by Shane Tucker

Created on: June 21, 2009   Last Updated: June 26, 2009

Top amateur and professional boxers spend many years learning the fundamentals of the sport. Countless drills on heavy bags, focus mitts, and speed bags are performed to hone their skills to perfection. But these drills are not enough to completely prepare a fighter for combat. Most boxers will tell you that the most important tool in their training is sparring with a partner. Sparring is used as an opportunity to learn skills such as distance perception, timing, accuracy, defense, counter-punching, and ring control (being able to control where an opponent moves during the fight.)

In order to get the most out of sparring, a fighter's safety must be the main priority. There are several pieces of equipment that will protect a boxer from serious injury. The first and perhaps most important item is quality headgear. Professional bouts do not use headgear, but fighters use them in training for a variety of reasons. Headgear protects the fighter from brain injury by absorbing impact. It also helps to prevent cuts, which can be one of the worst things a fighter can sustain. A bad cut over the eye while sparring for an upcoming fight can cause the cancellation of the bout. Headgear also decreases the risk of developing swelling around the eyes due to blows. Some types even feature a bar across the front to prevent the fighter from sustaining a broken nose.

When choosing headgear, a fighter should pick one that is the proper density. If headgear is too firm or too soft, it will not absorb impact well. Also make sure that the headgear offers adequate protection while minimizing vision impairment. Sometimes the padding can be too thick around the eyes and limit peripheral vision.

Hand protection is also extremely important. If a fighter breaks a hand, he or she will not be able to fight. Hand wraps are pieces of equipment that many people often forget about. The wraps are strips of cloth that are roughly two inches wide and range anywhere from 100" to 180". Normally, sections of padding are placed over the knuckles and the wraps are then wrapped around the hand and wrist to add support and protection to those areas. They should be wrapped tight enough to support the bones in the hand and wrist, but not so tight that it cuts off circulation. Tape is then added around the wraps to ensure that they remain in place.

Once the wraps are finished, the fighter then slides on a pair of training gloves. While boxing gloves used in bouts are 8-10 oz. in weight depending

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