So here you are, maybe you found this from google or some internet link wondering:
“HOW THE FUQQ DO I WRAP MY HANDS FOR THAI BOXING”
Or
‘What kind of hand wraps to purchase?’
‘Boxing wraps’ vs ‘Muay Thai’ wraps
Is there a difference?
Yes.. and No.
There’s a difference in competition style wrapping for both sports as opposed to their training counterparts.
And there is a difference in hand wrapping technique for both sports.
Typically, boxing style hand wrapping for training makes use of two 100-120 cm gauze style wrapping per hand.
One whole roll will be used for a knuckle padding while the other roll secures the padding in place all the while using the rest of the wrap to protect the hand.
I mean, you can *technically* use this style of wrapping for muay Thai as well.
OR
You can just use one 180 cm length wrap per hand as it is explained in this video.
So, when I recommend what kind of hand wrap to buy, generally I am speaking of the ‘180 cm’ version
Definitely 180 cm of length with some sort of spandex fabric as part of the wrap construction.
Here are a few brands that I recommend:
Ringside APEX Hand Wraps (my favorites)
A Muay Thai brand:
(A little pricey in my opinion)
Fairtex HW2 Elastic Cotton Handwraps
These are cool too, bit of a ‘bargain’ brand:
Meister Adult 180″ Semi-Elastic Hand Wraps for MMA & Boxing (Pair)
Meister Adult 180″ Hand Wraps for MMA & Boxing – 3 Pairs Pack
Hand wraps for kids:
HOW DO WE WRAP OUR HANDS?!?!?
Ok ok ok, this is what you’re here for right?
Let me preface this all by saying there are MANY different ways of wrapping your hands, this is just one way of doing it- up to you if you want to use it.
I call it:
The ’3’s’ method.
There isn’t an official name for it, at least I don’t think.
This is the way I was taught how to wrap my hands and this is the way I wrap hands, and how I teach others to wraps hands.
I call it the ‘3’s’ because we basically wrap every segment of the hand three times over.
First thing first:
When we wrap our hands, we want to keep our hands spread open, slightly tensed.
You want to drape the wrap over you hands and not wrap it too tight.
Reason being is that once you start punching and making a fist, the wraps will begin to become taught tight.
And if you wrap them up to tightly at the beginning, they will constrict your hands causing cramps or numbness.
Pretty painful and uncomfortable :/
Ok so anyways:
ALLOW ME TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING:
Start with a rolled wrap, thumb loop first
Three times around the wrist
Once around the thumb
Back underneath the wrist, over the top and:
Three times around the knuckles
Over the top of the knuckles, back underneath the wrist and wrapped over again to the top.
Now this is where it gets tricky:
You’re gonna thread part of the wrap between the pinky and ring finger, underneath the two middle fingers, and weave it through the middle and pointer finger, across the top of your hand making an ‘X’ and back underneath the wrist and over the top.
That was a lot eh?
/whew
Ok, so now you are left with this interwoven mess around your hands.
So what I do, from where we left off (bottom of the wrist) is I weave the left over wrap three times around the top of the knuckles again, and then three times around the wrist and use whatever leftover wrap for further support on the wrist or knuckles.
Make a fist, pack it in tight by firmly punching the palm of your hand.
Ok, now do the other hand the same way 🙂
What about quick wraps?
Eh, not my style. I always preferred wrapping my hands as a sort of meditative ritual before training.
Also, I just believe it’s a good skill to learn in case you ever get into teaching and coaching.
Up to you if you want to use them, I don’t mind.
Hand wrap ettiequte:
Avoid using stinky wraps please. Don’t be that person.
How often to wash?
After every use. Don’t be a pig.
Take them with you in the shower, hand wash with soap and let them hang dry
NEVER EVER roll them back up after using them and stuff them back in your gloves.
Like with any sporting equipment, let it air dry or wash immediately.
Another very common dilemma:
How do I prevent them from getting all tangled in the laundry?
Wash them in these:
Set of 5 Mesh Laundry Bags-1 Extra Large, 2 Large & 2 Medium Bags Laundry,Blouse, Hosiery, Stocking, Underwear, Bra Lingerie, Travel Laundry Bag
Hand wrap accessories:
Save yourself sometime with these helpful tools:
hand wrap roller:
Meister MMA Portable Hand Wrap Roller – Stainless Steel
Meister Mounted Easy Hand Wrap Roller – Fits All Boxing & MMA Wraps
Ok, hopefully you found this useful. Best thing to do is grab a few pre-rolled hand wraps and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.