11 Aug 2009

Here's a photo slideshow:



All photos by me, but feel free to copy and paste ones you like. Just credit "Meerkatsu" if you print any.

...and here's my full tournament report on the very excellent Fightworks Podcast website.

Excerpt:
"The very first ‘London Open’ held in 2003 was a landmark event – at the time it was one of the very first major BJJ tournaments to be located in London, England. Fast forward to today and the 2009 ‘London Open’, run by Grapplers Showdown, evoked strong memories of that tournament 6 years ago."
byMeerkatsu
in ,
August 11, 2009

More Grapplers Showdown

Here's a photo slideshow: All photos by me, but feel free to copy and paste ones you like. Just credit "Meerkatsu" if you p...
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9 Aug 2009

On Saturday I entered the 2009 London Open run by the Grapplers Showdown crew at the Westway Sports Centre in west London. I wrote a formal report of the tourny for Fightworks Podcast which should publish in the next few days, so I'll save the wider details of the event for you to read there. But here is what happened with my fights...


Super Feather Animals

I turned up at the venue nice and early to find that there were no other rooster (galo - 57.5kg) or super feathers (pluma - 64kg) fighters listed at either adults or masters in my blue belt division. I had no choice but to agree to fight in the featherweight (pena - 70kg) division. I was a bit disappointed as I feared this heavier weight division would be too much for me (I weighed 58.4kg this morning without a gi).

So I just killed time by taking photos and chatting to folk. But after a while I saw one guy in a blue belt who looked my size. His name was Mark Stevenson and I think I've seen him in previous comps, but we've never fought since he is only 21. After a quick chat we both realised we were the same weight so the organisers agreed to let us fight in our own division, thus avoiding the feathers.


Well, as you can see from the video, I was outclassed. Genuinely I was out of my depth as I did not have any control (or grips) from the moment we started. It was a stark lesson on why old men like me should not be fighting 21 year olds! And 21 year olds who are both judo black belts and very very good blue belt BJJers on top! He got me with a RNC that didn't quite choke me, but his forearm was pressing so hard into my jaw that I had to tap.

But something very interesting happened after our fight, and medal presentation (a silver for my troubles). For some reason, the ref asked if we wanted another fight in the weight above?
We both said yes and so I waited, for my next fight...

Bish bash, how to squash a meerkat

Heck, this match was awful for me. I'm not really sure I gained anything out of this other than a real crushing. I did not get subbed, at least I can take comfort from my just-about-capable defending, but man my opponent was just too strong and too fast. Notice the easy foot sweep he gets at the beginning, and at one point, late in the fight, when he stands up and comes storming back to engage - I am bludgeoned into a pulp.


So what about my other pluma conqueror? Well Mark went on to defeat his first pena opponent by 2 points. Nice job but it was close and he was behind for quite a while. Mark's second fight was against my first round opponent. And remarkably, in this final, Mark won by submission (I think a lapel choke) fairly easily - to the shock of the pena crowd, and the delight to his Nova Forca team mates. So, little super feather animal Mark Stephenson, a humble, quiet and almost shy 21 year old blue belt wins gold in both the super feather division AND the featherweight division. An awesome accomplishment.

Team Mill Hill
Dan Strauss blitzed his way with submissions aplenty to win his lightweight blue division. It's high time he gets promoted to purple now.
Big man Salam won bronze in the super heavy whites and Dean lost on points in his divison.
But RGA scored some big wins; Oli Geddes won purple at his weight and in the absolutes. the top four fighters in the blue absolutes were also from RGA. David Khoza, a sometimes visitor to Mill Hill won his division.
Full results by clicking here.

