Last updated: 3 May 2026  ·  Terms covered: 96

Boxing, MMA, and fight-gear manufacturing has its own vocabulary — half ring-craft, half textile / leather trade. This glossary collects the terms that come up most often in wholesale conversations, with definitions written for buyers, not athletes. Use the alphabet links to jump straight to a letter.

A

AIBA
Former name (until 2023) of World Boxing, the governing body for amateur boxing. Older glove specifications still reference “AIBA-approved” gloves — these are now World Boxing approved.
AQL 2.5
Acceptable Quality Limit, level 2.5 (Major). The international sampling standard most B2B buyers specify for inspection. A 1,000-piece order under AQL 2.5 allows roughly 14 major defects in a 200-piece sample before the lot is rejected.
Attached thumb
Boxing glove construction where the thumb is sewn to the body of the glove with no free movement. Standard for sparring; required by most amateur and pro federations to prevent eye injury.

B

BJJ
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The grappling-focused martial art whose practice uniform (the gi) is sized A0–A6 and whose training shirts (rash guards) are sized like normal apparel.
Boil-and-Bite
Mouth guard type that softens in hot water and is bitten to mould to the user’s teeth. Cheaper than custom-cast guards; standard for amateur sport.
Buffalo leather
Tougher and slightly thicker than cowhide. Common in entry-level and mid-tier boxing gloves; gives a stiffer break-in but lasts longer in heavy bag work.

C

CE marking
European conformity mark. Required for personal protective equipment sold in the EU. Boxing head guards in the EU retail market need CE category II testing.
CIF
Cost, Insurance, Freight (Incoterms 2020). Seller pays origin charges, sea freight, and marine insurance to the named destination port. Buyer takes over at the port — duty, clearance, last-mile delivery.
Closure (glove)
How the glove fastens to the wrist. Three types: lace (traditional, requires a partner), velcro / hook-and-loop (most common for training and amateur), and elastic-cuff slip-on (juniors, fitness gloves).
Cotton wraps
Hand wraps made of 100% cotton, typically 108″, 120″, or 180″ long. Pure cotton wraps are non-elastic; “elastic cotton” wraps mix in 5–10% spandex for tighter fit.
Cowhide
The default premium leather for boxing gloves. Two grades exist: full-grain (top of the animal hide, smoothest) and top-grain (sanded full-grain, slightly thinner). See also: grade.

D

DAP
Delivered At Place (Incoterms 2020). Seller delivers to the buyer’s address; buyer handles import duty and final unloading.
DDP
Delivered Duty Paid (Incoterms 2020). Seller delivers fully paid up — buyer just receives. Most expensive Incoterm; only available for select destinations because it requires the seller to be VAT/duty registered in the buyer’s country.
Debossing
Pressing a logo into leather with a heated metal die — leaves a recessed mark with no ink. Cleaner than embroidery on leather panels; standard on premium pro gloves.
Dobok
The Korean martial-arts uniform used in Taekwondo. ITF and WTF (now World Taekwondo) use slightly different cuts and trim.
Double-weave
Heavyweight cotton weave used in Judo gi jackets. Roughly 950 GSM. Stiffer and more grip-resistant than single-weave; preferred for IJF competition.

E

Embroidery
Sewn-thread logo, typically 6,000–12,000 stitches for a brand mark. The most common branding method on boxing-glove cuffs and rash-guard chest panels.
EVA foam
Ethylene-vinyl acetate. Lightweight closed-cell foam used in shin guards, head guards, and budget boxing-glove backing. Cheaper than IMF but lower energy absorption.
EXW
Ex Works (Incoterms 2020). Buyer collects from the factory door — Sialkot in our case. Cheapest Incoterm; buyer arranges everything else.

F

FCL
Full Container Load. A 20-foot or 40-foot ocean container shipped exclusively for one consignee. More economical per piece than LCL above ~12 cubic metres.
FOB
Free On Board (Incoterms 2020). Seller delivers and clears the goods through origin customs onto the vessel at the named port (Karachi for us). Buyer takes risk and cost from the moment the goods cross the ship’s rail.
Focus pad / focus mitt
Hand-held striking target worn by a coach during pad work. Curved or flat face, depending on training style.
Foam padding (glove)
Multi-layer foam structure inside a boxing glove — typically a hard inner core for shape, a softer outer layer for impact, and sometimes a gel layer over the knuckles. Quality of the foam stack is the single biggest driver of glove cost.

