How to Wrap Your Hands for Muay Thai & Boxing (Step-by-Step Guide)

Whether you’re training Muay Thai, boxing, or MMA, proper hand wrapping is essential. Hand wraps protect your knuckles, wrists, and the small bones in your hands from injury — and they also help your gloves fit better and last longer.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to wrap your hands correctly, including an advanced knuckle padding technique used by experienced fighters.

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Why Hand Wrapping Is So Important

Your hands contain 27 small bones, and every punch sends force back through them. Without wraps, you risk:

• Sprained wrists

• Broken knuckles

• Damaged tendons

• Long-term joint pain

Hand wraps act like structural support for your hands:

• They stabilise the wrist

• Protect the knuckles

• Keep the bones aligned

If you train more than once a week, wraps are non-negotiable.

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What You’ll Need

• 180-inch (4.5m) hand wraps (standard adult length)

• Boxing or Muay Thai gloves

Shorter 120" wraps are usually for kids or very small hands.

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Step-by-Step: How to Wrap Your Hands

Step 1 – Build the Wrist Base

Place the loop over your thumb.
Wrap 2–3 times around your wrist to create a strong base.

This is your main wrist support and helps prevent hyperextension.

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Step 2 – Pad the Knuckles

From the wrist, bring the wrap up the back of the hand and go around the knuckles 3–4 times.

Keep your fingers slightly spread so the wrap lies flat across all knuckles.

This is your main impact protection.

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Step 3 – Lock It Back at the Wrist

Bring the wrap back down and go once around the wrist to secure the knuckle padding.

At this point, your hand should already feel supported.

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Step 4 – The Finger Weave (Key Technique)

Most gyms teach wrapping the fingers from the outside in:

Little (pinky) → ring → middle → index

This order gives better support to the weaker outer knuckles and keeps the wrap flatter across the hand.

For each finger, use this exact movement pattern:

Back of hand → between fingers → across the palm → through the gap between thumb and index finger → back around the hand

Start with the pinky:

1. From the wrist, bring the wrap up the back of the hand

2. Go between the pinky and ring finger

3. Come across the front of the hand (palm)

4. Go back through the gap between thumb and index finger

5. Wrap once around the hand to lock it in

Then repeat the same steps for:

• Ring finger

• Middle finger

• Index finger

Always working from outside to inside.

This creates individual support for each knuckle and keeps the bones aligned when you make a fist.

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Step 5 – Final Knuckle and Wrist Lock

After finishing the fingers:

• Do 1–2 more passes around the knuckles

• Then wrap down the wrist until the wrap runs out

• Secure with Velcro

Your hand should feel:

• Stable

• Aligned

• Easy to make a fist

Not bulky. Not numb.

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How It Should Feel (Quick Check)

When wrapped correctly:

✅ You can fully close your fist
✅ Your wrist feels supported
✅ Your knuckles feel padded
❌ No tingling
❌ No pressure points
❌ No loss of circulation

If it feels awkward — unwrap and redo it. Everyone messes it up at first.

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Mental Shortcut (Coach’s Trick)

If you forget the pattern, remember:

Back of hand = structure
Palm = return path
Thumb gap = reset point

You’re basically drawing a figure-of-eight around each finger.

After a few sessions, it becomes pure muscle memory.

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Optional: Creating a Knuckle Pad with Your Hand Wraps

Many experienced boxers and Muay Thai fighters like to create a knuckle pad before fully wrapping their hands. This adds extra protection, especially for:

• Heavy bag sessions

• Sparring

• Fighters with sensitive knuckles

• Anyone returning from hand injuries

How to Make a Knuckle Pad

1. Unroll about 20–30cm of wrap

2. Fold it back and forth into a small pad

3. Place it directly over your knuckles

4. Hold it in place and begin wrapping as normal

5. Lock it in with 2–3 passes around the knuckles

This creates a custom shock-absorbing layer exactly where you need it most.

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When You Should Use a Knuckle Pad

You’ll benefit most if:

• You hit the heavy bag a lot

• You do pad work frequently

• You’ve had knuckle pain before

• You use tight competition gloves

For light technical sessions, it’s optional.

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Don’t Overdo It

Too much padding can:

• Make it harder to close your fist

• Reduce glove feel

• Cause poor punch alignment

Rule of thumb:
Your fist should close naturally without resistance.

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Muay Thai vs Boxing: Any Difference?

Structurally, the wrapping method is the same.

However:

• Muay Thai fighters may wrap slightly lighter for clinch feel

• Boxers often add more knuckle padding for heavy bag work

If you clinch a lot, avoid making the palm too bulky.

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Common Hand Wrap Mistakes

❌ Wrapping too tight (cuts circulation)
❌ Leaving the wrist loose
❌ Skipping finger loops
❌ Never washing wraps
❌ Wrapping over open cuts

If your fingers go purple — redo them.

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How Tight Should Hand Wraps Be?

Think: firm handshake tight, not tourniquet tight.

You should be able to:

• Make a fist

• Open your hand fully

• Feel wrist support

No tingling. No numbness.

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How Often Should You Wash Hand Wraps?

After every session.

Dirty wraps lead to:

• Bacteria

• Smelly gloves

• Faster glove breakdown

Pro tip:
Use a mesh laundry bag so they don’t tangle in the wash.

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Alternative: Quick Hand Wraps / Gel Wraps

Quick wraps are great for:

• Beginners

• Fitness classes

• Casual bag work

But for sparring or serious training, traditional wraps are still superior.

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Do You Need Hand Wraps Under 16oz Gloves?

Yes. Always.

Glove padding is not structural support.
Wraps protect your skeleton — gloves protect your opponent.

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Recommended Wrap Length

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Final Advice from Experience

From years of Muay Thai and boxing training:

Any wrap that allows your hands to feel stable, aligned, and able to form a solid fist will work — but longer wraps give you more room to customise protection.

Don’t overthink it.
Just wrap every session.

Your hands will thank you in 10 years.

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Shop Hand Wraps (UK)

If you're training regularly, you’ll want at least 2–3 pairs on rotation.

Look for:

• 180” cotton or semi-elastic

• Thumb loop + strong Velcro

• Breathable fabric

(Perfect place to link your UK Fight Gear wraps collection.)