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.
