If you watch (professional) kickboxing or Muay Thai matches, such as those at Glory and One Championships, you'll probably notice that many fighters wear ankle guards.
Why do they do that? Very simple: ankle guards are not a miracle cure, but they do offer that extra bit of support for your ankles and metatarsals that you can use in hard contact sports such as Muay Thai and kickboxing.
Ankle guards help to strengthen and stabilize your ankles. This helps prevent your ankle from twisting during sudden movements, such as stepping on or avoiding obstacles.
Consider ankle guards the same as the bandages that protect and reinforce your hands. They are simply essential equipment for kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Ankle guards: essential for every serious Muay Thai fighter.
And even though ankle protectors are often just a small piece of fabric, they still help to protect the bones and joints somewhat against the hard impact of kicks. In short, Muay Thai ankle protectors are essential for anyone who wants to seriously train Muay Thai and/or kickboxing.
In addition, the tight fit of ankle guards also provides a warming and compression effect. This, of course, also leads to better protection against injuries and improved overall performance.
Because ankle guards have an open footbed at the toes and are also open at the back near the heel, you also don't have to worry about slipping.
After all, the parts of your foot that make contact with the floor/ground remain free. This way you simply maintain your grip and also have the freedom needed to make roundhouse kicks and low-kicks, for example.
Benefits of wearing ankle guards:
- Extra protection and stability
- Reducing the risk of injuries through reinforcement.
- Improved body temperature due to compression effect.
