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WABUKAN Arsenal · Protection and armour · Europe

Shin guard

A pad worn on the front of the shin, required or common in kickboxing, MMA training, taekwondo and karate competition; a descendant of the greave.

Shin guard
Shin guard WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

shin guard, shin pad; shin-instep guard; greave (armour ancestor)

Origin and history

The shin guard was inspired by the greave, a piece of armour for the shin; the word comes through Middle English from Old French greve, “shin”. Bronze greaves were already worn in ancient Greece and Rome. In the 19th century the idea moved from war to sport: cricket adopted leg pads first, and Sam Weller Widdowson brought shin guards to association football in 1874. Today they are worn in many contact sports and in combat sports and martial arts such as kickboxing, mixed martial arts, taekwondo and karate, either because rules require them or for safety.

Martial arts that use it

Kickboxing MMA Taekwondo Karate

Construction

Modern shin guards are made of synthetic materials such as foam rubber, polyurethane, plastic or fibreglass. In combat sports they are usually padded fabric or leather sleeves that also cover the instep, held on with elastic or hook-and-loop straps.

Basic techniques

Training

Protective equipment is part of training itself: students learn to put it on correctly, check straps and padding, and move and breathe while wearing it before any contact work.

Safety

Protection only works if it fits: replace cracked, torn or compressed padding, check helmets and grilles regularly and let damp gear dry fully to avoid skin infections.

Legality (general information)

This is training or traditional equipment, not a weapon, and is generally free to buy and own. Clubs and federations may still set rules on approved models and condition. General information, not legal advice.

Did you know?

Cricket adopted leg pads not mainly for safety but as a tactic: a padded batsman could cover the stumps with his legs.

More weapons

Hand wrap Boxing gloves Mouthguard Hogu (chest protector) Bogu Gambeson

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Shin guard
  2. Wikipedia — Greave