Training at home is a necessary component of any long-term martial arts regimen. If you want to embed your training into your mind and have it become “muscle memory”, you will need to spend time outside of class working on your skills. While many forms of training do not require equipment, there are a few items that make it easier to hone your skills at home. Whether you are practicing Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Karate, or Brazilian Ju Jitsu, the equipment list below will help you get started with your home training space.
The Small stuff
1. Resistance bands are fairly inexpensive but give you the ability to work on your strength and posture. These can range anywhere from $10 - $40 depending on how many resistance levels you want. You can find some different varieties here:
2. Striking targets are a really great tool to have for practicing your focus, timing, and power. Small hand mitts like THESE are great if you have a partner to help you, but if you are training by yourself, you might need something that mounts to the wall. Check out the links below for ideas:
3. Gloves are essential if you are planning to do a lot of striking and bag work. They protect your hands from too much impact damage and also add weight to your hands for speed and agility training. There are two styles I recommend for training depending on your style and preferences. If you like something light that allows you to train open hand techniques, MMA style fingerless gloves are going to work great! If you prefer to have something with a little more protection for boxing or kickboxing, a full glove is better. Check out these products from Elite Sports:
The Big Stuff
1. Mats are one of those things that many martial artists dream of having in our home. Fortunately, these have become much more accessible to the general public lately. These vary in price from about $4 per 2’x2’ square to almost $1000 or more for a 10’x10’ customized solution. Here are some links to some of the more affordable options:
2. Heavy bags are a great tool for training your strikes and foot work. They allow you to train with power while not wearing out your training partner. There are so many varieties that I am going to break it down a bit:
Hanging bags are a permanent or semi-permanent installation. These are very popular in garage or outdoor home gyms that have good beams or lots of floor space to work with. These can take a lot of abuse, but pretty much stay where they are planted. Check out this link for one possible option: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/everlast-powercore-dual-bag-and-stand-17elsupwrcrdlbgndsac/17elsupwrcrdlbgndsac?sku=18313104&camp=CSE:DSG_92700048853244284_lia_pla-507446698703&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAiAmrOBBhA0EiwArn3mfHWwa-BSiu0w6DFHVy0YcU6EmaArmu3LBJSPKVyIsgkob9CF5_aHJxoCMQEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Free standing bags are a bit more versatile in their application and are able to be moved around in your space or stored in a corner when not in use. These are also usually adjustable for different statures. Check out this long-standing industry favorite: https://www.centurymartialarts.com/wavemaster-10162
Training partner bags come in several varieties, but the two most popular are grappling dummies and the ever classic “BOB” bag. Grappling dummies can be used for practicing throws and position drills while also taking a lot of abuse from ground striking techniques. Standing partner bags look somewhat humanoid but generally have a heavy base like a freestanding bag. The most recent version of the BOB actually has arms and legs that make your training much more realistic. Check out these links to see some great options:
Grappling dummy - https://www.combatsports.com/combat-sports-70-lb-legged-grappling-dummy.html
Versys BOB - https://www.centurymartialarts.com/bobs/versys-vs-bob-101694?returnurl=%2fbobs%2f
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the items you can use in your home training space, but maybe it will help you to envision just how great your home training sessions can be! Feel free to comment below if you have any suggestions for equipment that you have used at home!
Check out these links for more equipment that you can use at home or in the dojang: