THESE ARE THE UNIVERSAL SPARRING RULES

By Angela Chang

The bell rings and you touch gloves. Not much is usually exchanged during a round or even between rounds, at least not verbally. Physically, it’s a different story.

Sparring is a part of training and everyone who’s trained for at least a bit should be doing it. For those new to Muay Thai or combat sports in general, though, it’s important to know that there are some common ground rules when it comes to sparring – no matter where you are or who you’re up against.

SPARRING RULE #1: Big gloves are a must.

Perfect for sparring are gloves in the 14-18 ounce range. They have more padding in them so that even if you go hard, it softens the blow a bit. Wearing big gloves promotes a safe environment in which everyone can participate.

Lighter gloves are meant for hitting the bag or hitting pads. Do not crack a fellow teammate with those gloves. They can get seriously hurt (broken nose,...