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Call me a cheapskate if you ant to, but a 10 year old isn't going to be kicking hard enough to warrent buying something that is real heavy duty. Personally, for cost effectibveness, go to WalMart or the thrift store and buy some cheap cushions. I tried the cushions, but they didn't work well. My son is punching and kicking harder than almost everyone his age group (and even 2-3 years older). I think I'm going to go w/ mebbe some ringside punching mitts and the century muay thai kick pads. Any other comments or suggestions?

Hello, My son is 10 years old and is just getting started in martial arts. He's involved in a "mixed" martial arts program based on "practical" self defense. The instructors have recommended using focus targets and muay thai kicking pads. There are quite a few manufacturers out there - and I don't know who makes durable products or to go with leather versus vinyl products. https://www.ringside.com seems to have the focus targets for about 35-65 dollars a pair and kick pads for $70.00 or so. Has anyone heard of Aries, Top Contender, Ultimate Classic, or TKO products? Are these good, durable products? Are there any other sites or manufacturers who I should purchase from? Are these products helpful/necessary for improving skills? I don't want to spend a whole bunch of money, but I don't want to underspend and have a product fall apart either. Plus, does anyone know of any resources for how to use the focus targets properly? Any help would be greatly appreciated!