Using Gloves !

[TJ-Jitsu]

I'll throw In my two cents. First off the reason for wearing gloves is to protect your hands, which despite what anyone tells you are NOT designed for punching. Early mma events show the frequency with which fighters break their hands when punching. The irony is that it was those fighters who were the most adept at it. At the end of the day, the human body is capable of generating far more power than the bones of your hands can endure.

Next step- you need these gloves to protect your hands while you develop the power and learn how to hit with power. I understand some people have no concern for sport, but the assumption is that you already know how to hit hard. Doing bag work bare knuckle will beat your fists up too much and rob you of precious time doing more bag work and therefore learning how to develop more punching power. Once you learn how to hit with power, then you could opt to go with less protection, but you'd probably rarely do it to be honest.

As far as sparring, I always spar with 16oz gloves. It's a requirement If you're doing full contact. 4oz gloves are for the actual fight or for grappling. You can't do any mild contact without taking good risks of broken facial bones and or cuts.

That's the reason for doing it the way we do- for what it's worth

[Alan Armstrong]

From my perspective of gloves, they are an assumption that this the weapon that will be taking/knocking out the opponent, from the boxing days.

Thugs in the past that would beat others up for their load shark bosses would always be wearing gloves, to protect their hands and not for the health and safety of their victims.

Knees and elbows are just as damaging to the opponent and prone to damage from oneself; then why aren't these areas padded?

[TJ-Jitsu]

The objective of gloves has always been for the protection of the hands rather than the face. That said, when someone has a fight coming up and you cannot take the chances of cutting this guy on a regular basis, grease and 16oz gloves are the way to go.

In regards to elbows and knees, there are pads for both as well....

[bushido_man96]

When Boxing was bare-knuckle, the body blow was used a lot more than the head shot. The advent of the boxing gloves brought about more head shots, and hence the sport developing the way it has. I agree with TJ's points.

If one plans to punch on a bag without gloves, then its important to use control so as to get the hands used to the impact, and the wrists. Doing a bit of both would be optimal, I think.