The Gi Thread To End All Gi Threads

pimpguzzler

pimpguzzler

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In my opinion, the two main things that most people look for in this forum is information on Gis and Gloves. Thankfully, CalebBeatDown's Glove thread has been made sticky so that all who seek information on the subject can find it easily at the top of the forum. I hope that this will happen to this thread as well so that fellow members can seek the reviews needed to purchase the kimono that is right for them.
So, please tell us all the Gis that you have used, which you love and hate and why, and where you purchased it.

To start off, I own three Gis: an Atama Gold Weave, a Storm Single Weave and a Gameness Gold Weave.
The Gameness is great. Very comfortable and seems to wick sweat away better than the other two brands, eliminating the need for a rash guard at times. i would give this gi a rating of three and a half of five stars since personally, it is a little to flashy for my taste. I prefer simple.

Atama makes, in my opinion, the best Gold weave money can buy. I paid only $95 for mine on sale at Atama's website here. I have seen many reviews complaining of the seam that Atama has on the back of most of their kimonos. I have never had a problem with it personally, but perhaps that is because I wear a rashguard under my gi at almost all times. If you truly have issue with gis having seams on the back, then check out Atamas Gold Weave Mundial model here. Funny thing about this gi is that it has such a thick collar that it seems to give my opponents fits when they attempt gi chokes and the like. Four out of five stars.
And onto my favorite gi of all-time, the Storm Kimono Single Weave. I can't say enough about this gi. The material is soooo strong, but much softer and more comfortable than any other kimono I have ever owned. There is no stiffness to it at all, but just as durable as my iron-clad Atama. Downer is that it has the smallest collar of them all, making it quite easy to grip. But I have turned this around into a positive as when I want to concentrate on gi chokes and other choke defenses, this is the first kimono I grab walking out the door. I love this gi, but alas. . . . I can no longer locate a site that sells them any longer. If anyone finds out where they are available, please let me know. There is a rumor that since Renzo Gracie used to be sponsored by Storm, they renamed them Renzo Kimonos. But I personally do not want to order one of the Renzos to find out so I would be interested as well to see if anyone has had experience with the Renzo Kimono. Happy posting!
 
don't forget links to fightgear and joker reviews.

KF Fighter gis- most under rated

atama, koral can't go wrong with them either
 
I have experience with a number of different gi's, which is good since I sell my own brand at www.warrior-one.com. But I'll just give a review on my two favorites:


Koral Kimono -- Lightweight, strong, and a loose enough cut to be comfortable and stylish. The lapels aren't super thick, but I like that. The pants are denim like and I like the design. Overall you can't go wrong with this one.

Padilla & Sons Kimono -- This was my all-time favorite gi because it had the perfect blend of judo and jiu-jitsu elements. Not overy baggy or too tight, very stylish and yet fairly simple. The stitching is top-notch and I really liked the shark on the tricep. Only problem is that they aren't in business anymore and they also didn't come out with any other colors than white. This kimono is the one that inspired me to come out with my own line and done in a similar way, but with all of the different colors.
 
Have to say with me running an MMA dealership I am the proverbial kid in the toy/candy/sweet shop plus being involved in BJJ since late eighties, I've tried and owned most makes (and I know Ron is the same!) but I have to agree with Naskwon. Gameness is my favourite. Second choice would be Adidas or MKimono don't think any other comes near. There is a new brand about to come into play from Brazil which I am hearing reports about which sounds as though it is going to be up there with the best as well. Needless to say, we'll be carrying it :)
 
Roy out of curiosity since you've been involved since the 80's in BJJ, What's your rank/ Belt?
 
When i started training it was cross training with a Brazilian brown belt called Pedro Alverez back at USC. BJJ was just called JJ then. I swapped him JKD and Wing Chun for some grappling. Only later did it become Gracie/Brazilian JJ. Trained with the guy for about a year or so and then left it alone until 1996 when I organised the first BJJ seminar in the UK (maybe Europe?). I never sought a grade/belt because it was always secondary to my JKD. Always trained in a white belt probably always will.
 
Ron, you surprise me... I thought the Mizuno would be up there??
I like the new NoGi as well. It reminds me of the older Krugans.
Obviously, once we start manufacturing our own gi, that will be my favourite!
 
Is your own Gi going to be that Killa Kimono you had on your site a while back? - looked interesting but i'm pretty much set againsed white Gis now (just cause Blues are easier to keep looking clean) - also was a little pricey IMO.

Anyway I have 4 Gis and they rank

1) Gameness
2) V&M
3) Krugans
4) Some Generic Judo Gi that the pants ripped on.

I've said more about each of them (except the judo one) in other threads.
 
Fightgear UK said:
Ron, you surprise me... I thought the Mizuno would be up there??
I like the new NoGi as well. It reminds me of the older Krugans.
Obviously, once we start manufacturing our own gi, that will be my favourite!
Click to expand...

The Mizuno Jiu-Jitsu is a really nice gi but I think for the money the other gis are better buys.

The Mizuno Judo gis on the other hand are great gis at any cost.
1.Mizuno
2.HCK
3.Dax
4.Fuji
5.Adidas

www.SSFgear.com
 
Terrier:
The Killa was the first prototype. Did we put a price on it??? Ours will be around the
 
For some reason I thought there was like a 140 price on there - but my memory sucks.

If what you say is true that sounds pretty good to me, especially ones with the club logos. - i'll take a look when you've got them in,
 
Atama hands down. If you say anthing else you've never owned one.
 
IMHO, I believe the Koral gi is the best - the fit, material, weave, sturdiness, and collar are tops. I don't prefer the back seam on the Atama and Gameness gi's when rolling on my back. I like to pull guard often and the back seam can rub my spine.

The new Sirus gi's are nice for the price. They are thicker than the Koral, don't have a back seam, and the collar is thick as hell. The fit/cut is not baggy, but its not tight either. There's plenty of shoulder room to maneuver in. Right now they are on sale.

If anything, the new Mundial Atama's with no back seam look interesting. I'm seriously ocnsidering it.

Here's my gi ranking:

1. Koral
2. Sirius
3. Gameness
4. Atama

Finally, I just got an email from MKimonos stating their return. Apparently, they are coming back in 3 weeks with new gi's! If they are anything like or better than their old gi's, then I'm definitely interested in their new stuff. From what I've been told, they are two lines now: new MKimonos and Lutador Amaericanos, with the MKimonos line being their flagship/high end line.
 
my gameness platinum weave is my favorite gi, hands down no contest. the ultra thick collar and soft weave are what put it ahead of all others in my book. very comfy gi to use all the time.

i like my dragao armlock also. my only complaint is that the collar is thin, although it is very stiff. its listed as a double, but this is a very, very light double. the best cut/fit of all my gi's.

my atama double is next on my list. i find it too rough, thick and uncomfortable sometimes...i tend to gravitate towards lighter gi's now.

no name judo gi is last on the list because....well, its a piece of shit.
 
colinm: for light gi's you may want to look at the Vulkan brand made by Koral. Its a single, summer weave and light as hell.
 
I own 2 Krugans gi's and I really like them. I sold one to my friend and I am getting a Rickson Mizuno gi from my gym next week. According to the guys there it's supposed to be much better than the Krugans.
 
I only have a Gameness and a Renzo's one and I'm thinking of selling the gi top away. I am a fan of being able to shrink my gi's so they can feel snug and not too loose. I'll have to get a krugans gi or a hck.
 
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