Your first boxing fundamentals class, round by round
From the warm-up to the cool-down: what happens in the hour, what you will learn and what you will not be asked to do.
Choosing your first boxing gloves: 12, 14 or 16 oz
Glove weight, closure and padding explained, with what our coaches suggest for bag work, pads and sparring.
For the first two weeks we lend gloves. After that, most members buy their own, and the first question is always weight. Here is how our coaches answer it.
Glove weight is measured in ounces and refers mostly to the padding. More padding protects your hands and, in sparring, your partner. For bag work and pad work, most of our members use 12 oz gloves if they weigh under 60 kg and 14 oz above that. For Friday sparring, we ask everyone to use 16 oz gloves, whatever their size, because the extra padding softens every punch that lands.
If you can buy only one pair, buy 14 oz. It works for classes, bags and pads, and is acceptable for light sparring for smaller members. If you plan to spar regularly, buy a second 16 oz pair and keep it only for sparring, so the padding stays firm.
Velcro closures are what most members choose, because you can put them on and take them off alone. Lace-ups fit more closely but need someone to tie them. Look for a firm, single-piece padding, a thumb that is attached to the glove and a lining that does not have rough seams. Decent gloves start at about ₹2,200 and last two to three years of regular training. Under ₹1,200, the foam usually goes flat within months. Air them after every session and stuff them with newspaper; damp gloves smell and break down quickly.
