Taekwondo sparring equipment

is as necessary as a uniform. Most tae kwon do training includes fighting, or sparring, both as a sport and as experience for real life situations for self-defense.

While schools differ in the amount of taekwondo sparring equipment a student is required to wear, there is an absolute minimum quantity that should be worn in contact sparring. Even if the sparring practice is termed “light contact”, if contact is involved, a student must wear the following:

1. Chest Protector – A hogu is the korean word for the chest protector. This piece of taekwondo sparring euipment protects the student from the collar bone to about the navel and wraps around the ribs and sometimes kidneys and secures firmly at the back.
2. Head Gear – Tae kwon do sparring gear must always include padded head gear much like boxers wear. The head gear is usually vinyl covered foam and covers the complete head leaving open the eyes, nose and mouth area.

Taekwondo Sparring Equipment

In addition to the two pieces of taekwondo sparring equipment above that most instructors would consider mandatory, there is more sparring gear that is a good idea, especially for younger students and women, (and I say that as a taekwondo woman martial artist).

• Forearm Guards – This gear is to protect the forearms which are used to block. Even light contact sparring can have a lot of force behind it. Blocking any kind of kick with the arm can lead to bruising and other more serious injuries, therefore, forearm guards are recommended.
• Shin Guards – Like their upper body counterpart, shin guards pad the shin which is especially helpful during sparring. Tae kwon do training always includes lots of kicking and sparring is no exception. Kicking your opponents target areas is the goal. Protecting the shin will help reduce the amount of bruising that can occur.
• Instep Guards – These protect the top of the foot with padding just like arm and shin guards. Some students don’t like them and that’s fine. But if you find your feet don’t take the impact of sparring practice over and over again, instep guards will be a comfort.

It goes without saying, that male students should always wear a groin cup during sparring practice. Mouth guards are a good idea if your school allows head blows during tae kwon do training. Though the head is an acceptable target in competition and real life self-defense, many schools do not allow the head to be  targeted during practice for obvious reasons.

Mandatory taekwondo sparring equipment

is sized like uniforms from #000 through #7. Check out Ebay for people who are selling off their sparring gear, there are usually good deals to be had on used equipment.

Be safe and you will enjoy learning to spar. It’s a time when you are allowed to use all your skills against an opponent and you’ll quickly learn what areas of martial arts training you need to practice. Taekwondo sparring equipment will help you train safely and improve your martial arts skills.