What gi should i buy

Then I moved to a bigger city where the classes were given in the gi. In this article I will try to show you what have in mind while purchasing your first dream gi.

At the beginning you need to know what your kimono will be for. Do you want to have a long lasting one, or maybe you want to have a fancy new gi with cool patches that everybody will envy in the gym, anyway you have to set a budget.

You have to count the cost of the gi, the shipping and the cost of the belt. I will describe the difference between choosing a gi for training and for competition.

If you want to train and go to tournaments in your new gi the first thing is to choose the right color. Ibjjf tournaments have specific rules for the color of the kimono you can start in. There are only three admissible colors: white, blue and black. Also if you want to place your academy patch, you will have to do it in the right spot. Buying a gi to compete is one thing, but you can also purchase one just for training. The color options gets really wide, from blood-red to blue camo to hide in a blue forest.

There are hundreds different looking kimonos with signature graphics from bjj-environment artists. But what you have to know about the colours is they get washed up a little bit after many training sessions, and washes. The other factor to consider when deciding what color gi to buy is the possibility of fading. Most modern gis will generally not fade noticeably, but over several years the color will not look the same as it did when you first bought it.

Properly wash and dry your gi to avoid unnecessary fading or staining. Always check the care instructions for your gi before washing it, as each manufacturer will know how to care for their product best.

The exact answer depends on how often you train in the gi each week, what days your gi classes are on, and how often you want to compete. The general rule of thumb is that you should have a clean and dry gi for every training session.

If your training days are consecutive e. This helps you avoid situations where your gi might not be dry enough for the second training session. If you train in the gi with a full day between each session e. If you can stretch your budget, it still makes sense to have a second gi as a backup in case you have a week of rain. Having a gi solely for competition also has another benefit if you choose a lightweight competition gi. The last time we counted, there were over different gi brands operating around the world.

Many brands use the same materials and fabric weaves to make their gis, and quality is generally similar between major brands. This means that the best gi brand is largely a matter of preference and comfort. Tatami was founded in in South Wales to make high quality gis at affordable prices. Today Tatami sends its gis around the world, and has a full range of BJJ gis for men, women and children at budget, mid-tier and premium prices.

It also makes no gi gear, leisurewear, accessories and judo gis. Tatami is well known for its premium Estilo gi, which is a cotton pearl weave gi available in a range of size and colour combinations. Frank was instrumental in getting judo recognized and included in the Olympics. Some of its most popular gis include the Suparaito, which is a light competition gi, and the Sekai 2. It sells a number of different gis including budget, premium and lightweight gis, in a range of colors.

Shoyoroll was founded by Vince Quitugua in Los Angeles and started out as a t-shirt company. Hyperfly was officially founded in , after starting out as a family-run business making gis for the Ribeiro University of Jiu Jitsu in San Diego.

Now it ships its gis around the world, and sells no gi gear and training accessories like training bags. One of its most popular gis is the Hyperlyte 2. Hyperfly also creates innovative gis like the recently launched StarLyte. This is a super light gi made from a ripstop-like material which is not legal for IBJJF competitions, but is excellent for travelling or training in warmer climates. Venum is a French fightwear company with Brazilian and Thai roots.

It started out as an ecommerce store called Dragon Bleu in selling martial arts supplies, and quickly grew into the powerhouse that it is today. Venum today sells a full range of BJJ gis for training and competition. One of its popular gis is the Contender Evo, a light weight gi available in a range of colors with great value for money. Origin is an apparel and sports goods company founded by the co-creator of BJJweekly.

Origin gis are made in the USA, and feature many innovations in both fabric and technologies like the SwivelLoc belt system which is an optional replacement to the usual drawstring most gis have. Its current flagship gi is the RIFT. It features innovations in the yarn, fabric weave and more. Hayabusa is a Canadian and US-based martial arts supply company founded in Its popular gis include the Lightweight, which is an all-round gi with a GSM pearl weave jacket, and the Goorudo 3, a heavier gi designed to stand the punishment of long training sessions.

Kingz Kimonos is based in San Diego, California, and was founded in Popular Kingz gis include the Classic 3. Scramble sells a range of premium BJJ gis and gear including no gi clothing and casual wear.

Its BJJ gis are popular and some are even customisable with different patch kits. Koral was founded by BJJ black belt Victor Costa and his brother in , and has since grown to be a popular gi brand around the world. Its Hemp Series gi is fully made from hemp, and has a gsm jacket and gsm pants.

Flow Kimonos also has a range of cotton gis including the heavier Pro Series, and the lighter Alpine and Air gis. Gold BJJ is another popular gi brand which sells two gi types. The Calavera is made from a tough gsm gold weave with 10 oz ripstop pants and is designed for everyday training.

This brand designs kimonos which are less baggy and longer, for those who are thinner and taller than the average. Other premium gi manufacturers like Origin will let you select an independent pants waist size and inseam length so you can fully customise your pants to fit longer legs. Many brands now make BJJ gi sizes specifically for those with heavier builds.

Some gi brands like Origin even allow you to customize your pants waist size and inseam length to suit your leg size and length, and then pick whatever jacket size you like. Here are some to check out:. Another thing to consider is the material or weave that the GI is made from. Some materials will hardly shrink after being washed whereas other materials will shrink loads! As a rule of thumb pearl weaves will shrink less than gold or single weave. The reason this is important when choosing a size is that with a pearl weave you could choose the A1 with the above stats as the GI would hardly shrink whereas if you bought a gold weave you might be better going with an A2 and shrinking to fit.

Tall skinny guys seem to find it hard when trying to get a decent fit from a GI. With their long limbs and slim body, they normally have a choice between having a GI that fits well in the body and has short sleeves and trouser or has the length right and has it too baggy in the body. Like tall skinny guys, big guys tend to find it hard to get a decent fit although they have the opposite problem to the skinny guys.

They can normally get a GI to fit in the body, but the sleeves and trousers are normally too long. This is where they have the advantage.

They should go for a size that fits well in the body and then shrink the GI so that it brings down the extra length. Like we mentioned above, some GIs shrink more than others so depending on how much the length needs to shrink it might be worth considering the type of weave when choosing your next GI.

Some companies us included offer slim, tailored or comp fit GIs. All our GIs are slimmer fitting than most other brands as we feel this gives a better fit than some of the classic or original GI fits which can be baggier and ill-fitting. This gives the user every possible advantage when competing as it gives your opponent less to grab hold off or take a decent grip.

When sizing for an IBJJF legal GI the main things to consider are the sleeve and trouser lengths, cuff widths and the jacket skirt length. There are other GI requirements for IBJJF tournaments but in this article, we will only be focusing on the ones that pertain to the sizing. They are:. We hope that this article helps you when you are next trying to work out which size of BJJ GI to pick. The above is the best advice we can give someone when trying to choose the correct size without first knowing their height and weight.