The mouthguard is non-negotiable
A boil-and-bite guard costs less than a post-training smoothie and prevents the most common sparring injury we see: chipped and knocked teeth. No guard, no sparring — coaches check at the door, no exceptions, every session.
Fit it properly: boil for thirty seconds, bite down firmly, press the edges with your tongue, then cold water to set. It should stay put when you open your mouth and let you breathe through effort.
The full sparring kit
Mitts (red / blue)
Padded fist guards mandatory for all kumite. Club pairs available to borrow; competitors need their own.
Mouthguard
Boil-and-bite, fitted at home. Replace every season or after any heavy impact.
Headgear (juniors)
Required for all under-13 sparring. Optional but recommended for adults in open sparring.
Shin & foot guards
Required for intermediate sparring nights and all competition training.
"Gear doesn't make you timid — it makes you brave enough to train at full speed, five days a week, for years."
How we keep sparring safe
Protection is only half the system. Beginners spar technique-only rounds with no head contact. Every sparring night has a supervising coach per pair of fighters, matched by size and experience. And our first rule never changes: control beats power — hard contact stops the round.
Keep reading
Spar safely from day one
Beginners start with non-contact drills and borrow club gear free. First week on us.