Rooted in our love for the martial arts, our business grew from a vision to raise the level of safety in martial arts training and competition. To do that, we focused on designing and manufacturing equipment that had never been seen before.

It Began in April, 1980.
8th Degree Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster Soo Se Cho recognized a need for more refined designs and better protective features for martial arts sparring gear. With nearly 30 years of martial arts training, Master Cho, and a group of his martial arts students, created Macho’s original line of sparring gear. Even as the first pieces were sent out, hand-dipped experiments were still being done in a cut-off oil drum in a borrowed building.

Master Cho’s vision to raise the level of safety in Martial Arts sparring resulted in more than he could have imagined. Martial Artists from all over the country were seeking Macho gear. It seemed like we grew overnight. We had a hard time keeping up with orders.

Our passion kept us working in cramped conditions and “jumping through hoops” to get product made and shipped. In March of 1981, we moved to what we considered a palatial 7200 sq. ft. building. And much to our surprise, we needed more room just six months later. We had no idea we’d be where we are today – manufacturing more than a million pieces of gear annually in a 70,000 square foot facility. And as it was in the beginning, many of the people involved in the manufacture of Macho’s gear are themselves martial artists.

In 1984, RedMan Came Along.
The bright red protective gear was developed at the request of John Desmedt, who was in search of blunt trauma protection for his Secret Service agents during training. He wanted them to be protected and cushioned, but he also wanted them to feel the force of the blows for more realistic training. From its inception, RedMan has been in a constant state of product evolution; now its 4th generation! Through the years, leading law enforcement expert Gary Klugiewicz – who is now our Director of Training – has worked tirelessly with us to help RedMan become the best and most recognized brand of law enforcement defensive tactics simulation training gear for blunt trauma protection. Now, with the introduction of our Weapon Defense Suit (the WDS), and our new First Line Response Systems duty gear, RedMan continues to push the envelope in product development.