Need a new Gi and not sure on which to get or size

[Lanky0]

Basically I have a cheap black Gi at the moment and I want to get a lighter one and want it to be blue.

First off I am the U.K and I have been looking around the internet for blue Gi's and am quite unsure of the disadvantages (if any) of getting a lightweight Gi. I have seen a Bad Boy Gi (Bad Boy Standard BJJ Gi Blue - Performance MMA) which I really like the look of but it is not lightweight but its still very nice, the thing is I can only find it on US websites so the shipping is quite expensive to england.

Could anybody recommend me a different Gi around the same price?


I am 6ft 7 inches tall and weigh around 160-170 pounds, so as you can imagine I am very lanky/tall and am quite unsure of what size to get and how much it will shrink etc.



Help is very much appreciated!!

 

[pauljr1121]

What is the gi for? A striking art or a grappling art? If you're grappling you want a heavier gi (BJJ, Judo, etc.) so that it withstands the constant ripping and tugging it will be exposed to. If you partaking in a striking art (TKD, karate, etc.) a lighter gi will afford you greater movement and mobility.

 

[Lanky0]

It will be for just pure BJJ, no striking.

 

[ohmalley]

weight of the gi typically comes down to preference. the heavier gis will probably last longer before they rip, but either heavy or light will last you several years at least. point is, get whichever one you can afford and like best. at this point in your career the differences between them won't be very obvious. it's only thru trial and error that you get a feel for this stuff.

your biggest challenge will be finding one to fit you. you're at the top of an A5 in height and at the bottom of the A2 for weight. that's quite a gap. an A5 will probably fit you in length (tho at 6'7" it may still be on the short side), but you're probably gonna swim in it otherwise. i'm guessing it'll wrap around you 2+ times! honestly, when most ppl ask this question i tell them to just dive in and get whatver, because you only learn what works for your body by trying them out. but with your proportions i think it may be worth it to you to invest in something custom. ouano.com offers custom gis, tho i'm not sure what they charge. fushida.ca and shoyoroll offer sizing that caters to tall skinny guys, so check them out as well. redstar does free alterations, but i don't know if that'll cover the height/weight gap for you. the original lucky's, OTM and KF gis seem to cater to skinnier guys. toraki.com also offers sizing that caters to skinnier guys, and it appears they have locations in europe. i coulda sworn they did custom size gis but i couldn't find the link on their site. it's worth giving them a call.

sorry, i know not many of my suggestion are based in europe. i know the shipping with be costly, but i think it might be worth it to find a good-fitting gi.

good luck!

 

[nykayfabe]

I can attest that Redstar does a nice job tailoring their gis for tall, lanky guys. They made one for someone I know who is 6'4", 180 lbs and it fits him perfectly.

 

[Lanky0]

I really like the shoyoroll gis and heard they do custom sizes but their website says they are sold out of all of their gis

I think i have to buy a custom fitted gi so dont think i can buy the bad boy one...

 

[ohmalley]

lanky, if you want a shoyoroll you need to keep an eye out on these forums for notification of the preorder. they're produced in limited batches and sell out pretty quickly. you can rest assured that as soon as the preorder is announced there'll be a big hullaballoo around here. you can also get on vince's email list, and he'll shoot you an email when the presale date is set. his email is [email protected].

in the mean time, however, i'd definitely get in touch with ouano, redstar, and fushida. they seem to be your best bet for getting custom or near-custom fit gis.

 

[Lanky0]

Ok thanks for that, I just asked vince if i can be set up to the email list, the thing is with the custom gis I dont really like the look of them much which is annoying, do shoyoroll do custom fits that may fit me?

 

[ohmalley]

Ok thanks for that, I just asked vince if i can be set up to the email list, the thing is with the custom gis I dont really like the look of them much which is annoying, do shoyoroll do custom fits that may fit me?

they offer some slim sizing (ie, A3, A3S, etc), but nothing actually custom. at least, not that i know. your best bet is to contact the companies directly, give them your measurements, and ask them questions. fushida has incredible customer service. their gis are pretty plain. if you don't like their patches you can rip them off, and then decorate it per your own taste (school patches, band patches, whatever floats your boat).

you'll have to do a bit more work than most of us to find a gi that fits, but i also think finding a good-fitting gi when you have an atypical body type counts for even more. the work is worth it.

alright, time for me to get off the damn computer and actually train!

good luck!