How to Wrap Your Hand for Muay Hai
Muay Thai -- often called Thai boxing or kickboxing -- is an explosive martial art that originated in Thailand, and continues to be a highly revered national sport in that country, according to MuayThai.com. With the powerful arsenal of strikes involved in Muay Thai, it is crucial to observe certain safety precautions. Knowing how to properly wrap your hand before practicing Muay Thai is one of the most basic yet essential precautions to stay injury-free in this fast-paced martial art.
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Instructions
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Buy hand wrap that is made of soft material, such as cotton, since plastic or plaster hand wraps are prohibited in Muay Thai, according to Chao Phraya Muay Thai. The wrap should be breathable and elastic in order to allow your hands proper circulation and flexibility.
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Hold your hand out, face down, with your fingers extended yet relaxed. To begin, grip the wrap between your thumb and pointer finger. If your wrap has a prefabricated thumb loop, place the loop over your thumb.
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Pass the wrap horizontally across your knuckles and around the top of your palm. Once it reaches the area between your thumb and pointer finger, pass the wrap diagonally towards your wrist on your little finger's side.
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Bring the wrap around your wrist horizontally, from beneath to the top, and repeat once. Then pass the wrap from your wrist's thumb side to the space between your pointer finger and thumb. Wind the wrap around your thumb -- once over, once under, and then wrap towards the pinky finger side of your wrist once more, across the top of your hand to wind the wrap around your wrist again. Repeat this step once, stopping after the second pass around your wrist.
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Guide the wrap from beneath the thumb side of your wrist and pass it up and through the space between your pointer finger and middle finger. Loop around the finger and then wind the wrap over your palm toward your outer wrist once again. Repeat this process for each finger, passing the wrap around your wrist each time.
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Bring the wrap from the underside of your thumb side wrist (after you've completed wrapping your little finger) diagonally across the top of your hand. Pass the wrap beneath your knuckles, then wind it around them horizontally. Repeat once, then cross the wrap diagonally from the inside of your thumb and back to the outside of your wrist, over the top of your palm. Wind the wrap beneath your wrist one more time, then bring the end of it over your palm to your middle finger.
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Anchor the wrap through the space between your middle finger and pointer finger and loop it twice through the wrapped portion inside your palm. Tie off the wrap with a simple double knot. Use your scissors, if necessary, to cut off any excess wrap. If your wrap is equipped with hooks, you can hook the wrap rather than tie it.
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Tips & Warnings
If you plan to enter a Muay Thai competition, you will need to have a trainer wrap your knuckles with zinc oxide tape after you have wrapped your hand.
References
- Photo Credit boxing round image by Alina Isakovich from Fotolia.com
