Blegend Gym · Combat Sports Safety
Sparring
Etiquette
Boxing, Muay Thai and other combat-sport training may involve physical contact. By choosing to participate in sparring, members acknowledge that contact — including controlled strikes to permitted target areas — is an inherent part of combat-sport training.
Sparring is intended to develop technique, timing, defence, control and experience. It is not a fight, and excessive or intentionally uncontrolled force is strictly prohibited. All participants must follow the instructions of Blegend Gym coaches at all times.
Required Gear
Protective Equipment
A mouthguard is mandatory for all sparring participants. No mouthguard — no sparring.
- Headgear is mandatory for all participants under 18 years of age during sparring.
- Headgear is mandatory for boxing sparring unless otherwise specifically approved by the supervising coach.
- Sparring must be conducted using appropriate sparring gloves. Blegend Gym generally requires 14 oz or 16 oz gloves for regular sparring unless a coach determines otherwise for a specific training purpose.
What’s Not Allowed
Prohibited Techniques & Conduct
- Excessive or intentionally uncontrolled strikes are prohibited.
- Strikes to the back of the head are strictly prohibited.
- Spinning punches and spinning backfists are prohibited during regular sparring unless specifically permitted by the supervising coach as part of controlled technical training.
- Participants must adjust their power and intensity according to the size, experience and ability of their sparring partner.
- If a participant asks their partner to stop or reduce the intensity, the partner must do so immediately.
- Any participant who repeatedly ignores instructions, uses excessive force or otherwise creates an unsafe environment may be immediately removed from the session and may be suspended or prohibited from future sparring.
Knowing Your Limits
Member Safety & Readiness
- Members must immediately inform a coach if they feel uncomfortable with their sparring partner or with the intensity of the session.
- Members who are not comfortable sparring with other members may request to spar only with a coach, subject to coach availability.
- Participation in sparring is subject to coach assessment. Blegend Gym coaches may determine that a member should continue with technical training, conditioning or coach-controlled sparring before participating in regular member-to-member sparring.
- Anyone experiencing dizziness, headache, unusual pain, disorientation, vision problems, nausea or any other concerning symptoms during training must stop immediately and inform a coach.
- Members must not participate in sparring while injured, medically restricted or otherwise unfit for contact training.
Junior Members
Participants Under 18
- Participants under 18 must wear headgear and a mouthguard during all sparring.
- Participation of minors in sparring is subject to coach approval and any parental or guardian consent requirements established by Blegend Gym.
- Coaches may restrict a minor to technical training, conditioning or coach-controlled sparring depending on the participant’s experience, ability and readiness.
Understanding the Risk
Assumption of Risk
- Members and, where applicable, their parents or guardians acknowledge that boxing, Muay Thai and other combat sports involve inherent risks, including bruising, cuts, strains, sprains and injuries resulting from physical contact.
- Compliance with protective-equipment requirements and sparring rules reduces risk but cannot eliminate all possibility of injury.
- Participation in sparring is voluntary. A participant may stop sparring at any time and must immediately communicate any concern, discomfort or injury to the supervising coach.
Consequences
Enforcement
- Blegend Gym reserves the right to suspend or permanently prohibit any participant from sparring if they fail to follow these rules or the instructions of the coaching team.
- Serious or repeated breaches of sparring safety rules may result in suspension or termination of membership.
- Blegend Gym may amend its sparring procedures and safety requirements where reasonably necessary to improve member safety.
Effective from: 15 September 2026