You have probably noticed when watching (professional) kickboxing or Muay Thai matches, such as those at Glory and One Championships, that many fighters wear ankle guards.
Why do they do that? Very simply: ankle guards are not a miracle cure, but they provide that extra bit of reinforcement for your ankles and metatarsal bones that can be useful in hard-contact sports such as Thai boxing and kickboxing.
Ankle guards help reinforce and stabilize your ankles. This helps prevent your ankle from rolling when making sudden movements, such as throwing or evading kicks.
Think of ankle guards as the equivalent of the handwraps that protect and support your hands. They are simply part of your essential gear for kickboxing and Thai boxing.
Ankle guards: essential for every serious Muay Thai fighter
And although ankle guards are often only a small piece of fabric, they still help protect the bones and joints to some extent 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, the snug fit of ankle guards provides a warming and compression effect. This naturally also offers better protection against injuries and generally improves your performance.
Because ankle guards have an open foot section at the toes and are also open at the back around the heel, you do not have to worry about slipping.
After all, the parts of your feet that make contact with the floor or surface remain uncovered. This means you retain your grip while also having the freedom needed to perform roundhouse kicks and low kicks, for example.
Benefits of using ankle guards:
- Extra protection and stability
- Reduced risk of injuries through reinforcement
- Improved body temperature regulation through the compression effect
