Hopefully you have been training hard in your martial arts classes at Coach Karate and you are looking for some equipment to aid you in your journey. Karate is a discipline based on self-defense which means that it is about protecting yourself and others. But with the help of some important items, it can be one of the most protective martial arts there is. Here are 5 karate items which will help:
- Karate bag
A karate bag can store all of your competition and practice gear. It can range in price from $30 to $60, with some going for as much as $100. The cost is mostly determined by the size and other features. It’s usually between two and three feet long, with a breadth and height of around a foot. A decent model will be spacious enough to accommodate everything you need while not being too heavy to carry.
- Uniforms
Whether you spar or not, you will need a uniform (also known as a gi). Both the trousers and the jacket will be part of this uniform. This is perhaps the most well-known piece of karate equipment, and it will most likely be the first item you buy—but don’t buy the first one you see. You will very certainly be wearing it in every lesson, so complete your homework first.
Your powers are directly influenced by what you wear. To enhance your range of mobility, most karate costumes are lightweight and loose fitting. You don’t want to be hampered by tight-fitting clothing or heavy stuff that weighs you down when you’re kicking, spinning, or hitting. A karate uniform’s silky cotton is a breathable fabric that keeps you cool throughout rigorous training sessions. Regular usage can cause ripping, which is prevented by reinforced stitching.
- Belts
Above the upper half of the uniform, the belt is always knotted around the waist. Because karate uniforms are open jackets, belts are important to keep the jacket together and shut during training sessions and events. Belts are not required for training sessions, but they are required for any ceremonial or competitive event.
- Groin protectors
Cups are an important element of male martial arts equipment. It’s a vital piece of equipment even if you’re not doing full-contact sparring. An inadvertent kick may be highly painful with only a little power. A simple compression short/cup combo may suffice for moderate sparring, but if you want to ramp up your training, you need to look into something more durable.
- Gloves and hand gear
Karate uses unique hand gear, such as gloves, that are not seen in other martial arts or combat sports. They’re not the same as the cushioned Taekwondo gloves, but they’re also not like conventional boxing or MMA gloves. Conventional MMA gloves resemble padded Taekwondo gear more than regular karate gloves, although boxing gloves are generally huge. Karate gloves are smaller than boxing gloves, but they have a similar shape and are closer in size to MMA gloves. The simplest way to describe them is as a hybrid between boxing and MMA gloves.