Is a boxing helmet necessary? At the Olympic Games, boxers can compete without helmets. Helmet with full face protection

Olympic Games in London 2012 year and the European Championships in Minsk in June 2013, it seems, were the last major competitions in which amateur boxers competed in a helmet. From now on, by decision of the International Association amateur boxing(AIBA) athletes in senior competitions will perform without helmets. Women and boxers competing in junior competitions and youth competitions will wear helmets. Also changed scoring.

Athletes and many specialists began talking about amateur boxers taking off their helmets after their introduction in 1986. First of all, doctors have always said that a helmet does not save an athlete from brain damage, only increasing the impact area. To some extent, the helmet even did more harm than good. Hoping for its protective properties, the boxer exposes his head, without thinking about the long-term consequences of such fighting tactics for the brain. What is certain is that a helmet protects an athlete’s face from cuts.

With amateur boxers taking off their helmets, many athletes and coaches will have to relearn fighting tactics. After all, now it is necessary to pay much more attention to defense during battle, and to prepare attacks more carefully.

The decision of the International Amateur Boxing Association is in many ways logical. Since the end of the last century, boxing as a sport has gradually is losing its popularity. Restrictions designed to protect athletes actually turn a civilized fight according to the rules, which millions of fans want to see, into an uninteresting crush in the ring. The brightest barometer of viewer interest is television. Leading TV channels stop purchasing broadcasts of competitions even high level, there were empty seats in the Olympic stands in London even during the final matches.

The first major competition in which amateur boxers removed their helmets and the scoring changed was World Championships in Astana in 2013.

From September 1, 2013 everything amateur tournaments Boxing will take place without helmets. This rule came into force on June 1, 2013, but it actually came into effect only on September 1.

The downside to this is that removing the helmets will result in a lot of cuts due to head clashes, so amateur boxers now need to be extra careful not to bump heads with their opponents and pay attention to this in training.

Has also undergone a change scoring system in amateur boxing. By new system points will be counted in such a way that it will be pointless to score points with single accurate hits, and it will be necessary to win rounds based on the total damage inflicted on the opponent, i.e. Both blows to the block and blows to the body will be counted. Thus, the counting system will be identical to professional.

The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) has asked the IOC to hold a boxing tournament in accordance with its rules adopted three years ago.

According to association rules, fighters competed without protective helmets at two world championships, as well as at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

As evidence, the AIBA medical commission presented a scientific analysis that after the abolition of helmets, the number of concussions among boxers decreased.

“AIBA provided medical and technical data showing lower concussion rates following the removal of helmets. They have done a lot of research over the past three years. The rule will apply in Rio,” commented IOC representative Mark Adams.

Note that olympic boxers have used a protective helmet since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Let us remind you that earlier SPORT bigmir)net reported that professional boxers will participate in the Olympics.

Before moving directly to the topic of this article, we suggest you take a short test to determine whether you are a seasoned MMA student or not. contact martial arts or an ordinary person. So, attention: helmet.

What came to your mind first?

Of course, there will immediately be people who will claim that they have wished for a snowboard or ski helmet, but you know, you are not our target audience, although we are glad that you are reading this article.

Today it is difficult to find a contact martial arts, which would not use a helmet, they are all slightly different from each other, but are designed to protect the most precious thing you have - your head. Helmets are used in training in MMA, boxing, kickboxing, SAMBO, ARB, taekwondo, karate... and in general, it is much easier to list martial arts where they are not used.

By the way, this is an element of fighter protection that everyone usually buys at the very last moment: after all, it is not particularly cheap and, as many people think, it is not particularly needed. Unfortunately, the statement about its uselessness is a huge misconception for novice athletes, and we will now try to explain why.

Dinosaurs also wore them...

Despite the fact that the helmet was introduced into circulation as an element of boxing equipment at the end of the 19th century, we first see mention of it back in the fourth millennium BC. What is noteworthy is that the helmets were most similar to those that athletes now use, because they were made of leather. It turns out that even then people thought about the safety of their heads, but you still don’t.

But seriously, let’s figure out for which categories of people a helmet will be not just a useful device, but a necessity.

Performing athletes

Of course, the higher your level percussion technology, the less often you should get hit in the head during training, but sparring with professionals is usually as close as possible to real fights, so they fight there with all their heart and at full strength. Athletes are afraid not of the injuries themselves, but of the fact that they can get them a few weeks or days before the fight, which can reduce all the preparation, which sometimes lasts several months, to nothing. Nice helmet It will not only save you from cuts and abrasions, but will also virtually eliminate the possibility of breaking your nose (if there is bumper protection).

