How to Wrap your Hands using Hand Wraps?

Hand injuries are one of the common injuries that effect boxers and Thai Boxers. This could be dramatically reduced if you took the time to wrap your hands before training. I have compiled a small guide on how to wrap your hands, as a lot of people do not know how to do this and it is one of the most common questions I receive from my students.

Step 1Open your your hand palm down with your fingers spread apart. Begin by placing the thumb loop over your thumb and be sure that the 'This Side Down' text on the hand wrap is against your skin. Bring the wrap across the back of your hand and wrap around your wrist 2 or 3 times. Be sure to wrap high enough (2" to 3" up from your wrist joint) on the wrist to maximise support. You want to keep the hand wrap tight throughout this process, but not so tight that it will cut off your circulation.

Step 2 From the wrist, bring the wrap across the back of your hand and around your palm, then across the top of your knuckles. Wrap the hand wrap around your knuckles 2 to 3 times. From the top of your knuckles, wrap across the back of your hand toward your wrist and around. This will create an 'x' pattern across the back of the hand. Repeat the 'x' pattern 2 or 3 times.

Step 3Continue around the palm of your hand to the base of your thumb. Wrap completely around your thumb and back toward your wrist on the palm side of your hand.It is important to keep the wrap from twisting while wrapping the thumb.

Step 4Continue wrapping around the back of your hand to the thumb and once again wrap around your thumb, this time from the opposite direction. Wrap from the thumb over the back of your hand and around your wrist.

Step 5Continue around your wrist, over the back of your hand and through the space between your pinky and ring fingers. Wrap around your palm back toward your wrist and repeat the steps for each finger.Be sure to keep the wrap as flat as possible and twist free.

Step 6With the last finger completed, bring the wrap across the palm back toward your wrist.

Step 7Continue wrapping across the back of your hand toward your knuckles.

Step 8Wrap once more around the top of the knuckles and across the back of your hand toward your wrist.

Step 9Secure your wrist with the remaining hand wrap. Be sure to wrap it snugly to provide support for your wrist.

Step 10Fasten thevelcro and you're done. The finished result should be a secure and protected tightly wrapped hand.

There are variations that can be used. However this is the most commonly used one. Also when we talk about wrapping 2-3 times this is to give an evenly wrapped hand. However if you have a wrist injury then you will benefit from wrapping it 4 times, as opposed to 2-3 times. Also this is true for knuckle injuries. Taking the previous comments into consideration you need to know your body and when to rest it. Sometimes you may do more damage training on a injury. Your instructor will be able to guide you with injuries that you may have or encounter.