Sparring BOB - Body Opponent Bag Review

Tis' the season to... get new stuff to punch.

For Christmas, my wife was nice enough to purchase a Sparring BOB (Body Opponent Bag). For those who don't know a BOB is basically a full-sized, lifelike mannequin that you can practice on.

It's perfect for Martial Arts training where you can practice everything from sparring techniques to target training. From what I have seen online, Karate Joe's (same place where my wife picked mine up) seems to have the best price for this at $219.99. Expect to pay $30 to $100 or more for the same thing at other online Martial Arts sites.

Photo of The Sparring BOB (Body Opponent Bag)

I've only owned it for a couple days now and am already feeling like my hits are harder while also improving my stamina.

The body is made up of a pliable rubber that can stand up to really anything. An adjustable Wavemaster base that can be filled with either water or sand. I've read that it can weight in at around 270 lbs. once you fill it. I chose water to fill mine for now because, quite frankly, I have no idea where I can get sand during the winter.

A couple things to note: 

• Take care of the base and don't move the BOB much once you have it filled. We have a ton of generic Wavemaster punching bags at my karate dojo and we move them around almost every class. I have had a couple of the bases start to develop a slow leak over time. So just figure out where you want your BOB and leave it there.
• I heard that the newer BOBs have a more pliable plastic surface then the older models. If you are buying one of these used then keep that in mind.
• You can take the BOB top part off and use it separately for MMA training. Put 'him' on the ground and work on your punches, knees and elbow shots. BOB can handle it.

Finally, here's a great video I found of Boneco de Pancada giving BOB the business.


All in all, I would highly recommend picking a BOB up. It is a great way to train when you are not training at the dojo. If you are the proud owner of a BOB yourself then I encourage you to leave a comment below and share your thoughts of the product. I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael