Headgear for sparring drills in martial arts

Whether you participate in martial arts competitions or not, you need to incorporate sparring into your training. Sparring sessions are essential because they are essential to the development and improvement of skill sets. The use of headgear as safety equipment varies significantly in the martial arts community. This article will tell whether wearing headgear is essential to ensure safety against sparring drills in martial arts or not.

Benefits of wearing a headgear

As mentioned earlier, headgear does not eliminate the risk of head injuries, but it is beneficial to wear it for the following reasons:

1. Prevents surface shocks and facial injuries – A headgear remains very important, although it does not help much in reducing concussion.
2. Protects you from clots – Also, headgear protects you and your sparring partner from getting caught in the head. It prevents injury of both fighters in a head-on collision even if one of the partners is wearing headgear. This is a significant reason why at least one person wears a HG during sparring, as head bumps can easily cause cuts and concussions.
3. If you wear headgear, you get a sharp look – Another reason why many people decide to wear headgear in boxing or mixed martial arts is superficial to preserve your appearance. If you work in the office, it may not be the best idea to come to work and meet a client with a broken eye or nose. Therefore, if you need to maintain a sharp look for everyday life outside of a ring or an octagon, you should get headgear.
4. Prevents damage leading to competition – Another important reason why many amateur and professional boxers continue to wear the headgear is to avoid injuries before entering a fight.
5. Can protect your head if it falls – Some box headgear has a pad on the back of the protection that provides cushioning protection in the event of a knockout if your head touches the ground. This is another reason to consider wearing the headgear, as this potential scenario is hazardous and can result in a severe concussion.

Having the ability and knowledge to lead a safe sparring session is ideal for reducing unnecessary head injuries. For maximum strength or near-maximum sparring, headgear is worn. It is a common misconception that everyone wears headgear when participating in sparring to reduce brain trauma from hits such as punches and kicks. However, the main objective is to protect your face and increase comfort when struck.

Therefore, amateur fighting no longer has to cover his head in his fight (at least for men). However, a study above shows that headgears increase the likelihood of trauma, not because it is ineffective in protecting the head. It’s because people wearing HG have a false sense of security and are more likely to be hit more often, resulting in increased head trauma. Therefore, you should wear headgear when you and your sparring partner agree that you are competing for (almost) maximum strength. However, you can avoid wearing it when doing artistic and light sparring. Wearing headgear in these cases can be more painful and can also help with poor posture due to the false sense of security.

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