Possibly the largest manufacturer and distributor of martial arts equipment in the world. Founded by Mike Dillard in Oklahoma City in 1976 the company started out producing budget karate gis for the fast growing martket of commercial karate school that would enroll new students and sell them uniforms while they sign up.
Century grew from a uniform company into a large whole sale enterprise that would soon develop their own gym equipment like a waterfilled heavybag, standing bags and most famously their standing man-sized rubber torsos named “Bob.”
Century has always hired the best known martial arts fighters to present their equiment in advertising. Chuck Norris for uniforms, Cathy Long for stretching machines, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace and a few more.
For the past 2 decades Century has established distribution in Europe and started supporting various amateur fighting sports organizations and event promoters. Their most recent addition was the aquisition of Black Belt magazines, the oldest American martial arts magazine that is still in print.