You have probably heard or read about it somewhere and decided to enroll your child in Krav Maga for their safety and well-being.
Krav Maga has become hugely popular in the Netherlands and abroad. This is largely due to its accessible, effective way of teaching people to defend themselves, assess dangers, and stand up for themselves. These are skills that every child (and adult), of course, benefits from enormously in everyday life.
Your son or daughter may already have taken a few trial lessons at a Krav Maga association, or perhaps you are planning to do so at a few schools. Not much is needed for Krav Maga, and you probably will not need to bring your own equipment the first few times.
Once your child continues with Krav Maga, it is of course much safer, more comfortable, fresher, and also much more effective if they have their own equipment.
Fortunately, Krav Maga (and most other martial arts) is not an expensive sport when it comes to equipment. Membership fees naturally vary by association, but let's be honest: your child's safety and well-being are priceless.
Most important: groinguard, boxing gloves, and shin guards
The three most important basic items are actually (children's) boxing gloves, a cup and shin guards. However, it is also useful to simply buy a complete package, so your child has everything needed for the lesson right away. This is often more affordable too.
Also needed: a mouthguard
In addition to boxing gloves, a cup, and shin guards, a good mouthguard (dental protector) is also very important to have. The need for a groinguard or mouthguard varies from club to club, but we consider them the most essential protectors for Krav Maga.
Clothing: krav maga martial arts trousers, sports shoes, and a sports shirt
For Clothing, most Krav Maga associations we know require black, long, loose-fitting trousers and a matching sports shirt. This is usually (but not always) required to be purchased through the club, federation, or association. Be sure to check with the association where you enroll your child.
Unlike most other martial arts, Krav Maga training is done in regular shoes. This is because the training focuses on everyday self-defense in situations where your child will usually also be wearing shoes. They do not need to be special shoes, although it is useful for your child to have comfortable, clean sports shoes for this purpose.
With this, you have essentially got the complete Krav Maga outfit. Of course, it is useful if your child can carry the equipment in a sports bag.
Optional: MMA gloves
For adults (and sometimes in children's classes as well), participants often have MMA gloves in addition to boxing gloves. These are open gloves that provide less protection than boxing gloves, but allow you to grab and hold.
Being able to grab is of course essential in self-defense, which is why it is advisable to have both types of gloves. Boxing gloves for exercises involving harder contact and MMA gloves for more all-round possibilities.
Complete Krav Maga outfit for children:
- Kids boxing gloves
- Shin guards that can be worn over shoes
- Mouthguard (gum shield)
- Groinguard
- Krav Maga trousers
- T-shirt (usually from the association)
View in our online store:
Collections >> Krav Maga >> Krav maga sets for children
Optional for children practicing Krav Maga:
- MMA gloves
- Gymbag
- Water bottle
- Towel
- Antibacterial spray to keep gloves fresh
The equipment needed for younger and older children is usually the same, although older children or those who have been training for longer may prefer to choose slightly better (more expensive) boxing gloves and shin guards. A mouthguard and cup may also only be required for older children. This depends on the association, federation, and/or club.
Kids boxing gloves for Krav Maga
For Krav Maga, most children are best off simply starting with relatively basic boxing gloves. These are not used in every class or throughout the entire class either, as is the case with boxing and kickboxing, for example.
For the size you need, we have included a size chart with every kids boxing glove in our online store, which is best to follow.
Shin guards for Krav Maga
For Krav Maga, we would almost always recommend cotton shin guards. This is because there are actually no special shin guards for Krav Maga. Children wear shoes, and most shin guards are not designed for this.
What we sell most as shin guards for Krav Maga are cotton shin guards without footpiece (similar to soccer shin guards, but soft) or simple shin guards with elastic fastenings that fit well over a shoe.
If your child is older/larger or has been training for longer, harder, pre-shaped shin guards may be a better choice. They offer more protection and also stay in place much better during intensive training.
Mouthguard/mouthguard
Even when contact to the face is not allowed, we always recommend wearing a mouthguard during partner exercises. A mouthguard does not cost much (far less than a dentist appointment), and even the simplest mouthguard helps enormously. Punches and blows can still unintentionally hit the face, especially in children and beginners.
It is not even just about blows directly to the teeth, but also about the teeth colliding with each other. Teeth can be damaged quickly when they hit against each other.
Does your child wear braces? Then a special mouthguard for braces is highly recommended. You cannot use a regular mouthguard with braces, and of course you want to protect your teeth, mouth, lips, and braces properly!
Cup/Groinguard
There are groinguards (Cups) for both boys and girls. They are not always mandatory for the youngest children, but they will certainly be allowed. A simple Cup does not cost much, yet protects against a great deal of potentially severe pain.
Especially in Krav Maga, where many exercises involve kicks to the groin, a good groinguard is an essential part of protective equipment. A Cup is never truly comfortable, but a knee or kick to the groin is even less so!
We emphasize its importance here for Krav Maga because it is a form of self-defense in which kicks to the groin are specifically targeted. In virtually all other martial arts, this is not allowed and therefore usually happens accidentally.
Krav Maga martial arts trousers
Most Krav Maga clubs have their members wear (black) long, loose-fitting martial arts trousers. These are trousers that allow your child to move easily and are easy to wash. They are usually made from a polyester-cotton blend, making them comfortable while also sturdy enough for the many exercises performed during Krav Maga training.
Krav maga trousers actually look very much like Karate, Taekwon-do, Kempo or Kung-Fu trousers. They are wide and usually have an elastic waistband with a drawstring to tighten them around the waist.
The trousers are unisex and suitable for both boys and girls. They are also wide enough, with an elastic waistband, making them suitable for almost any body type. They usually come in length sizes corresponding to your child's actual height. Naturally, our webshop includes size charts that you can consult.
Krav Maga T-shirt
An ordinary, loose-fitting, roomy T-shirt is often sufficient for Krav Maga training. Most clubs have a shirt with their own logo or that of the umbrella organisation. Be sure to ask the club or association about this.
Choosing a club shirt also makes sense, so everyone wears the same uniform and there can be no differences between them. Sometimes there are different shirt colours that children can earn through an exam, as in Judo or Karate.
If there are no requirements from the club, we recommend choosing a roomy sports T-shirt for your son or daughter. Preferably a T-shirt that is comfortably breathable and sturdy enough.
Gymbag
In principle, any gymbag is suitable as long as it fits all your gear, plus a towel and water bottle. We have lots of great gymbags from martial arts brands in our webshop, including many that are suitable for children.
Antibacterial spray to keep gloves fresh
If you have ever smelled other children's boxing gloves, you know that a spray to keep them fresh is no unnecessary luxury. The sprays in our range from Sukkiri, FreshKO and Booster work extremely well and also last for many months with normal use.
More information and blogs:
- Which martial arts are best suited for children?
- Martial arts for children: learning, laughing and still taking it a little seriously
- Why martial arts are so good for children
- Krav Maga: Effective self-defence
- What is the best martial art for self-defence?
- The positive effects of martial arts
- Krav Maga Union
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