Given their similarities, it’s no surprise that plenty of people often use boxing gloves and Muay Thai gloves interchangeably. And, in fact, there’s little difference between the two of them, or at least, that’s far as the casual users go.
Delve much deeper into the details, and you’ll find that Muay Thai gloves are made for a different use compared to boxing gloves.
Still, the question remains, can you use boxing gloves for Muay Thai training?
The answer differs, it can either be a yes or it can also be a no.
As far as those who are training Muay Thai casually, the choice does not really matter. What matters is you have gloves to train in. The fact is that those who train Muay Thai casually rarely clinch while they spar and will probably not be fighting, nor even sparring, so they can just get away with using the typical boxing gloves instead of spending for Muay Thai gloves.
Even if you do clinch, or spar and train often, you can still choose to use boxing gloves, provided that you are a hand-heavy fighter.
The term “hand-heavy” means that you tend to use your hands a lot when fighting, instead of the other points of contact. While it is true that Muay Thai encourages the use of other points of contact, those who favor their fists more will benefit from the use of boxing gloves because of glove’s shape and weight distribution.
Those who trained in boxing prior to Muay Thai may also want to use a boxing glove first, as they’ll likely throw a lost of fast hand combos, instead of the usual 1-2 style power shots that’s more common in Muay Thai.
If you also favor on working on the hitting pads and heavy bag, you’ll benefit more from the use of pure boxing gloves than Muay Thai gloves.
When You Should Use Muay Thai Gloves
Even if you’re a hand-heavy fighter, you’ll want to start using Muay Thai gloves as early as today if oyu plan on fighting in the future. This is because you’ll have to use them if you want to fight in the ring. Also, Muay Thai gloves are a bit different in that they allow for a better grip and make it easier to block or grab an opponent’s hands, both of which you’ll want to be able to do well as a Muay Thai fighter.
In terms of training, you’ll be able to perform much more effectively if you use Muay Thai gloves because it makes it easier to practice the more traditional Muay Thai moves and techniques.
Why You Should Buy Both
Both types of gloves have their own uses and if budget permits, you’ll want to buy one pair of each type. This makes it easier for you to rotate them around, as well as use them interchangeably when training. This is especially true for those who like to mix things up a bit and focus on Muay Thai, and then more boxing-centric drills interchangeably as they train.
Besides, it’s not like there’s a rule stating that you can’t have both a good pair of boxing gloves and Muay Thai gloves now, is there?
