REVIEW: Keiko Raca Black Limited Edition

Jaguar Tang

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After a year of training with a local brand, I finally decided to save up for a better quality gi. Although the local brand IS pretty sturdy, it was just too hot and rough.

Anyways, for the longest time, i was stuck between getting a Vulcan or a Keiko. Vulcan would be the ideal choice since the Philippines is freakn hot country, but somehow I was also attracted to the sleekness of the Keiko. I checked out the price, and was surprised to see how much cheaper Keiko got. So I decided to just get the Keiko first, and buy the Vulcan when i go to the states.


I'm 5'7 and 165 lbs.
Ordered from: Jiu Jitsu PRO Gear, and got a special order:
A1 Top, and A2 bottom. Thanks to my team mate, I didnt regret it.

You see, the Keiko is actually made for a specific type of body. Most tall and lanky guys would fit perfectly in a Keiko. However, for shorter and stockier guys like me, i think we definitely need a special fit.

Heres the sizing chart:
Size - Height (ft/cm) - Weight (lb/Kg)
A1= 5'3''-5'8''ft /160-168cm. 110-140lb / 50-64Kg
A2= 5'7''-6'0''ft /169-177cm. 141-176lb / 65-80Kg
A3= 5'10"-6'3''ft /178-187cm. 176-209lb / 81-100Kg
A4= 6'2"-6'5''ft /188-195cm. 200-250lb / 95-120Kg

as you can see, i SHOULD be an A2. However, like i said earlier, Keiko is more made for the taller guys. True enough, when i tried my friends A2, it was too long. So i tried the A1, and it fit PERFECTLY. However, i was warned against the A1 pants. I was told that the pants run really tight. So for a while, i was stuck in a dilemma. Should i have my perfectly fitted top, but risk getting pants too tight, or should i take a safer turn, and order an A2. Luckily, Gilberto from jiujitsuprogear helped me out.(thanks btw! ur customer service rocks!)

He allowed me to get a special order with an A1 top, and an A2 bottom, and it fit me PERFECTLY! If you are the short stocky guy, i would def. recommend getting this. However, if you are tall and lanky, just follow the sizing chart and you should be okay.

Anyways, for the product itself.


Heres the summary in case you are too lazy to read:
Pros:
-Very comfortable
-Feels sturdy
-Light
-Looks great
-good price 124.95$

Cons:
-It collects a fair amount of lint
-Noticed white marks, most prob. from the detergent. (still figuring out how to remove this)
-Has a tricky sizing style. (like what most people say, Keiko is for tall guys, so if u are short and stocky, i reccomend getting a special order)


and heres the In-Depth Review:

The Feel
- Although i only really tried on three gi's, i could say the Keiko is probrably one of the most comfortable gi's. In my opinion, probrably 2nd to the Vulcan. The inside feels very comfortable, yet sturdy. The lapel is pretty hard, and in my opinion, doesnt feel too much differnt from the koral.(although the koral is def. stiffer) In addition, it also feels very light.

After one day of washing
- Surprisingly, the shrinkage was actually not noticeable. Probably 1-2 inch at most. As long as you wash it in cold water, and hang it to dry, there shouldnt be too much problems.
- One thing i noticed however, was that it DID collect a fair amount of lint, even though my washing machine is clear of anything.
- for some reason, the detergent stays in some parts of the gi's even after washing it in the washign machine. What i did, was i just put water and rinsed it off. I read somewhere that you should use a liquid detergent for washing your gi, so u dont get this stuff.

After one day of rolling with it
- it feels great. Its light, comfortable and sturdy.
- no rips or anything close to it happened, although it HAS been used once only, so ill give u guys an update soon.
 
pics please..

Thanks for the review...

I'm thinking about getting one of the two GIs you mention above. I'm 5"9 and 170 and was thinking about the A2 size, but your are saying I should look at a special order?
 
The summary is almost the same size as the "in-depth review"

:D
 
pics please..

Thanks for the review...

I'm thinking about getting one of the two GIs you mention above. I'm 5"9 and 170 and was thinking about the A2 size, but your are saying I should look at a special order?

are u lanky or bulky? im guessing ur lanky, looking at ur height and weight, so i would just follow the sizing chart. Unless you have HUGE legs, i think the A2 should fit perfectly, just make sure u HANG to dry ur gi, so it doesnt shrink too much. Lots of people say keiko shrinks a lot, but i duno..didnt really shrink much on mine.

Before u decide wait for my pics, coz the pants MIGHT be too short for you. Keep in mind, im 5'7 and the a2 pants fits pretty good. Perfectly in my standards, but probrably a bit baggy in keikos standard (they like it tight and snug). Crotch area is probrably 2-3 inch baggy, and 2-3 inches too long. So its really up to you if u like it snug or a bit baggy.

If you want a more straightforward decision, i would get the Vulcan, since the sizing is pretty much simple and its pre-shrunk.
 
What's the collar like? Are the sleeves baggy at the openings? How does the weight of the gi compare to others?
 
sleeves are wide, collar are thin.

but overall a light weight kimono
 
I have black Keiko Raca also. Love the gi. Although my roommate actually dried it, it didn't shrink too much to where I can't wear it. One of my best gi's in my collection.

I just currently bought another keiko raca(white) last weekend.
 
i got the white one and other than the sleeves being too wide its my favorite gi..
 
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