Before moving directly to the topic of this article, we suggest that you take a short test to determine whether you are a seasoned MMA student, a practitioner of contact martial arts, or an ordinary person. So, attention: helmet.
What came to your mind first?
Of course, there will immediately be people who will claim that they have wished for a snowboard or ski helmet, but you know, you are not our target audience, although we are glad that you are reading this article.
Today it is difficult to find contact martial arts that do not use a helmet; they are all slightly different from each other, but are designed to protect the most precious thing you have - your head. Helmets are used in training in MMA, boxing, kickboxing, SAMBO, ARB, taekwondo, karate... and in general, it is much easier to list martial arts where they are not used.
By the way, this is an element of fighter protection that everyone usually buys at the very last moment: after all, it is not particularly cheap and, as many people think, it is not particularly needed. Unfortunately, the statement about its uselessness is a huge misconception for novice athletes, and we will now try to explain why.
Dinosaurs also wore them...
Despite the fact that the helmet was introduced into circulation as an element of boxing equipment at the end of the 19th century, we first see mention of it back in the fourth millennium BC. What is noteworthy is that the helmets were most similar to those that athletes now use, because they were made of leather. It turns out that even then people thought about the safety of their heads, but you still don’t.
But seriously, let’s figure out for which categories of people a helmet will be not just a useful device, but a necessity.
Performing athletes
Of course, the higher your level of striking technique, the less often you should get hit in the head during training, but sparring with professionals is usually as close as possible to real fights, so they fight there with all their heart and full force. Athletes are afraid not of the injuries themselves, but of the fact that they can get them a few weeks or days before the fight, which can reduce all the preparation, which sometimes lasts several months, to nothing. A good helmet will not only save you from cuts and abrasions, but will also practically eliminate the possibility of breaking your nose (if there is bumper protection).
In addition to training helmets, there are also helmets for performances, since at many amateur and even professional competitions they are a mandatory element of protection. So, for example, in ARB, SAMBO, amateur MMA and boxing. There are also helmets for Muay Thai.
Public people
If you work with people and there is eye contact during this interaction, then it is very important that you look neat and pleasant to look at. No, we do not advise you to wear a helmet to your meeting, it will most likely scare you even more than you would with bruises and a broken nose, it is better to wear one to training to avoid unnecessary facial injuries. Although, if your name is Tyler and you love making soap, then you can safely ignore our advice.
I value my health
We would be lying if we say that a helmet will most likely save you from a concussion. Having received a powerful blow to the open head, and especially to the jaw, whether in a helmet or without it, you will most likely go to sleep, but all you had to do was hold it above the handle. But it will be much easier to avoid scratches, cuts, and a broken nose in a helmet, because that’s what it was created for. You will be surprised, but it is not uncommon for a person’s nose to be broken, and he finds out about it only a few years later during some routine medical examination and finally understands why he wakes up from his own snoring in the middle of the night. In a helmet with a bumper, this situation simply cannot happen. So, instead of spending money and time on correcting nasal septums, cosmetic surgeries to remove scars from cuts, medications for staphylococcus in a scratch on the face - buy a helmet and train for your health. By the way, the Hayabusa company has released a special line of helmets for MMA, which fit the head tightly, which allows you to fight, and also have protection for the top of the head, which eliminates injury from an accidental elbow strike.
Olympic Games in London 2012 year and the European Championships in Minsk in June 2013, it seems, were the last major competitions in which amateur boxers competed in a helmet. From now on, according to the decision of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), athletes in adult competitions will perform without helmets. Women and boxers competing in junior competitions and youth competitions will wear helmets. Also changed scoring.
Athletes and many specialists began talking about amateur boxers taking off their helmets after their introduction in 1986. First of all, doctors have always said that a helmet does not save an athlete from brain damage, only increasing the impact area. To some extent, the helmet even did more harm than good. Hoping for its protective properties, the boxer exposes his head, without thinking about the long-term consequences of such fighting tactics for the brain. What is certain is that a helmet protects an athlete’s face from cuts.
