Headgear (martial arts)

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Headgear is a padded safety device worn during some activities in martial arts.

[edit] Boxing

Headgear is used in Amateur and Olympic boxing. It effectively protects against cuts, scrapes, and swelling, but does not protect very well against concussions. Some recent studies have suggested headgear does not sufficiently protect the brain from the jarring that occurs when the head is struck with great force.^{[citation needed]} Also, most boxers aim for the chin on opponents, and the chin is usually not padded. Thus, a powerpunch can do a lot of damage to a boxer, and even a jab that connects to the chin can cause damage, regardless of whether or not headgear is being utilized. There are different types of boxing headgear available, the Amateur boxing style used in competition which is open faced, Training headgear covers the cheeks as well, providing greater facial protection, and Face-saver headgear which features a bar across the face so that no direct contact is made to the face. However the trade-off for more protection is reduced visibility, as well as the possibility of becoming reliant on it to be there.

[edit] Wrestling

Wrestling headgear is designed to protect the ears from damage. It features either soft or hard plastic ear covers and straps around the chin and back of the head. It is commonly used in grappling sports such as Amateur wrestling, Submission wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

[edit] Point Fighting

Point fighting headgear, which is commonly required in sport Karate tournaments is made of a moulded and dipped foam. This is type of headgear is most common in no contact and semi contact fighting. It is designed to protect against accidental impact, including the head hitting the floor after a slip or knock-down. This sort of headgear can be open face, full faced and sometimes even a full plastic face shield.