G

Gi
The uniform worn in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Karate. Cotton-based, typically with a reinforced collar and sleeve.
Gold weave
Heavyweight cotton weave used in BJJ gis, typically 650–750 GSM. Heavier and stiffer than pearl weave; preferred for cold-weather training and certain competitions.
Grade (leather)
Leather quality classification. Top-grain and full-grain are the two highest grades; “split leather” is the lower layers, used in budget products.
GSM
Grams per square metre — the weight measure for textiles. A 350 GSM rash guard is light and breathable; a 750 GSM gi jacket is competition-heavy.

H

Hand-stitching
Stitching by hand rather than machine. Slower and more expensive but produces stronger, longer-lasting seams on boxing gloves and gis. Sialkot is the world’s largest centre of hand-stitched sports goods.
Hand wraps
Long cotton or cotton-elastic strips worn under boxing and MMA gloves to support the wrist and protect the knuckles. Standard lengths: 108″, 120″, 180″.
Headguard / head gear
Padded helmet worn for sparring and amateur competition. Categories: open-face (most amateur boxing), full-face / cheeks (kickboxing), and Mexican-style (extra cheek and chin coverage).
Honeycomb weave
Specialty cotton weave used in some BJJ gis. Lighter than pearl weave at the same nominal GSM; less common but valued for hot climates.

I

IBJJF
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Sets gi-weight, sleeve-length, and patch-placement rules for sanctioned competition.
IFMA
International Federation of Muaythai Associations. Governs amateur Muay Thai globally; specifies glove ounces by weight class.
IJF
International Judo Federation. Specifies the cut and weight of the gi for sanctioned Judo competition.
IMF foam
Injected Moulded Foam. Multi-density polyurethane foam injected into the glove cavity, then cured. More expensive than layered foam but more consistent shape and energy absorption.
Incoterms
International Commercial Terms. Three-letter codes (EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP, etc.) defining who pays, who insures, and where risk transfers in international trade.

J

Junior glove
Boxing glove built on a smaller last (mould) for children’s hands. Sizes 4 oz and 6 oz are typical. Junior gloves have shorter wrist columns than adult gloves of the same ounce.

K

Kata gi
Lightweight Karate gi cut for kata (forms practice). Lighter and looser than a kumite (sparring) gi to allow snapping movement.
Kumite gi
Heavier Karate gi cut for sparring. Better grip and durability than a kata gi.

L

Lace closure
Traditional boxing-glove fastening — leather laces tied through eyelets along the back of the wrist. Requires a partner to lace; preferred for pro fights because it gives a tighter, more uniform wrist fit.
Last (glove)
The hand-shaped mould used to build a boxing glove. Junior and adult lasts are different shapes; pro and training lasts can also vary.
LCL
Less than Container Load. Sea freight option where your shipment shares a container with other consignees. Cheaper than FCL for orders below ~12 cubic metres.
Lever buckle
Cam-lever buckle on a weightlifting belt — clamps shut and releases instantly. Preferred for powerlifting; requires factory sizing because buckles are not adjustable.
Letter of Credit (LC)
Payment instrument where the buyer’s bank guarantees payment to the seller on presentation of shipping documents. Common for first-time buyers placing FCL-size orders.

M

Maya-Hide
Common Sialkot industry name for a premium synthetic leather widely used as an alternative to cowhide. Closer hand-feel to real leather than standard PU; more durable than cheap PU.
MOQ
Minimum Order Quantity. The smallest production run a manufacturer will accept. Most Sialkot factories run MOQ at 50–100 pieces per SKU per size/material combination.
Mexican-style wraps
Hand wraps mixing cotton with stretch (typically 5–10% elastane), allowing a tighter fit. Industry term, not specifically Mexican.
MPN
Manufacturer Part Number. The internal SKU. Required field in Google Shopping product schema.

N

Net 30
Payment term — invoice payable 30 days after invoice date. Sometimes offered to repeat buyers after a track record.
Nylon (belt / wrap)
Synthetic webbing material used in entry-level weightlifting belts and wrist supports. Lightweight and washable; less stiff than leather.

