WKF Gloves vs. Boxing Gloves vs. MMA Gloves for Karate

[bushido_man96]

I do think learning to spar with controlled contact without pads is very important to martial maturity.  I enjoy sparring without pads.  It also helps in conditioning, as the intensity will usually ramp up as time goes on and two good students start to get a feel for each other.  Students can also give feedback about the contact level, whether to up it or dial it back.  It's great for just training some toughness.

[aurik]

On 10/15/2024 at 3:40 PM, aurik said:

My wife and I were discussing the procedure yesterday evening.  It's a 2-3 hour outpatient procedure, you have significant activity restrictions for 5 days afterwards (no strenuous activity, no driving, careful going up and down stairs), and then you can begin resuming normal activity afterwards.  You'll continue to be on blood thinners for about 4-6 weeks afterwards.  

So I actually had the procedure yesterday.  The absolute worst part of it was the prep -- they had to shave almost my entire chest and back (to apply the various cardiac leads and parts of my groin area (for access to the femoral artery).  And then they had to insert two IV's.  My skin is pretty thick and tough (it's always been, and I'm sure the years of kotekitae haven't helped).  The left arm was an easy stick in the crook of the elbow.  On the right arm I have this really nice vein on the back of my hand that is usually really easy to draw blood from, but yesterday it wasn't having it.  The nurse tried it and by the time the needle punctured the skin, the vein just... moved.  Then they pulled out the ultrasound machine to try two different veins in the forearm - no joy.  Then the anaesthesiologist steps in and finds what looks like a beautiful vein in the crook of the elbow, he brags, "If I can't get that vein..." and then it takes 4 different sticks to get a vein in my forearm.   By that time, I felt like a danged pincushion.

The procedure itself went by pretty quick.  I think it was about 1 hr 45 minutes.  They went in through the femoral artery with a camera and a few other tools.  The doctor was able to trigger the atrial flutter, then he did the ablation, and was unable to trigger it afterwards.  He then checked for other abnormal rythms, and was unable to trigger any of those.  So nothing unexpected.  

For recovery, I had to lay flat on my back for an hour afterwards and was able to have some water, then another hour at 30 degrees, and after 2 hours I was able to sit up fully and have something to eat (By this time it was about 4pm, and I hadn't had anything to eat since 9pm the night before.  I was able to go home at about 6:30pm, with instructions to apply pressure to the wound site anytime I change positions (sitting->standing), etc.  Take it very slowly up and down stairs for 48 hours afterwards, no showering for 48 hours, and no driving for 5 days.  That's primarily to let the incision site heal -- they told me if things start bleeding, I need to apply hard direct pressure, and if it doesn't stop in 10 minutes to call 911, no exceptions.  So I'm taking that pretty seriously.

Other than that, no showering for 48 hours, no driving for 5 days.  I have a postop appointment to check the wound site, and assuming that looks good I can resume physical activities afterwards (but I'll probably wait until after Thanksgiving to be on the safe side).  I no longer have to take the Diltiazem (for the atrial flutter), and I can stop the Eliquis after 30 days.

So after 30 days, I hope to put this difficult chapter behind me and move forward.  I'll probably be seeing a cardiologist for the rest of my life, but it's just one of those things about getting older, I assume.  

[Wado Heretic]

First thing, good luck going forward Aurik. 

To answer the opening posts question. My short answer, and perhaps a little facetious, is all of the above.

The longer and less facetious answer is that it depends on the student, and the context of the training. To give an example, for relative beginners when doing pad-work or starting on Striking Sparring, I do prefer the use of boxing gloves. When we are just swinging, or we are doing drills with an element of chaos, I prefer they wear the safest gloves possible for punching to limit injury. And when they start striking sparring, we tend to do hands only anyway to get started. Sometimes with my more advanced students, I do still prefer they use boxing gloves when we are doing hands only sparring, because I do usually let them use MMA style gloves for sparring, but sometimes they get into grabbing matches, when I want them working on deflecting and punching smart. Plus, if they end up against a relative beginner using heavier gloves it keeps it more equal.

As can be inferred, we do use MMA style gloves, but usually when we are doing Kakei-Kumite and allowing harder hand-strikes, or we are doing Jiyu-Kumite with contact.  Sometimes if it is someone’s first time doing a flow-drill, with henka options thrown in, or Renzoku Kumite I might ask them to wear them just to be safe too.

I have a supply of the WKF equipment including leg protection, because we do light sparring at least once every eight weeks, and it is good enough for that. The thicker padding also seems to psychologically make people work at a safer distance as well. Why, I am not sure, but it could be the feeling of an added reach of almost an inch or something. Personally, they also feel lighter than my collection of MMA gloves. We also use it is we decide to compete under sundome rules, and we need to prepare for that as well.

We tend not to use gloves at all when doing Kiso Kumite, Flow-Drills, Kakei-Kumite, or Renzoku Kumite, but there are exceptions to this rule as mentioned above. Mostly, because the flesh against flesh is good for conditioning, but the rules of the exercises keep them relatively safe and allow for controlled contact. We also do conditioning exercises on pads without gloves or shin-guards to get used to hitting something without gloves. It also helps to gain an understanding of one’s actual reach when not wearing protection, which is essential for self-defence.

We do use Kudo style space helmets for head protection when we do full-contact sparring. I find the face mask absorbs a lot of the impact, otherwise absorbed by the neck, and thus the brain, which happens with more conventional head gear. But that is twice a year at most. Plus, I pull people off the mat if they keep taking shots to the head, and not being productive.