Female chest protection for karate?

[Elizabeth]

Are there any female martial artists here who can recommend a chest protection product that I can use during sparring and bunkai? Thanks!

I've checked old threads for suggestions but they are VERY old and I don't know if something better might be out there. So far I'm leaning toward this but I'm not sure about sizing or quality and this site has a limited return policy.

Edited to add...I've just found "Turtle Shells" - anyone have experience with those? http://www.turtle-shells.com/

[Slayer2004]

Hi Elizabeth

If you are happy to accept some advice from a man lol, I have a few female students who have used the following and have all said that it is comfy and does the job well.

These are the inserts

http://www.blitzsport.com/Korpertech-Female-Cool-Guard-Inserts-Only?sc=9&category=30303

and this is the sports bra to hold them

http://www.blitzsport.com/Korpertech-Female-Cool-Guard-Sports-Bra-Only?sc=9&category=30303

I hope this is of help.

Regards

Andy

[Elizabeth]

I am quite happy to accept advice from anyone, lol - sorry if my initial post suggested otherwise!

Thanks for the links! I'll check them out.

Edited to add - ah, yes, I saw those mentioned (with praise) in one of the old threads, but didn't see any US sellers of them.

[IcemanSK]

Try this Elizabeth:

http://store.titleboxing.com/womens-chest-protectors.html

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for the input, guys. I've ordered some Turtle Shells and hopefully they will do the job!

[JohnASE]

I'm late to this thread, but I'll throw in my 2¢.

It's kinda funny that Elizabeth's "this" link was to Cool Guard, Slayer2004's link was to Cool Guard, and IcemanSK's link included a "Super Chest Guard" which is a Cool Guard with thicker inserts. I guess people like them!

I also recommend Cool Guard. We've carried them for a few years or so. Most of our customers find them more comfortable than typical turtle shell types. They also like that they wrap around the sides a bit. They're more expensive than most turtle shells, but our customers think they're worth it.

Oh, and one more thing. With these types of products, fit is important. If the inserts are too big, the edges can dig into you uncomfortably. If they're too small, they might not be able to adequately disperse impact.

[Elizabeth]

Hi John,

Yeah, that was one of the problems I encountered when trying to choose something - most sites that carried them had a very limited return policy and next to no information about size, so it felt like a shot in the dark.

However, I've received my Turtle Shells gear which seems to fit, and I'll try it out at my classes this week and see if - in particular - it helps me be a bit less cautious about practicing choke escapes with a 16-year old male - one of the escapes seems to trap the attacker's hand against my chest! Having some sort of protection in place will probably make things easier for both of us.

[FranH]

Hi there

This is the Chest Protector I wear.

http://www.kamikazeweb.com/index.php?action=article_detailed&id=00058&type=cesta