You probably notice when you watch (professional) kickboxing or Muay Thai matches, such as at Glory and One Championships, that many fighters wear ankle guards.
Why do they do that? Very simple: ankle guards are not a miracle cure, but they provide just that little extra reinforcement for your ankles and metatarsal bones that you need in hard contact sports like Thai boxing and kickboxing.
Ankle guards help strengthen and stabilize your ankles. This helps prevent your ankle from rolling over during sudden movements, such as executing or dodging kicks.
Consider ankle guards the same as the handwraps that protect and reinforce your hands. They simply belong to your essential gear for kickboxing and Thai boxing.
Ankle guards: essential for every serious Muay Thai fighter
And even though ankle guards are often just a small piece of fabric, they still help protect the bones and joints somewhat against the hard impact of kicks. In short, Muay Thai ankle guards are essential for anyone who wants to train Muay Thai and/or kickboxing seriously.
In addition, ankle guards have a warming and compression effect due to their tight fit. This of course also provides better protection against injuries and enhances your overall performance.
Because ankle guards have an open footbed at the toes and are also open at the heel on the back, you also don’t have to worry about slipping.
The parts of your foot that make contact with the floor/surface remain free. This way you maintain your grip and also have the freedom needed to perform round kicks and low kicks, for example.
Benefits of using ankle guards:
- Extra protection and stability
- Reduced risk of injuries through reinforcement
- Improved body temperature through compression effect
