA gloves, so we still hold back a little with the power. The best thing is it allows us to throw elbows which is great for Muay Thai enthusiasts.
At the kickboxing gym I trained at we rarely used headgear. But we sparred with 16 ounce gloves and used enough control to prevent any serious injury.
Sometimes we'd wear head gear if we were preparing for a fight and wanted to spar extra hard.
I wouldnt recommend going too hard all the time though. It does lead to injuries and its just not good for your brain! Having the control to pull your punches while still sparring with good technique and speed is an important part of the learning process anyway.

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