The TopTen Kick & Punch Target is an uniquely designed focus pad for fighting sports produced out of one molded piece of Bayflex polyurethane. Its target surface combines front, back and edges, making it an universal pad for a combination of strikes from different angles. Since 1983 the item is manufactured in Germany. It is know for lasting decades without breaking.

The Material:  Bayflex
Bayflex polyurethane is best known from its use in TopTen headguards worn in amateur kickboxing and Taekwondo. It was also used in amateur Olympic boxing for several years. Bayflex is extremely stress resistant and durable. During its production in a single temperature controlled mold Bayflex produces a highly shock absorbent core with a sealed surface. The sealed surface protects against moisture penetration thus avoiding breaks and typical tear and wear observed in materials like vinyl, cloth or leather. The material is produced and patented by Bayer Leverkusen, one of the leading high-tech companies in Germany.

The Design: Single hand held multi angle
The design was engineered by Georg F. Brueckner, a former German fighting sports pioneer and instructor who has promoted karate, taekwondo, kickboxing and amateur boxing. His target was an upstream development of the Jhoon Rhee Target, the first double-sided pad for taekwondo and karate made from a latex-based dip-foam. In addition to front and back the TopTen target also utilizes the strongly padded, curbed edges as target areas that come in handy for back-knuckles, ridge hands and axe kicks. The target can be used single handed, but is best utilized in pairs of two. When both hands are covered with targets and placed in front of the trainer’s body they can serve as a kicking shield or body protector.

Resources:
Original Patent: 1980 European Patent for TopTen Target
Supplier: TopTen Target at Fighters Inc, USA