Struggling with being too small to fit in gear
I just started muay thai 2 weeks ago. I’m a very small guy, 5’1 and 110 lbs. I fell in love with muay thai the first class I took, but now that I’ve been putting shin guards on, belly pads, gloves. Everything is gigantic.
All the other men at my gym are ex military, 5’10-6’3 and absolute boulders.
I have women at my gym, but even the ones I’ve had in my classes are taller and larger.
I struggle to find people that want to partner up. I partnered up with a woman and she was taller, and she was visibly getting annoyed when the coach told her she had to crotch down to get to my level when she was holding the pads. I accidentally kneed her in the crotch too because I missed the belly pad. Coach pretty much told her she should have listened to him about crouching lower and it could have been avoided, but I felt horrible. He’s supportive of my presence there, but I feel like the other people in my class look at me like I’m a joke.
When I switched over to holding pads, the arm pads took up my entire arm and were digging into the crease of my arm and were loose.
Now I just bought my first pair of gloves, the MDX 14oz, and they take up my entire arm. They go all the way towards the crease of my arm. My hands fit in them, and they feel snug enough, but they’re just so long the wrist support is nowhere near my wrist.
I feel defeated and like I can’t enjoy this in the way I want to. I feel drawn to muay thai, I keep up with the drills, but I feel like I’m a burden to others in the class and won’t ever equally experience it the way others do.
Has anyone experienced this? Is there better suited brands you’d suggest? I attached photos of how my gloves fit. Also any encouragement that this sport has still worked out for you despite the size difference