My 7 year old boy was wearing a traditional Tae Kwon Do style (hogu) chest protector at torunaments. Though he has been sucessful in tournament sparring, I noticed his range of motion was greatly dimished when wearing it.

I found this very protector and purchased it for him.

He much prefers this one over the hogu. It is very clear when watching that his range of motion is not hindered in any way.

As far as protection goes, I gave him a few solid shots, and though he wobbled backwards due to the force, he said it didn't hurt at all....

We are very happy with this protector so far, but he has only used it to spar at home. I will report back after a couple of tournaments if there is any change of opinion.


  

I have now used my Sport Karate Chest protector in classes for about a month. Everything I said about it in my previous review when I first got it, is correct EXCEPT the degree of protection it provides. Being as light weight as it is, it does nothing to deflect the force of well placed hard kicks. There simply is not any impact dispersion since it fits so nice and close to the body and you can feel the full force, especially on the sides. In a recent kicking practice before sparring, we were trading side kicks and round kicks to the chest. Since we had chest gear on our kicks were pretty full force. My partner had a traditional style hard padded protector on while I used my Sport Karate Chest. I was very uncomfortable on the recieving end of the kicks and was pretty bruised up when I got home. So I would like to change my review to point out that it is still good for very light contact sparring or kicking practice, but anything harder is not safe and might give a false sense that you are protected, not only to yourself but to your sparring partners. I am now purchasing a more traditional hard padded protector, for the more full contact sparring and practice drills and will reserve this one for the light contact times, when I don't need the heavier more combersome well padded protectors. Gerry S  

This chest protector is lightweight, yet provides superior protection.



It is both comfortable and cost effective.



I have used it for sparring and kumite with extraordinary results.



I would definitely recommend this product for use by instructors and students alike.



Sensei Edward D. Roberts

Paterson, NJ  

Great design and fit. Caution on selecting the right size if your art does not require the wearing of a traditional Gi, as this will surely alter the vest's effectiveness. Without the Gi, the fit must be snug to the body. If it is too loose, then you will certainly feel the impact of hard punches. Great for light Wing Chun Chi Sao, which is what I use it for primarily. Not recommended for the exchange of full-force punches between adult experts.  

Our Grandson is 9 and this was perfect for him. Made very good. Easy to get on.  

Perfect. bought this for my son for sparring, good protection plus great manuverability. A+++  

Not sure about some of the reviews on here. This guard is a molded composite and not a vinyl dipped or wrapped foam pad. It doesn't have an easy wipe off cover because it's solid molded foam rubber. You just hose it off or wipe it down. It's hard segmented sections are not designed to absorb a kick or punch, but to shield you from hard impacts and transfer the force of the blow across the entire chest piece rather than alowing the hit to affect a small localized area.. It's armor, not padding. If someone was taking hits while wearing this guard that left bruises on their body, then they were engaged in heavy contact. That kind of sparing should be throwing them accross the room and breaking ribs. That kind of sparing requires very specific heavy contact gear. I can't imagine that a Dojo would permit that kind of sparing without the correct safety gear. Someone kicking or hitting the Macho chest guard that hard will be injuring themselves as well. This chest guard is designed for light to medium contact. So for the protection of yourself and your sparing partner, don't use this guard for heavy contact sparing. The guard is light weight, very maneuverable, and wraps around to cover your sides and kidneys. It will deflect sharp strikes from an elbow or knee that would jab right into most other pads. It's very easy to get on and off, and cleans up easy. Only downside I've found is that it smells like rubber.   

Bought this chest guard for my son and he loves it. It is light weight and easy moving. He says it feels less cumbersome than his old one and flexes better yet protects too.  

We received the product in 2 days it fit great and my kid loves it! He says he can not feel when anyone is hitting him and he spars against kids twice his size!! Someone said it does not deflect kicks, we got this because the kids at our karate school wear shoes when sparring, and he has taken a lot of kicks with this, and he swears they do not hurt at all. Maybe my 6 yr old is tougher than some of the other people I don't know but I do know. It was an awesome investment and I highly recommend it.  

I did a lot of research, looking for a chest protector that would be light weight, easy to get on and off by myself, and not inhibit my movements yet still give me good protection. I am extremely happy with my choice of the Macho Sport Karate Chest. If you don't need the competition colors or your schools doesn't require a specific protector, this one is great for general class sparring. Plus as others have commented, it looks way cooler then other protectors.

Gerry S  

Sport Karate Chest is very comfortable, not restrictive at all. It is very easy to put on and I really like the snap closure. Gives very good protection.  

We've been buying Macho products for our son for 5 years, but it is the first time we got a poor quality chest prortector. It is not made in India anymore, but rather in China now. It is much thinner and have a sharp edge cutting into skin.  

After testing this chest protector in simulated combat situation, I do not recommend it for people who larger in chest size. My protector pulled lose on the lower tie down during sparing. This chest protector will work fine for most customers.   

It was very light and looks cool on but the durability comes into question especially at the folds. It does not have the easy to clean vinyl cover most others do. The inside is totally unfinished and the edges are rough.  

This is really lightweight. Feels like you don't have anything on.

No interference during leg chamber. Real easy to slip over the head. Looks great too.