Usually I would put a noob disclaimer at the top of my reviews but I since this is my sixth or seventh review I decided I'm no longer a noob when it comes to this. Hopefully you guys agree.
My Stats:
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 235 lbs (and dropping)
Gi's Stats:
Size: A4
Price: $135.00 (I think this was the price. I couldn't hunt the receipt at the time I wrote this.)
I bought this gi from SSF about a month/month and a half ago. This past week was the first chance I got to roll in it since I have three other gis. I apologize to the people that were looking forward to reading the review in a more timely manner.
First off, here are some pictures of the gi top:
Here's a close up of the collar with a pen next to it to give you an idea of it's size:
Here's a picture of the pants:
And lastly, here's a picture of me in the gi:
Thoughts on the gi top:
- While this is my heaviest gi, the material is still extremely soft. It's not as soft as my Kikskin but it's still comfortable enough where I could easily wear it without a rashguard or t-shirt.
- The collar is ridiculous. Since I've rolled in this thing I haven't been collar choked whereas it was a normal occurrence in my Vulkan. It's so ridiculously thick that it could cause me to get into a few bad habits when it comes to leaving my neck out there but it's nice nonetheless.
- The sleeves' cut is tapered a little more than my other gis and the skirt is nice and short.
- The patch on the back and the one on the front lapel are a bit much. I kind of feel like a walking billboard and I might have to invest in having them professionally removed.
Thoughts on the pants:
- The pants have the rope tie which I love. I wish all pants would start using this as their default tying apparatus.
- The padding on the knees is noticeable but it isn't as thick as my Kikskin pants. I wish the knee pads were a little thicker.
- And again there is another patch on the pants which is very prominent. However, I doubt it would be that big of a deal if the patches on the gi top weren't so big.
Overall Thoughts on the gi:
- The sizing is a small issue for me. The fit as far as weight goes is spot on and I feel like the gi would fit me if I lost 20 pounds or gained 20 pounds. However, my height is almost a little too much for the gi. I called Gameness before I bought the gi and they said to order an A5. I decided against this because I knew I was going to lose weight and I didn't want to be swimming in the gi. As you can see from the picture of me in the gi the pants are a little on the short side and the sleeves are really close to being too short for a tournament. So, the gi could be considered illegal for strict tournament but I doubt I'll have problems in the tournaments I plan to enter.
- I love rolling in this gi. I don't feel like it's a liability like my Vulkan and the heavy fabric is growing on me.
- Overall, I'm happy with this purchase.
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