With amateur boxers taking their helmets off, many athletes and coaches will have to relearn battle tactics. After all, now it is necessary to pay much more attention to defense during battle, and to prepare attacks more carefully.
The decision of the International Amateur Boxing Association is in many ways logical. Since the end of the last century, boxing as a sport has gradually is losing its popularity. Restrictions designed to protect athletes actually turn a civilized fight according to the rules, which millions of fans want to see, into an uninteresting crush in the ring. The brightest barometer of viewer interest is television. Leading TV channels are no longer purchasing broadcasts of competitions even at the highest level; there were empty seats in the Olympic stands in London even during the final matches.
The first major competition in which amateur boxers removed their helmets and the scoring changed was World Championships in Astana in 2013.
From September 1, 2013 Absolutely all amateur boxing tournaments will be held without helmets. This rule came into force on June 1, 2013, but it actually came into effect only on September 1.
The downside to this is that removing helmets will result in a lot of cuts due to head clashes, so now amateur boxers need to be extra careful not to bump heads with their opponents and pay attention to this training.
Has also undergone a change scoring system in amateur boxing. According to the new system, points will be calculated in such a way that it will be pointless to score points with single accurate hits, but it will be necessary to win rounds based on the total damage inflicted on the opponent, i.e. Both blows to the block and blows to the body will be counted. Thus, the counting system will be identical to professional.
3 reasons why you should use a boxing helmet
Boxing is a very difficult and exhausting sport that requires a lot of effort and time. Of course, people who practice boxing are very resilient and strong, but as a result of boxing there is a high probability of receiving numerical blows that will lead to deterioration in health and well-being.
The most traumatic blows are blows to the head, which can lead to poor health, poor health, and even numerous illnesses later. Of course, fighters in the world boxing ring do not use helmets, but during training, every athlete is required to have one.
If you practice boxing, whether at home or in a professional gym, but are still not sure whether you need it or not, let's talk about three reasons why you need to use a boxing helmet.
1. Great motivation
Before we consider a number of positive aspects of a boxing helmet, we will consider all its varieties, as well as where each one is used.
The first boxing helmet is an open combat helmet. This helmet is used in training, as well as in amateur competitions. This helmet has maximum visibility, but the level of protection is low. Only the head area is protected, but the chin and cheeks remain open, which can lead to a painful blow to the jaw. Such helmets are produced only in two colors - red and blue, so that the athlete has a special distinction at amateur competitions.
The second boxing helmet is a “Mexican” style helmet. This helmet is more protective, and its characteristic feature is large cheek pads that fit almost under the eyes. Due to the fact that the pads perfectly fix the nose, in addition to protecting the cheeks, chin and jaw, this helmet copes with the load on the nose and eyes, thus preventing injuries.
Third type boxing helmet– This is full face protection. This helmet is designed for training and fighting in harsh conditions, where you need to cover and protect your face as much as possible. The main feature of this protective helmet is shock absorption, which softens the bruise and provides protection against bruises.
The fourth and final type of boxing helmet is the bumper helmet. What does it mean? Unlike previous helmets, this one does not simply fasten to the chin while securing it, it is specifically designed to fully protect the jaw, chin and teeth from direct impacts, as well as from falls. Due to the fact that all parts of the helmet are pushed forward, the face is, as it were, inside the structure, and it is difficult for the enemy’s hand to reach the convex parts of the face; at most, all blows fall on the helmet. Of course, the view in such a helmet is very limited, but when practicing boxing it is important to see the upper part of the opponent and the movements of his hands.
We have already talked about the types of boxing helmets, now let’s move on to three reasons why a boxing helmet is so important when practicing boxing. Our first point is the motivational part for boxing.
You may often hear the phrase that a person who has purchased sports equipment and equipment is already serious about going to the gym. This is true, because when a person has spent a lot of money on sports equipment, he can no longer afford not to engage in one or another sport, or at least try.
As soon as a person decides to take up boxing, the helmet becomes the first condition of the trainers that you must fulfill. Firstly, all classes begin with a helmet for the reason that you simply get used to it. Training with a helmet is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Your movements are immediately limited, your visibility and dexterity are reduced, as well as your endurance, because at first the helmet causes great discomfort and creates a greenhouse effect inside, which incapacitates you.
