How much 'armour' should I wear when practising full-contact martial arts?

Question

I've just taken up krav maga, and have some nasty bruises and pain in my right forearm (it was from practising block defences against knife attack). Others tell me that my arms will 'harden up', and get used to it. I'm not sure I believe this, and am thinking of buying some forearm pads (and some shin pads and a groin guard while I'm at it). Is it true that my boney forearms will harden up?

Answer 1

First of all, you are not doing full contact. If anyone here actually did full contact they would die or be injured for life. You may be doing heavy contact but not "full contact". Full contact can only be achieved in a life or death struggle with adrenaline flowing and the knowledge that if you mess up it is your life that will be lost, not your pride.

Yes, you should tough it out. Your arms will eventually adjust.
The human body is designed to adapt to it's environment.
The harder you work your body the stronger you become....to a point.

Answer 2

Martial arts can be particularly hard on the body so proper diet and rest is important. I drink two gallons of milk a week just to keep the calcium levels up in my body and I make sure that I eat some salads and vegetables as well as hydrate before working out. I can tell the difference in the amount of pain and brusies if I don't eat proplery after just a week. Also for the hardening process calcium is very important so you may want to consider taking a calcium supplement if you don't drink milk. The pain part as far as the arm goes involves deadening the nerves and moving the major one off the side of your lower arm and up over on the top of the arm. The deadening process takes several months while at the same time you are building up your tolerance for pain itself. Moving the major nerve takes much longer and will come after several years of training. The important thing that you realize is that this is all a process that takes time and you may be overdoing it just a bit. Beginners usually need to take it slower and do a little less in the beginning than mature students that have been training for a while. Try switching arms the next time on that drill since some people are left handed and someone with a knife may not always come at you with the knife in their right hand.

As for the groin cup I would encourage you to wear one and also spend a few dollars for a mouthpiece and fit it and wear it when there is going to be contact. A well formed mouthpiece will stay up on your upper jaw allowing you to breath, and help protect your teeth from getting chipped and cracked and your jaw dislocated. Most martial arts insurance companies that insure schools require cups and mouthpieces when there is going to be contact or you are not covered. As for the arm pads I would hold off on them and just take a little more of a gradual approach to your training.

Answer 3

Well if you got some bruises and your arm hurts from defenses and blocking it sounds like you might have a good school where you opponents are actually trying to stab you.

You will toughen up, keep in mind you just started. Chances are this whole concept is new to you. But you will find your pain tolerance in general increasing, to the point that even severe pain will distract you. Those areas you are blocking with will become harder and harder, not just in bone density, but in your ability to absorb damage as the nerve endings will become less sensitive.

DO NOT buy anything that is not already being used in class. There is a reason they train the way they do and that is to be effective.

You will find that during heavier sparring they will suit you up accordingly, they are not wanting to hurt pr injure you, just make you stronger.

Like I said, keep in mind you are just learning. Let those bumps and bruises be badges of honor. Hell I don't feel right half the time if I don't have some serious bruises, black eye, or some bone soreness. That is part of being effective, is hardening yourself and learning what pain is like, and the difference between hurt and injured.

Pain is something that gets easier and easier to take and deal with, it can be a fuel for you if you let it.

So my advice is to pad up, enjoy and learn to love the pain and the bruises, it means you are getting stronger.


Just my 2 cents.

Answer 4

Always wear a groin guard at the very minimum. If it looks like you'll be taking punches to the face, a mouthguard is also reasonable.

Different instructors have different requirements (or require that you have no protection at all), but check with your instructor. If we're talking Krav Maga, it's expected that you'll "toughen up" as you'd mentioned. If you should have the misfortune of getting into trouble out on the street, you most likely won't have any armor.

Answer 5

krav maga is military based fighting style, so being realistic is probably a major part of the training, so expect to be sore after you lessons. your arms will harden gradually, bones will become more dense making them harder and your skin will toughen up.
it would be a good idea to wear protection during sparring sessions, that way you will gradually toughen you body and learn what it feels like to be punched and kicked.

Answer 6

Cup and mouthguard should be mandatory. Some gloves as well, can't go to work the next day looking like you ran your face through the meat grinder...

But beyond that it's up too you.

More armor however does change the game, you become reliant on it and it effects the way you fight. Wear the least you need to wear to keep yourself from getting hurt, it's really as simple as that.

Answer 7

well its up to you, i wear gloves a helmet and shin guards. some people choose to go full out, but it really dilutes your sparring when there are to many pads, it keeps you from moving in a matural way. go to your local sports store and see whats avalible, try it on, get a feel of how you will sparr wiht it.

if you JUST started, so you may want to wait awhile, believe me you DO get used to the hits, im covered in bruises XD 100% of the time

Answer 8

yea it'll "harden", in thai boxing a while back i would hold the thai pads for someone who kicks extremely hard and it would bruise and get knots on my arms as time went by it stopped happening.

its good that they are adding resistance to you while training. i rather be a lil battered and bruised in training knowing i could performce to my best ablility if needed

Answer 9

its true that your my sensie arms are hard as a rock he can hit and break a brick with his fingers so i can tell you that if you train long enough you will yourself become the man of steel but don't trie brick and dodgeing bullets as for gaurd a groin cup is about all you need unless you have a injury

Answer 10

all right out on the street are you going to be whereing all this gear?