Martial arts and some of the accessories with the sport

This article is to highlight some of the training gear that is used for martial arts. It is just a guide to help people that are starting out in the world of martial arts and are looking for some training gear. This will give you an idea as to some of the gear that is there and what it is used for.

First thing to know about punch bags is that there are many different types. So be careful in what you buy, Don't just look at the price you must look at what it is going to be used for.

Hanging Bags : Most people just look for a good heavy punch bag. You can get light one's but these are more designed for you kids.

If you are only going to use the bag for boxing training than a 4 foot bag may be enough for you. But the five foot and the six foot bags are better for martial arts, because you can practise low kicks on these bags. Also six foot bags are good for gyms & dojo's where you have small kids classes going on as well. This way you won't have to adjust the height of the punching bags for the different classes.

Also make sure the bag you get has a D-ring fitted to the bottom of the bag. This can be used to hang extra weight onto the bag if needed.

Standing Bags : These are good for smaller spaces as they can also be moved around if needed. They are excellent for kicking practice

Uppercut Bags : These bags are designed for practice on body work. You can kick or punch these and it is better to have a good heavy bag. Don't even think of buying a light one.

MMA Bags : These bags can be used for Kicking & punching plus they are also good for catching and throwing

We'll most people have seen these in operation. Any boxing film you watch you will see some one using a speedball. What they do is help with timing. Ask any martial art or boxer and they will tell timing is everything if you have bad timing you will never win anything. There are two main types that people use. One is fixed to a platform and the other is a floor to ceiling. The floor to Ceiling type would be the cheapest of the two and is a good starting point for anyone that want to start with speed balls

These are use for one thing only and that is to strengthen your hands. Do you need one. Yes you do because it will teach you how to hit properly and strengthen all the bones in your hands. But remember you must take your time when starting out with one of these as you can do damage to your hands if you do to much to quick.

Why do you need these. Simple really they will improve your punch / kick aim and get you used to hitting things. Plus they will also strengthen your knuckles. Just like someone once said it's no good knowing every move in the book, if the first punch you throw breaks your hand. when you buy break boards you can get them in different strengths. It is good to have at least two different strengths

Most people have seen them. It was made famous in the western world by Jackie chan. But do you need one. Well that's up to you. They look good but unless you do wing chun kung fu you may never use one. If you are going to buy one shop around big time, as the price of these vary from two or three hundred up too, two thousand and more. Plus if you are any good at some wood work they can be made very easy and at very little cost

To increase the finger strength is a must for anyone doing judo / bjj or mma. You will find any sport where you have to use your hands to grab a hold of other people extra finger and hand strength is a must. They are all very easy to use and can even used while you are watching television.

There are many different types of leg stretchers for martial arts with many different prices. If you are going buying one. You should start with a one of the cheaper models. Because once you have being training for a while you may not even need one after a while. Some people are just more natural flexible than others and will never need one. Than other people will need to use a leg stretcher every day just to maintain some level of flexibly

What you see here is just a few of the main training items used in martial arts today. There are many more but what you see here are the most common one's used. If you think there should be other ones mentioned, just list them in the comments box below