Patent Application
20200038730
The present invention relates to a portable shield/training device made for individuals who practice boxing, martial arts, or any combat sport. The portable shield creates the illusion of actually sparring with someone without having to hold back. It is built just like a human's upper body including a central/abdominal striking area, a resilient neck-like striking area and a head-like striking area that are suitable for body and headshots. This portable shield helps to fix the athlete's distance, timing, accuracy, speed, power, stamina and explosiveness. Not only does it help the athlete that is punching or kicking it, but also helps the strength, reflexes, speed, and stamina of the holder. As an athlete trained in Taekwondo and kickboxing since 1985 and coaching students in my own Taekwondo School, I saw the need for a more realistic way to train my students in preparation for tournaments that required a more non-conventional way of training. I observed that with a stationary punching bag, my students were not learning and building their own combat strategy simply because a punching bag does not have the same movements and counter-movements that an opponent in a ring, or a tournament would have. It is easy to kick and punch an object that does not move. It is different and quite difficult to hit a moving target. This is the reason why I came up with my invention. The portable shield/opponent simulates a real person's movements because it is modeled after a real combatant. The device looks like a real person, even wearing a chest guard like a real opponent would so as to help martial arts and boxing students visualize their game/fighting strategy and thus help them build confidence for tournaments all while they train and learn how to defend themselves. The portable shield/opponent will help martial arts, boxing students and fighting arts athletes in general to think, move, react and strike in more realistic combat situations.
State-of-the-art fighting art training equipment typically does not simulate the free movement of the athlete/fighter. For instance, BOB is training equipment currently available in the market. BOB is a kicking dummy very similar to a punching bag with the disadvantage being that it is stationary and does not have the capability to move around like a real person/combatant/opponent would. It does not help the athlete gain a sense of distance, timing, sharpen reflexes, and refine movements.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems present in current fighting arts training equipment by providing a device such as the portable shield/opponent. The portable shield is designed to fulfill any combat sport requirement such as boxing and martial arts. It can assist an athlete to gain a sense of the distance of a challenger, the timing, reflexes, and accuracy of shots. It also helps with an athlete's speed, power, stamina, and explosiveness of kicks and punches. Most of all, it will aid the athlete in planning his/her fight strategy while engaged in the combat.
The portable shield not only helps the athlete with kicking and punching but also helps the holder as well. The holder (person carrying the portable shield) gets to build his/her strength, reflexes, speed and stamina. These benefits are not demonstrated with the other devices currently on the market such as punching bags and BOB.
The portable shield can be used by athletes who box, do martial arts or any combat sport. The portable shield has a round body “central striking area” that wraps around the holder's rib cage. On top of the body are a neck and a head attached. The head and neck are sturdy enough to take a full-blown head shot without breaking. The neck moves and bounces back into place just like a human's neck. To attach the portable shield onto the holder, Velcro belts “straps assembly” are provided and crisscrossed against the holders back.
The portable shield has a thick cushion on its back, which is placed on the holder's chest to prevent the head of the device/portable shield slamming against the holders face. This cushion also helps level the portable shield onto the holder's body regardless of his/her body type.
The interior of the portable shield device preferably consists of a metal frame structure (aluminum and steel) with a spring that works as the backbone of the whole invention. The interior frame structure is not limited to be made of metal but can be made of other suitable materials, like plastic, wood, composite materials and other commercially available materials. Over the interior frame structure is foam/padding material and multiple layers of chest protectors/padding that are soft enough to keep the athlete from injuring him/herself. On the back of the interior frame structure also there is foam/padding material that is used to absorb the impact against the holder. The head of the Opponent is sturdy due to the fact that there is a two-inch-thick spring that is holding up the head frame structure. This head frame structure is covered in thick foam/padding material and it has a helmet “head guard” on top to keep the athlete from getting injured, Attached to the shoulder area of the Opponent are two handles “holding arms” that are used by the holder to push out the shield and to better steer it. These handles are shielded by thick pieces of foam/padding material to avoid the athlete kicking or punching them and it also protects the holder's hands from getting hit.
The interior frame structure comprises a head frame structure, a spring frame structure “spring”, a chest frame structure, a holding arms frame structure, a spine frame structure, abdomen frame structure and a lower abdomen frame structure. The head frame structure is wrapped with protection foam/padding material to form a head-like striking area, wherein the spring is wrapped with padding material to form a resilient neck-like striking area; the holding arms frame structure is wrapped with a protection foam/padding material. The chest frame structure, the spine frame structure, the abdomen frame structure and the lower abdomen frame structure are all wrapped with protection foam/padding material to form a central striking area, wherein holding arms are connected to the chest frame structure. The head frame structure, the spring neck structure, the chest frame structure, the holding arms frame structure, the spine frame structure, the abdomen frame structure and a lower abdomen frame structure are connected to each other via welding and/or bolts or any other suitable fastening mechanism may be used.
The chest guard, head guard and the neck guard are interchangeable to different length sizes so that regardless of the height of the athlete or which sport the athlete engages in, he/she will be able to use the portable shield device with the chest/head/neck guard that corresponds with that sport or height of athlete. The padding layers of the chest guard, head guard and the neck guard is also removable/interchangeable so the athlete may change how soft or hard they want the portable shield device to be.
The portable shield weighs about 9 kilograms. This weight helps the holder build his/her strength and stamina. This weight also helps absorb the impact of the kicks and punches of the athlete.
The best part of the portable shield device is that a lightweight athlete can move around with a heavier weight athlete for a sense of distance, timing, and reflexes without getting injured.
The portable shield device helps the athlete use his/her judgment when sparring. The athlete must use their judgment for distance, timing, power, and technique. No one has to coach the athlete on which technique or strike to use. It is the athlete's responsibility to figure out how to attack or counter attack depending on the situation at hand.
The shield device may be mounted on a special, iron-made stand. This stand will act as a replacement if the athlete does not have a holder. There are also attachable and detachable arms and legs that can be mounted to the shield device to give the athlete more of the sense of fighting a real life person.
The portable shield device may include a data collection/transmission control unit configured to gather information during each training session. The collected information by the data collection/transmission control unit can be downloaded to a user's/athlete's smart phone. The data collection/transmission unit can measure the duration time of each training session, athlete's heart rate, how many calories were burned by the athlete, rhythm, the power and speed of kicks and punches among other parameters. The data collection/transmission control unit also includes a timer that the athlete can use to time his/her rounds.
The description is not intended to be limiting, it is made solely for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, where like numerals refer to like parts or elements, there is shown in
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
