Kick Shields

A kick shield is a single, large pad that a coach or training partner holds by handles or an arm holder to take kicks in drills. It is a different tool from Thai pads, which are worn in pairs on the forearms, so the two are compared separately. Kick shields are training kit: no WAKO rule covers them.

Makers market kick shields across striking sports rather than for kickboxing alone. For example, RDX calls its T1 an MMA kicking pad, and Venum says it designed the Absolute Long with strikers "from Muay Thai to MMA". We assess them here for the holder: how the shield is gripped, what it is made of and how it is padded.

The main practical difference between shields is the holding system: straps, several handles or an arm holder. Some also offer a choice of left- or right-hand fitting. Check whether the price buys one shield. Look for published dimensions and weight too, though none of the makers here states either in text.