A protective uniform for a high-risk or high-impact activity or sport has a rear rigid shell, an artificial spine which may articulate at two sections attached to the shell, and a damper mechanism between the shell and artificial spine. In addition, the artificial spine may be attached to conventional or modified back and hip pads and/or a harness such as worn by rappellers or skydivers. The shell preferably extends from the wearer's head to the tailbone and across the back. The top portion of the shell together with side shields and a face shield form a protective enclosure for the head, inside of which a conventional helmet may be worn. The side shields preferably are movably connected to the rigid shell and are also connected to conventional or modified shoulder pads. The artificial spine is preferably formed in three sections, each section being connected to the other by a limited range universal joint to provide a range of motion comparable to the human neck and the human back. Alternatively, the upper section may be fixed to the middle section and the lower section may have a swivel or universal connection to the middle section.