In MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), two types of gloves are seen, namely open thumb MMA gloves and closed thumb MMA gloves; therefore, naturally the question arises that which one to use, “MMA gloves – Open thumb or Closed thumb?”
Pacific Sports offers both open thumb and closed thumb MMA gloves to practitioners of MMA from all around the world. Both these gloves provide superior protection and prevent unwanted injury.
Pacific Sports Open-thumb MMA gloves
Design
These gloves feature an open finger design, which leaves the entire thumb and half-fingers open. An area of the palm is kept open to facilitate ventilation and avoid sweaty palms. At the knuckles and the back of the hand, a dense padding is provided to absorb shock and prevent injury. The thick padding also significantly reduces the skin lacerations or cuts arising from impacts. A wide Velcro wrist wrap secures the wrist. The material of the gloves is high-quality soft leather, which softens and stretches with wear.
Purpose
The open thumb is most suitable for grappling movements. Clinches, chokes, and takedowns are more effective when the thumb has a secure grip on the opponent. Another purpose is that an open thumb improves dexterity to control the opponent’s limbs, especially in joint locks, or submission moves, as the thumb enables a tight grip.
Requires careful and controlled movement
An open thumb glove is dexterous and is great for grappling, but it also requires controlled movement. For example, one must be careful that the exposed thumb and half-fingers do not accidentally poke the eye of the opponent. Besides accidentally injuring the opponent, an open thumb and open half-fingers can also injure oneself. Punching incorrectly without making a proper fist or grappling incorrectly can damage the exposed thumb or the exposed half-fingers.
Pacific Sports Closed-thumb MMA gloves
Design
The design is similar to that of an open thumb glove, excepting that the thumb is not exposed, rather it is closed with dense padding on top, as seen in traditional boxing gloves.
Purpose
A closed thumb glove protects the thumb from impact injuries like sprains, skin lacerations, cuts, and fractures. It also prevents accidentally poking the eyes of the opponent. It improves overall hand protection and safety but is less effective for grappling techniques.
Requires careful and controlled movement
Careful movement on the part of the practitioner is required, since although the thumb may be closed and protected, yet the practitioner still needs to make a proper fist to deliver punches. If the fist is not correctly made, then even inside a closed thumb glove, the thumb may get injured. Also, the open half-fingers have the fingertips exposed, so one requires careful and controlled movement to avoid any accidental eye-poking.
Which gloves to choose? Open or Close thumb?
- Open-thumb gloves and Close-thumb gloves
- Gloves for martial arts contact training
- For almost all forms of martial arts
- Suitable for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
- Black, Blue, and Red colour
- Made of high quality soft leather
- Leather softens and stretches with wear
- Perfect for sparring, bag work or grappling
- Dense padding over the back of the hand and knuckles
- Open palm and finger loops for maximum grip
- Wrap around Velcro wrist strap for secure and comfortable fit
- To check your size measure the distance across the punching knuckles on the back of your hand (Do this by laying your knuckles flat on a ruler). Measure from the side of your hand at the index finger across the 4 knuckles
- Medium: 7.5cms – 8.5cms
- Large: 9cms – 9.5cms
Both gloves are excellent for punching, and both are thickly padded on the knuckles and the back of the hand that provide superb shock absorption. Both also have an open portion on the palm to facilitate improved airflow and reduce sweating. The half-fingers are open in both the gloves, to enable free fingertip movements. Again, both have a wide, strong and adjustable Velcro strap that wraps the wrist securely. Both these types of gloves are easy to maintain and since they are made of leather, both last a very long time.
The only difference is that in an open thumb glove, the thumb is exposed, while in a closed thumb glove, the thumb is not exposed. Due to this differentiating feature, both require careful and controlled movement, so as not to accidentally injure oneself or the opponent.
An open-thumb glove is more suitable and more versatile for grappling. On the other hand, a closed-thumb glove provides slightly more overall hand protection and hence is slightly more safe. Nonetheless, the choice of usage depends on the specific rules of the MMA competition and also on the practitioner’s personal preference and style.
Pacific Sports quality
All products sold at Pacific Sports undergo rigorous testing. Numerous gyms and martial arts schools of Australia and the world, rely on the Pacific Sports quality for tough and long-lasting products, which includes uniforms, jackets, pants, belts, shoes, rash guards, compression wear, protective wear and training gear. Additionally, products offered on sale carry this same high quality but with drastically reduced prices. Moreover, if the monthly newsletter is subscribed, then an additional 10% discount is also offered.
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