Gi Review: Do or Die Hyperfly Gi

Summary
A great all round gi that fits very well, is minimally but coolly styled and is reasonably light weight. Priced at around $168 (US) or £129.99 (UK) it's arguably a degree more expensive than other brands with equally good quality build, fit and feel but this gi should last a long time.

Disclosure: I was sent this gi by UK fightwear store www.mmaapparel.co.uk
I am hired by dozens of fightwear companies as a freelance illustrator and designer - I have worked with both MMAApparel and Do or Die in the past though not in connection with this product.

Introduction
These days it seems barely a day goes by when there isn't two or three funky new fightwear brands popping up on the radar. Do or Die caught my eye with their outrageously bold claim: "the Hyperfly is the world's perfect GI. The Hyperfly weave is the strongest weave in the world but still the lightest and softest."
Even in today's world of marketing spin and hyperbole, stating that ones gi is the World's perfect gi, seems a touch too much to believe...so of course I had to find out if this was true....

Size, Stats, Shrinkage and Other Info for A1

Sizes in centimetres brand new v three 40 degree washes
A: 164cm / 158cm
B: 76cm / 75cm
C: 59cm / 59cm
D: 16cm / 15.5cm
E: 52cm / 51cm
F: 98cm / 94cm
G: 22cm / 21cm
Jacket Weight = 0.9Kg
Trouser Weight = 0.5Kg
My stats: Height 167cm, Weight 59Kg
Made in: Pakistan
Price: $168 (USA) / £129.99 (UK)
Website: http://www.doordie.com/

With a wingspan of 158centimetres wide, the Hyperfly has pleasingly long arms which suit my monkey long arms perfectly. This length puts it in line with models such as the Tatami Fightwear Estilo, Kingz Kinonos and Gameness Elite. Many A1 gis in the past have measured much shorter than that. Torso length at 75cm and width at 59cm are perfectly average for the majority of A1 gis and fit me very well. The trouser length hits the sweet spot for me, measuring 94cm - comparable to the Estilo for example (96cm), or the Bull Terrier Limited Edition (94cm). Brands that measure around the 90 centimetre mark - eg Ronin Insignia (91cm) or the Kingz Kimonos (89-91cm) or shorter are less appealing for my personal dimensions.

Overall the Hyperfly is cut perfectly for me and weighing just 1.4Kg  puts it in among some of the lighter gis on the market, such as the Zero G, Vulkan Pro Light and Koral Light.

Jacket
The website blurb describes the jacket as being made from 'Hyperfly weave'. From what I can tell, the fabric looks like pretty much every other pearl weave gi I have reviewed in the past. It starts off stiff when new and gradually softens a little after several washes. Although quite thin and light (450gsm) it stills feels like a very solid piece of material.

The collar is the basic EVA foam that forms the core of most gis on the market and on the Hyperfly, it is covered by twill cotton. The collar has a pleasingly thick and round ended shape to it.


The inside of the jacket features a large patch. I found the edges of this patch very scratchy and doubly so as it is placed just at the bottom of my neck - an area that sometimes hits the mat when I play guard and lift my hips high. Basically it was annoying and unnecessary.

Each sleeves features a simple Do or Die logo embroidered high on the arm. In addition a smaller square patch appears on the left cuff. I like eye catching the silver thread used on these patches.


Curiously, the armpits do not feature a double lined reinforcement patch. I doubt it affects much in the way of long term strength as I have never known a gi to rip in this zone, however it is a noticeable omission compared to most other gis I have sampled.

Side vents, stitch colour and other trim regions are coloured black. The side vents are reinforced with a  triangular patch.


I like how the skirt edge and the cuff edges are reinforced with a simple, yet comfortable twill cotton tape. Some woven logo tapes in previous brands have been uncomfortably scratchy.

Finally, I noted how the chest panel is stitched fairly low down on the torso - roughly navel height. I first noticed this on the Competitor Gi whereas most gis I have tested feature the stitched panel quite high up - roughly nipple height. I have no idea if this affects the cut of the gi as it feels just as well fitted as any other gi (that, um, fits well).


Trousers
The trousers are made from basic twill cotton fabric. These are light, strong and very comfortable. The rope drawstring is much preferred over flat cords and the black belt loops are a nice touch.

The knee region is lined but I feel it is too short. The best gi pants have knee reinforcements that extend all the way down to the ankle cuffs. On the Hyperfly, they only run down just below the patella.

The crotch region features a lycra-type martial gusset panel. It is slightly stretchy and quite thick - much thicker and less stretchy than the lycra gusset found on the Kingz Kimono gis.

The ankle openings are quadruple stitched and lined with twill cotton tape.



Rolling performance and Conclusion
The Hyperfly fitted me perfectly. I expected the gi to feel equally perfect during training and I must admit, it was really a great gi to wear in class. Apart from, that is, the scratchy inner patch around the base of my neck. A quick snip with scissors or a seam ripper should happily deal with that problem, in my case, I reverted to wearing a rashguard, which solved the problem.

I cannot attest to the Hyperfly's bold claims of being the strongest weave in the world - it certainly did not fall apart during the 5-6 sessions in which I wore it. I guess to truly test this I would have to subject the gi to a test against other gis and see which resists beig ripped apart the longest.

Regardless of the bold sales spiel, the Hyperfly is most certainly a fine fitting gi that is very light and super comfortable (as long as you cut out the inside patch), but it is pricey in my opinion and it is up against some stiff competition against other (less expensive) light weight pearl weave gis on the market right now.




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