In addition to training helmets, there are also helmets for performances, since many amateur and even professional competitions they are a mandatory element of protection. So, for example, in ARB, SAMBO, amateur MMA and boxing. There are also helmets for Muay Thai.

Public people

If you work with people and there is eye contact during this interaction, then it is very important that you look neat and pleasant to look at. No, we don't advise you to wear a helmet to your meeting, it will most likely scare you even more than you would with bruises and a broken nose, it is better to wear one to training to avoid unnecessary facial injuries. Although, if your name is Tyler and you like to make soap, then you can safely ignore our advice.

I value my health

We would be lying if we say that a helmet will most likely save you from a concussion. Having received a powerful blow to the open head, and especially to the jaw, whether in a helmet or without it, you will most likely go to sleep, but all you had to do was hold it above the handle. But it will be much easier to avoid scratches, cuts, and a broken nose in a helmet, because that’s what it was created for. You will be surprised, but it is not uncommon for a person’s nose to be broken, and he finds out about it only a few years later during some routine medical examination and finally understands why he wakes up from his own snoring in the middle of the night. In a helmet with a bumper, this situation simply cannot happen. So, instead of spending money and time on correcting nasal septums, cosmetic surgeries to remove scars from cuts, medications for staphylococcus in a scratch on the face - buy a helmet and train for your health. By the way, the Hayabusa company has released a special line of helmets for MMA, which fit the head tightly, which allows you to fight, and also have protection for the top of the head, which eliminates injury from an accidental elbow strike.

If you decide to buy a boxing helmet, you don't need to explain what it's for. So let's get down to business. When choosing a boxing helmet, it is recommended to be guided by the criteria below.

Convenience

You should feel comfortable wearing protective equipment, this is very important point! Sparring is already a stressful situation for the body; nothing should distract you, irritate you or cause inconvenience. Boxers high class Higher levels of protection are often sacrificed for comfort, as speed and a calm, relaxed state provide greater safety than an uncomfortable helmet with a higher level of protection.

Comfort refers to how the helmet fits on your head. Some boxing helmets pinch in the forehead or put pressure on the back of the head; it happens that the helmet slides on the head or even dangles loosely. Some helmets fit unevenly to your head, creating an empty space between the inside of the helmet and your head, they move in a figure of eight when your opponent manages to hit your head. Sometimes the problem of a helmet rotating on your head is caused by a smooth lining that becomes very slippery when wet from sweat. In such cases, the helmet rotates on the head with each hit, which directly affects safety - the boxer, deprived of visibility, misses additional blows.

Another one important detail comfort – chin fixation. Boxing helmets use different types of chin locks. The lock should not cause inconvenience, while securely fixing the helmet.

A very important point is the weight of the helmet. The lighter your helmet, the more comfortable it will be to work with.

Review

Maximum protection is important, but it's hard to protect against attacks you can't see. Even if you still miss shots often, it is very important to see them - because this allows you to use defensive actions - dives, ducks, pull-ups.

The view of a boxing helmet may be limited by the protective padding in the cheek area, the raised padding in the front of the helmet, the bumper at the bottom of the helmet, and sometimes in helmets with very thick padding, the padding limits the field of view to the left and right of the eyes.

Protective filler

The protective functions of a boxing helmet depend not only on its geometry, but also on the protective properties of the filler. Effective filler absorbs impact energy different strengths, dispersing the damaging force over the area. The filling of helmets is a rather complex issue; it happens that an overly soft helmet makes a weak blow almost imperceptible, but breaks through with a strong hit. You can only find out how effectively a particular helmet will absorb impact energy in a combat situation. Therefore, study reviews and testimonials about specific helmet models.

Workmanship

Not only its appearance depends on the quality of the helmet, but also how long the padding will retain its protective properties, and whether it will break through after several months of use. Special attention You should pay attention to the quality of the fasteners or Velcro of the chin strap, and other fittings responsible for fitting and adjusting the helmet on your head. Also pay attention to the quality of the helmet shell. Typically, high-quality boxing helmets are made from genuine leather, the seams on them are neat and durable.

Degree of protection

Boxing helmets cover the following parts of the head and face: forehead, temples, cheeks, cheekbones, chin, back of the head, ears. Different helmets provide various options covering these parts.

