Understanding the basic principles and rules of a certain martial art is worthless if you are not going to practice it safely. After all, what’s the point of taking up a hobby if you’re going to be able to fully enjoy it, right? So, if you’re planning to enter the world of martial arts for the very first time and are not sure of what you’ll need to bring to your first class, you’ve come to the right place.
Belt
For graded martial arts, such as judo, karate, and jiu-jitsu, having a belt that represents the rank you’ve earned in that discipline is a very important part of the uniform. Besides demonstrating the skills you’ve learned and the time you’ve invested in the sport, this martial arts supply also shows your extreme dedication. If you’re a beginner, then you’ll typically be starting out with one of the most basic martial arts supplies of all: the white belt. With every advancement you make, based on your skill level, you will need a different colour belt – each martial arts has different colours representing different levels.
Protective Equipment
When you’re a beginner, even the most gentle types of martial arts can be physically demanding. For that very reason, when starting out in every martial art you will need the proper set of protective gear to keep you safe even when you are not sparring. This includes a variety of martial arts supply items such as a mouth guard, head gear, hand wraps (if you are participating in a striking sport), instep and ankle guards. Some martial arts use less gear in the early stages but require more gear as you progress.
Uniform
The type of training clothing you’ll need will depend on the type of martial art you’re performing. Each type of traditional martial arts has its own version of the gi (clothing) but sometimes you will see some changes in some uniforms for students with different martial art backgrounds. With combat sports, like MMA or submission wrestling (Jiu-Jitsu), you will need either grappling shorts or boxing ones.
Gloves & a Gear Bag
Different combat sports require different types of gloves. Boxing and Muay Thai require boxing gloves, MMA has its own 4oz regulation gloves, while Tae Kwon Do requires its own specific equipment as well. As for the bag, you need a sturdy model that will help you keep everything in one place well-organized and will be easily transportable.