Century was founded in 1976. Although they were on the small side then (just one man working out of his garage) they have since grown into the worldwide leader in martial arts equipment. Along the way, Century has been responsible for some major innovations within the industry.

One of the reasons why Century is so passionate about what they do is that many of their employees are themselves martial artists. Founder, Mike Dillard, won two Karate National Championships during his time as a competitor. Some Century employees own or instruct at martial arts schools, or spend their after-work hours and weekends competing and training.