Hand wraps are required by boxing rules, and are also used in the sport of kickboxing. Elastic hand wraps are available, or alternatively you can use soft gauze bandage held in place by surgical tape. Hand wraps are an important aspect of safety, as they cushion some of the impact of punches and help prevent contusions or fracture injuries to the hand. Improperly wrapped hands can cut off blood circulation or cause excessive damage to an opponent if the wrap material is too hard.
Step 1
Place your hand palm down and spread your fingers. Wrap a loop of gauze around the base of your thumb, then wrap the bandage around your wrist three times.
Step 2
Wrap the gauze bandage in a loop around your thumb so that the thumb is firmly supported but you can still control movement of the joint. Wrap the bandage around the wrist and back to the thumb, repeating this cycle three times. Clench your fist during the wrapping to check for tightness and ensure that you retain control of your hand movements.
Step 3
Circle the gauze bandage around you thumb, then bandage across the top of your hand diagonally to the knuckles. Keep your fingers spread apart and bring the gauze bandage across the base of your fingers on the palm of your hand, circling around to bandage over the knuckles. Wrap around the knuckles of your hand three times.
Step 4
Support your wrist by bringing the bandage diagonally down across the top of your hand from between your thumb and forefinger to the opposite side on the bottom of your hand and top of the wrist. Circle the wrist three times with the bandage before bringing the bandage back underneath the hand and diagonally up the palm back between your thumb and forefinger. Stabilize between your fingers by bringing the hand wrap over the top and through the gap between your middle finger and ring finger. Bring the wrap back down under the palm of the hand and over the top of the thumb before wrapping around the knuckles again. Circle the knuckles two or three times to use up the last material, or cut the wrap at the point you finish.
Step 5
Secure the hand wrap firmly in place. Some hand wraps offer a Velcro strap to secure the hand wrap. Gauze bandage hand wraps are permitted by boxing rules to be held in place by surgical tape. Circle your wrist and secure all parts of the wrap with tape. Fighters vary on what areas of the hand wrap are secured, but the wrist and top of the hand below the knuckles are crucial areas to secure.
Tips and Warnings
- Hand wraps should be tight enough to stay firmly in place and provide stability so that your hand won't bend back upon punch contact, but not so tight that they impact circulation and blood flow.
- Any substance beneath your boxing gloves other than an approved hand wrap, soft gauze bandage or surgical tape will lead to disqualification in a match. Any surgical tape used to secure the hand wrap must not be applied within 1 inch of the knuckles. Boxing rules also state that gauze bandages must be no more than 12 yards in length and 2 inches or less in width. Surgical tape must be 8 feet or less in length and no more than 1 inch in width.
Things You'll Need
- Soft gauze bandage
- Surgical tape
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