Tae Kwon Do Reversible Chest Protector Size 1 - Chl

This reversible chest protector by TWMA has a design similar to the Adidas hogu but at a sensible price. Size 1 fits perfectly well my very tall 7 y.o. daughter (54 in./50 lbs) without interfering or limiting leg motion.The protector can be easily donned and doffed with the tying laces in place but loose. Like in all hogu models laced on the back, help is needed to tie the laces securely -- an adjustable strap clip at the laces end for securing the protector would be a design improvement. It offers a degree of shoulder protection over the clavicle and supraclavicular fossa (an extremely vulnerable area of the body to some attacks) and essentially full protection against attacks to the back. The need for the latter protection became clear to us during her first sparring tournament --during which she wore an open-back chest protector bought at her Taekwondo school-- when a red-belt opponent disregarded the referee's command to stop and he kicked her unprotected back.UPDATE: After some time of use, I am extremely happy with the chest protector. It fits her well all around the chest and back, and it is easy to put on and to remove without having to undo all the laces (just loosening them a little allows the protector to slide in and out with the arms raised up). Excellent protection and no complaints or discomfort.UPDATE2: Over several months of demanding use the protector has provided superb protection, particularly when sparring with older boys, who not always control themselves, something that can be an emotional challenge for girls of this age who are interested in learning martial arts. The need for help in dealing with the protector laces --which can be difficult in cases when tight knots have been used, and which produce significant delays when donning, reversing the color, and doffing the protector again in competitive sparring when both participants mistakenly donned the same color-- has been ameliorated by mounting a 1-in. adjustable dual pinch-side release buckle on the laces (see figure). By threading the excess pieces of the laces back on the lacing loops (to allow for room to grow), and pinching the buckles at a point so the protector can loosened enough when the laces are unbuckled, it can now be donned/doffed by sliding it down/up while the laces can be tightened and buckled, or unbuckled and loosened, with no help and quickly.