O

OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer. The factory that produces a product to a buyer’s full specification, including custom design, branding, and packaging. Distinct from private label, which uses the factory’s existing design with custom logos.
Open-palm glove
MMA-style glove with no enclosed palm — fingers visible. Allows grappling and ground striking that closed-palm boxing gloves cannot.

P

Pearl weave
The most common cotton weave for BJJ gi jackets. Smooth on the inside, textured on the outside. Sold in 350 GSM (light competition), 450 GSM (standard), and 550 GSM (heavyweight).
PFI
Pro Forma Invoice. Pre-shipment invoice issued by the seller showing line items, prices, lead time, and Incoterms. Becomes binding on both parties when the buyer pays a deposit against it.
PO
Purchase Order. Formal buyer document committing to a quantity at a price. Some buyers issue a PO as the trigger for the PFI; others sign the PFI directly.
Polyester satin
Smooth-finished 100% polyester woven fabric used in MMA fight shorts. Holds dye well for sublimation print; resists tearing during ground work.
Private label
The factory’s existing product produced with the buyer’s logo and packaging. Faster and cheaper than full OEM because no new patterns or moulds are made.
Prong buckle
Standard belt buckle with one or two metal prongs. Used on most weightlifting belts; allows multi-position fitting unlike a lever buckle.
PU leather
Polyurethane synthetic leather. Cheaper than cowhide; varies widely in quality. Entry-level boxing gloves and head guards typically use PU.

Q

QC
Quality Control. In-house inspection at multiple stages of production. AQL 2.5 final inspection is the most common B2B specification.

R

Rash guard
Stretch-fit shirt worn under or instead of a gi during BJJ, MMA, and grappling training. Typical fabric: 86% polyester / 14% spandex, 180–320 GSM.
RDX
Sialkot-based fight-gear brand often referenced by buyers. Not affiliated with Oxfit Sports.
Ringside / cuff trim
The padded cuff at the wrist of a boxing glove. Length and stiffness affect wrist support and glove cost.
Ripstop
Reinforced cotton or cotton-poly weave with a small grid pattern that stops tears from spreading. Used in gi trousers and some lightweight gi jackets.
RMA
Return Merchandise Authorisation. The process of formally registering a return shipment so it isn’t refused at origin or destination. See our Return Policy.

S

Sambo
Russian grappling sport. Uses a kurtka (jacket) and shorts; rules and uniforms are distinct from Judo and BJJ.
Single-weave
Lighter cotton weave for Judo and Karate gis — typically 600–700 GSM. Easier break-in and lighter than double-weave; preferred for hot-climate training.
Speed bag
Small leather or synthetic ball mounted to a swivel platform, used to train rhythm and hand speed.
Split leather
The lower layers of a hide after the top-grain has been split off. Cheaper and rougher than top-grain; used in low-cost punching bags and entry-level gloves.
Sublimation
Heat-and-pressure printing process that transfers ink directly into polyester fibres. Allows full-colour, full-coverage printing on rash guards, MMA shorts, and rash leggings without cracking.

T

T/T
Telegraphic Transfer. Bank-to-bank wire transfer. The standard payment method for first-time wholesale orders — typically 30% deposit, 70% before shipment.
Top-grain
The smooth upper layer of a hide after sanding and finishing. Most premium boxing gloves and weightlifting belts use top-grain leather.

V

Vale Tudo
“Anything goes” — Brazilian no-holds-barred fighting style. Vale Tudo shorts are short-cut, polyester satin fight shorts.
Velcro closure
Hook-and-loop wrist closure on boxing and MMA gloves. Easier to put on solo than lace; preferred for training and amateur competition.

W

WAKO
World Association of Kickboxing Organizations. Sets glove specifications for amateur kickboxing.
WBO
World Boxing Organization. One of the four major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing.
World Boxing
The current governing body for amateur boxing globally (formerly AIBA). Sets glove ounce, attached-thumb, and red/blue corner colour rules.
Wrist column
The padded sleeve of a boxing glove that wraps the wrist beyond the hand. Length is one of the most-disputed measurements in OEM specs.
WTF
World Taekwondo (formerly World Taekwondo Federation). Sets uniform and equipment rules for Olympic Taekwondo.

Need a term we missed?

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