I'm not too big on free standing punching bags but the BOB is something special, a separate class all it's own. The rubber skin more closely emulates punching a real person than a regular heavy bag. It is comfortable to strike for long periods of time without requiring hand protection yet holds up to serious abuse from fists, feet, elbows, knees, or whatever you want to hit it with. Furthermore, the human-like shape really facilitates targeting. If you are purely a traditionalist you'll probably want a makiwara (striking post). If you're willing to embrace the best in a modern training tool, however, this mannequin bag makes a great investment. There are some really good BOB workouts in books like Loren Christensen's "Solo Training 2: The Martial Artist's Guide to Building the Core for Stronger, Faster and More Effective Grappling, Kicking and Punching." This is a fantastic training tool for any martial artist. 5 stars

I didn't give this a 5 only because it doesn't hold enough water weight to stand still, but most free standing bags don't. Other than that the 6 height adjustments are great to practice different angling of techniques for different heights of opponents. And of course having a throat, face, ribs, solar plexus, etc. is excellent for practicing techniques, especially for martial arts like kenpo and wing chun. If you shop around you can probably find it closer to $200, but up to $300 is worth it if you're serious about training. 4 stars

Okay, I'm not sure how many of you out there that are reading this are familiar with martial arts or working out, but I have used both this BOB and a typical kick/punch bag, and the difference is stark. This item is worth every penny.

I love it, love it, love it. Not a single complaint. 5 stars

Bob is a good target to punch.

Because Bob's got eyes, nose, ears, neck etc. he's great for practicing high kicks to the throat or moves where you're learning to hit a specific body part. 5 stars

If you like to work out and need to get out some aggression than this thing is perfect for you! I had to buy some gloves as it was hurting my hands to punch with bare hands. The only problem I have is that it is currently filled with water and on carpet it's just not heavy enough so "Bob" keeps trying to escape from me into the corner!
It's great though...makes my workout more fun. 4 stars