Personally I hate them. They slip and cover your eyes. They impair you peripheral vision.
The older ones soak up sweat and make them real heavy. This extra weight then gives you a whiplash effect every time you get hit in the head. Makes bobbing and weaving that much more difficult.
Then when your training if someone has it on then the sparring partnes sees it as some invitation to throw the strongest bombs he possilby can thinking its not gonna hurt his opponent. Can someone please remind me why we have to wear them?
stops u getting black eyes but I prefer to not wear them myself and sport the bruises. Never thought about why Amateur boxers wear them. They certainly dont stop the impact from punches AFAIK.
I think they are good for sparring. But ultimately, it should be personally preference. I do think they take a slight absorption of the punch, but not much.
In my opinion amateur boxing need all of safe equipment that it use. If amateur boxing change rules about it it wouldnt be Olimpic sport any more and thats mean less money and more problems.
__________________ *Vigilate itaque quia nescitis diem neque horam!* + Mt,XXV:XIII
I agree with Setsu about the need for saftey equipment. Some guy down here just died while he was in an amature boxing match. Guy left behind a wife and two kids. Who knows, maybe a little extra padding might have saved him.
Just want to post what I believe are facts. Let me know if you think I am wrong. This is as I see it.
- There is no money in amateur boxing. well not for the athelete anyway.
- Headguards do not protect the brain from rattling. They only protect from superficial bruising and swelling and cuts. Oh and I guess head clashes too, but the biggest threat to ones longterm health is brain rattling.
- they are only used in amateur/olympic competion to appease those who think boxing is barbaric and the sight of swollen faces sickening.
I hear what you are saying Iron Knuckles mate about safety equipment but I believe the best things that can be put in place for safety are well trained referee's and proper ringside paramedics.
We dont know what the man u r talking about died from exactly. It could be anything. If it is directly boxing related that is really sad news but if we have proper refereeing (which is fundamental to safety) and proffessional ringside medical assistance these types of regretable happenings should reduce or even disappear. Look at how things have gotten better over the last ten years on the proffessional scene. IMHO more padding renders the art obsolete and pointless.
I never really thought of it that way (in terms of brain rattling) and I'm not really sure how he died. Sad story though, He was a nurse at a local hospital and he was fighting a much more experienced boxer who was a minister at some church. The other fighter has renounced boxing forever.
Its a shame, a lot of fighters (especially in the phillipines) have died after or during bouts this year.
Boxing is a brutal sport, not something to play around with.
I remember roy jones jr saying that he got a fighters attitude when he used to raise fighting cockrels, he used to say just like them, no man (or rather bird) should enter a fight without 100% commitment and should understand that they may die in the ring but thats just a risk they take for their pride and what they believe in.
Should headguards be used in amateur boxing? 
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