Can be roughly divided into five categories:

1. Helmet with full face protection

As a rule, such a helmet represents a strange symbiosis between a boxing and a hockey helmet. It is not recommended to use it for several reasons. Firstly, this helmet only creates the illusion of complete protection. Any element made of plexiglass or iron strong impact may get imprinted on your face. Secondly, it’s unlikely that anyone will want to spar with you, since the visor can easily damage your gloves.

2. Bumper type helmets

Provide maximum protection for the athlete's head and face. Such helmets are very common in the country where boxing is most popular - the USA. Many stars train in helmets with bumper protection professional boxing. We recommend taking a closer look at this type of helmet if only for this reason. Inside, a helmet with bumper protection contains a rigid element - a frame. As a rule, it is made of plastic or metal. The protruding bumper is well suited for people with problematic or simply large noses. Also, such a helmet reliably covers the forehead, temples, and cheekbones. If you work in an office or are simply not ready to walk around with bruises under your eyes, this helmet is for you.

The disadvantage of this type of helmet is the limited visibility. The bumper protruding in front of the nose reduces visibility from below, especially at close range.

3. Helmets with cheekbone and chin protection

At first glance, these are helmets with a high degree of protection and good visibility. But, as we know, the devil is in the details. Thanks to the jaw protection, this helmet is very difficult to adjust. The height of the head is different for all people, and there is no adjustment in this direction.

Many boxers complain that the padding on the chin makes it difficult to maintain a proper stance by keeping the chin down. Also, the slightly protruding jaw guard provides additional leverage. According to many experts in the field of boxing and sports medicine, hitting this same lever increases the degree of traumatic effects on the brain. This is why people fall to the canvas of the ring even with a relatively weak but accurate hit to the chin.

4. Amateur helmets

For competitions or open type helmets. Until recently, such helmets were a mandatory attribute of any Olympic boxing competition. The only advantage of these helmets is excellent visibility.

The protection in such helmets is mostly just for show. Fully open face and a very thin layer of filler on the forehead and temples. In general, helmets are not for everyone or more for psychological protection.

5. Mexican style helmets

One of the most popular types of helmets in the world. Almost all top boxers use them, alternating them with bumper-type helmets. These helmets cover the forehead, cheekbones, nose (mainly from side impacts), temples and the back of the head. As a rule, such helmets have three levels of adjustment: fixing Velcro or lacing in the back of the head, lacing in the upper part, and an adjustable chin lock.

Successful models of helmets of this type combine a high degree of protection with comfort and lightness; they are excellent for training boxers and athletes of most striking martial arts.

conclusions

When choosing a helmet, it is best to try it on yourself, listen to your feelings, evaluate the review and other criteria described in this article. If you don’t have the opportunity to do this, and we know that not all large cities of Russia have stores with equipment of a decent level, let alone cities with a population of less than 100,000 people, you can see what high-level boxers train in and look for similar helmets in reliable online stores. Before purchasing, it would be a good idea to study reviews and testimonials about specific models and listen to the advice of a trainer.

You only have one head, so buy the best boxing helmet you can afford as soon as you start sparring seriously.

Before moving directly to the topic of this article, we suggest that you take a short test to determine whether you are a seasoned MMA student, a practitioner of contact martial arts, or an ordinary person. So, attention: helmet.

What came to your mind first?

Today it is difficult to find contact martial arts that do not use a helmet; they are all slightly different from each other, but are designed to protect the most precious thing you have - your head. Helmets are used in training in MMA, boxing, kickboxing, SAMBO, ARB, taekwondo, karate... and in general, it is much easier to list martial arts where they are not used.

Dinosaurs also wore them...

But seriously, let’s figure out for which categories of people a helmet will be not just a useful device, but a necessity.

Performing athletes

Of course, the higher your level of striking technique, the less often you should get hit in the head during training, but sparring with professionals is usually as close as possible to real fights, so they fight there with all their heart and full force. Athletes are afraid not of the injuries themselves, but of the fact that they can get them a few weeks or days before the fight, which can reduce all the preparation, which sometimes lasts several months, to nothing. A good helmet will not only save you from cuts and abrasions, but will also practically eliminate the possibility of breaking your nose (if there is bumper protection).

In addition to training helmets, there are also helmets for performances, since at many amateur and even professional competitions they are a mandatory element of protection. So, for example, in ARB, SAMBO, amateur MMA and boxing. There are also helmets for Muay Thai.