I cannot stress enough how important it is to ensure that your hands are wrapped properly when you are going in to a contest. I’ve seen a number of discussions on which way is better i.e the method used in Thailand or the method used in conventional Boxing.

As many of you know in the early 2000’s I suffered heavily with hand injuries, even to a point where I thought I may have to hang up my gloves, so this is a subject I’ve looked in to greatly. I have used both methods in my career and I have to say I much prefer the western boxing method as it cushions my knuckles as opposed to having something hard pressed against them. Remember this is only personal preference so please check the videos and see which method you prefer.

Thai Method – By Sitsongpeenong of Thailand

The main difference with the Thai way of wrapping hands compared to the boxing method is that they tape up the hand before any bandage is applied. A thick pad is also made from the same tape which goes across the knuckles and then bandaged accordingly followed by taping it up again.
I know in some parts of the States, Japan and certain organisations you can’t have tape across the knuckles, It’s deemed by some to be an unfair advantage as they believe it makes the hand extremely hard, almost like wearing a knuckleduster. When I used this way of wrapping I did suffer regularly with bruised knuckles after bouts and was the method used each time my hand was broken.

Western Boxing Method – fightTIPS

As you see with this method, the hand is not tapped before the hand is bandaged. The pad is also formed using another bandage making it more of cushion. You can make this by wrapping a bandage around your boxers hand over and over again until there is no bandage left. After this, take the bandage off and apply it as it does in the video. Once the hand is wrapped it is then taped up ensuring everything is firmly secure. This is the method I’ve used for a number of years now and i’ve never had any problems since but there are many top tier fighters who use the Thai method and they are more than happy with it, it’s all down to personal preference.

I’d advise that you learn both ways of wrapping hands. You may have a fighter who prefers one way over another, or simply one day you might be in a position where you don’t have enough tape to do the Thai method or you don’t have enough bandage to do the boxing method. So learn both and see which you prefer.