Ever wondered how to wrap your hands for boxing? If you're just starting to train MMA, boxing, kickboxing or any other combat sport, wrapping your hands might seem complicated and confusing. Maybe you’ve been training for some time and aren't sure if you've been wrapping your hands for training the correct way. Or maybe someone else wrapped them for you.
Just by taking a look at the Google search results for "how to wrap your hands for boxing", it's clear that it's a point of confusion for many people:
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There's even entire reddit threads dedicated to teaching people how to wrap their hands for boxing and other combat sports.
Regardless, in this article we're going to briefly go over how to wrap your hands for boxing, MMA and kickboxing to keep your hands secure and ready for training.
WHAT ARE HAND WRAPS USED FOR?
Hand wraps primarily do two things: they stabilize and immobilize the wrist joint and provide an extra level of protection to the knuckles. Without hand wraps, the impact of your fist with training pads or bags could potentially cause injury. If it's not the impact, your wrist and knuckle stability could go haywire, leading to some problematic injuries.
Generally, there are two types of wraps used by fighters in MMA and other disciplines - quick wraps and traditional wraps.
TRADITIONAL WRAPS
Traditional wraps look like cotton gauze and come in 180 inch and 120 inch lengths. 180 inches is usually recommended since this size can accommodate large and small hands. If you have smaller hands, you can double up on the wraps around your wrists and knuckles without impacting your workout too much. A double wrap may help a larger glove fit more comfortably and lessen help provide some more padding.
QUICK WRAPS
Quick wraps are essentially the glove inside of the glove. They usually provide decent protection to the knuckles but lack in wrist support. This is because the area around the joint is usually not as stiff as it is with multiple layers of traditional wrapping. Since your wrist isn't as stable as it should be when using quick wraps, your chance of injury is slightly higher.
That being said, now lets get into how to wrap your hands for boxing and MMA. In the video below, we've gone through how to wrap you hands for boxing step-by-step, as well as including some pro-tips to make sure your hands are supported and protected. Below the video, you'll also find the 7 steps to wrapping your hands.
HOW TO WRAP YOUR HANDS FOR BOXING: INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
@fighthaus Protect those wrists and hands 🥊 #boxing #mma #boxingtips #wraphands #handwraps ♬ Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
Step 1: Place the loop around your thumb and start wrapping around the back of your hand.
Step 2: Wrap three / four times around your wrist.
Step 3: Wrap around your thumb twice. For each time you wrap around your thumb, also wrap once around your wrist.
Step 4: Wrap three times around your knuckles.
Step 5: Now, wrap once in between each of your fingers. Pay close attention to how we go back across the top of the hand and around the wrist after going in between each finger.
Step 6: With the remaining wrap, go around your wrist for additional support.
Step 7: Finish by securing the Velcro strap around your wrist.
And that's it. 7 simple steps for how to wrap your hands for boxing.. You may change things up depending on what's comfortable for you, or where you may need some more stability, but most striking disciplines - boxing, MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai - are similar in their wrapping techniques.
Looking for more information about MMA and combat sports? Check out the Fighter's Journal, a collection of tips, tricks and stories for people that are passionate about the art and science of fighting.