Buying a helmet is the first step towards your productive training and excellent physical fitness.
2. Protect head, jaw, cheeks and eyes
Head protection is the main function of any helmet, be it a martial arts helmet or a boxing helmet.
The first function that this helmet performs is to protect the head and parietal area. This protection is designed for both blows and attacks that occur as a result of a strong blow or knockout. Most helmets for beginners do not have very strong protection, but protect the head from severe concussions and fractures, fix all protruding parts, but in the big ring they use the most protected helmets to minimize injuries and reduce abrasions.
But as you understand, you can’t go anywhere without a helmet, and so, as soon as you decide to enroll in the boxing section, be sure to ask the coach or your sparring partners about which helmet is best for you to choose.
If you think that you don’t need a helmet, then think about the consequences that could result from a careless blow or fall. You are confident in your partner and that there will be no consequences after the fight, but when you start boxing, you and your partner get excited and can no longer control the force of your punches. In such training fights, most often, you can get a concussion, a broken jaw, lose teeth, be covered with many bruises, and more. Your presentable appearance is how well you protect yourself during training.
A protective helmet is an important attribute of a boxer, especially during training, since during competitions you are maximally focused on your partner, but during training the body and brain are much more relaxed, which leads to a loss of vigilance, as well as missed punches, which are more common. everything falls on the head. Even if your helmet has a minimum level of protection, the entire face is fixed inside the frame (helmet), and the impacts are no longer so strong and painful.
Another important area that a helmet protects is the brow area. Yes, if you are hit in the eyebrow, you may not notice it, but then blood begins to flow from the cut eyebrow, which prevents one eye from looking, coordination, dexterity, and strength of the blow are impaired, and the partner has many advantages over you. During a break, you can wash the eye and bake the wound, but if the tissue above the eyebrow is torn, it takes a lot of time and effort to stop the bleeding, so until the end of the fight you will have to compete with bloody streaks on your face.
If you're still on the fence about purchasing a protective helmet, look into the effects of impacts to each area of your head and how much of a difference a single boxing helmet can make to your health.
3. Eliminates consequences in the future
Many people have the habit of planning their lives several years, or even decades, in advance. But no one can plan when a terrible migraine will begin, vision and hearing will deteriorate, vital forces will leave, and, in return, fatigue and absent-mindedness will come.
Young guys who start playing sports are confident that all problems will bypass them and there will be no negative consequences after training. Of course, in a year or two you may not feel anything, but after ten years all the consequences of training without boxing helmet will come out and become your nightmare.
Even if you do boxing to keep yourself in good shape and do not plan to get into the ring, then during training you still take part in sparring, and one sparring involves several blows to the head and jaw, then over time you will encounter such a problem, like a constant migraine.
Let’s not forget that the helmet also protects the ears, which do not react well to impacts. Broken ears are most common in wrestlers, but a burst eardrum occurs in boxers. You can imagine the consequences you will face as a result of not wearing a boxing helmet.
Constant jumping in training, strong blows to the bag or paws also have a bad effect on the condition of the head and your condition in general.
Sports are as traumatic as they are beneficial. Boxing is a useful sport that disciplines, strengthens, develops, improves coordination and well-being, but each sport must be approached responsibly and wisely in order to feel good and always be healthy.
Giposport will help you play your favorite sport without injury. helmet now!
The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) has asked the IOC to hold a boxing tournament in accordance with its rules adopted three years ago.
According to association rules, fighters competed without protective helmets at two world championships, as well as at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
As evidence, the AIBA medical commission presented a scientific analysis that after the abolition of helmets, the number of concussions among boxers decreased.
“AIBA provided medical and technical data showing lower concussion rates following the removal of helmets. They have done a lot of research over the past three years. The rule will apply in Rio,” commented IOC representative Mark Adams.
Note that Olympic boxers have used a protective helmet since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Let us remind you that earlier SPORT bigmir)net reported that professional boxers will participate in the Olympics.
