Headgear
- Typical price
- €45–150
Mandatory in WAKO amateur competition and common in sparring, and its benefits are narrower than most people assume. It reliably reduces cuts, abrasions and superficial injury. It does not clearly reduce concussion risk, because concussion comes from the brain moving inside the skull and padding on the outside does little about that.
What to look for
Open-face gives better vision, which matters for seeing kicks; cheek protectors give more coverage and narrow your peripheral view, which is a genuine trade-off in a sport with head kicks. Check the amateur federation’s approved list before buying for competition. Do not treat headgear as permission to spar harder — some evidence suggests exactly that effect, and it is the wrong direction.
At a glance
- Mandatory in WAKO amateur divisions, optional professionally
- Reduces cuts and abrasions; unclear effect on concussion
- Open-face preserves the peripheral vision head kicks require
- Not a licence to increase sparring intensity