Conclusions
I was pretty gutted after my first fight, and the second fight crushing just added salt into my wounds. I've had time to reflect and listen to wise words from my friends and peers and I don't feel quite so bad now. But losing really sucks. Especially if you lose really badly. I don't mind that I lose if, say, I am hanging in there pretty close and giving it back some - as per my previous competitions - but on this day, I felt like a little wabbit, lost in a scary hole.
It didn't help that Dan Strauss was fighting his final at the same time as me and so I was without corner support. My opponents in both matches had lots of encouragement and technical support from their coaches. I never realised how much having vocal coaching and support from the sidelines can help boost you in times of need. As discussed before about the mental talking that goes on within ones head during a match, mine was less conversation, more blind panic and helplessness. Quite overwhelming really. But I'm not complaining. It was a fun day out and it all adds to the BJJ 'experience-o-meter.'

It's not put me off competing. But I'll probably take a few months off the comp scene to concentrate on my BJJ without the pressure of an impending tournament, then we'll see. I think the Kent Open in November looks like a really good one to attend. Hopefully I'll get a division that suits me more closely than today.


byMeerkatsu
in
August 09, 2009

Grapplers Showdown Gi Challenge London Open 2009

On Saturday I entered the 2009 London Open run by the Grapplers Showdown crew at the Westway Sports Centre in west London. I wrote a formal...
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7 Aug 2009


I find sewing a patch onto my gi a nice way to kill time the night before a comp.
As ever, at tomorrow's Grappler's Showdown, not only will I be competing, but also covering the event with a write-up and photos. Let's hope it's a good day ;)
byMeerkatsu
in ,
August 07, 2009

The Meerkatsu gi patch

I find sewing a patch onto my gi a nice way to kill time the night before a comp. As ever, at tomorrow's Grappler's Showdown, not o...
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6 Aug 2009

I wonder what comedy Austrian television fashion guru Brüno would make of the BJJ fashion scene? What scene? you might say. But if there are people who have money, there will be sparkly things to buy...

The Obi Michi 'street belt' by Faixa Rua

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu keyring
Grappling shorts by Destroyer Fight Gear, featuring BJJ style belt


Backpacks made from BJJ gi fabric, by Vulkan

Beanie hat, by Bad Boy



Rear view mirror car mini gi, by MKimonos




Jiu-Jitsu sandals with belt fabric strapping, by Cobian


byMeerkatsu
in
August 06, 2009

VASSUP! BJJ's must-have fashion accessories

I wonder what comedy Austrian television fashion guru Brüno would make of the BJJ fashion scene? What scene? you might say. But if there are...
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2 Aug 2009


Fellow Pluma fighter Vishal and I travelled from London up to Braulio's GB academy today to attend a seminar by GB black belt Otavio Sousa. It was a great day out and some head spinning BJJ to ponder on...

Otavio is a hugely respected fighter, having medalled numerous times at the Worlds and the Pan Ams. Vishal said he would be good to learn from because although Otavio is very muscley, he is also very short and adapts his techniques accordingly, which suits us small guys.

Otavio spent many years teaching in the UK several years back when Gracie Barra network was just beginning to take place here. He's been back in Brazil for a while, so for many, it was a welcome return to our shores.


Braulio Estima, me, Otavio Sousa
The whole seminar centred around passing the De la Riva (DLR) guard. Otavio showed about half a dozen increasingly technical variations on this and my head was spinning after the second one.

The thing that struck me was how incredibly detailed each grip, hip position, posture and movement had to be to make the techniques work. The variations also built on several 'what ifs', ie what if your opponent sat up as you were passing his guard etc. The point I'm getting at is that the seminar seemed to me to be pretty advanced in its level. Not so much the nuts and bolts of the techniques, but the overall concepts and detailing. I wonder what the white belts, for there were many, thought of the seminar. Some of it was a little too much for me to grasp all within the time frame of a five minute drill. So lots of food for thought to be practised next sparring session at class.

After the instructional section of the seminar, we were split up into rough weight groups and sparred from set DLR position. Then after that free sparring. In previous seminars, I've always missed out on rolling with the instructor. But this time, I jumped the queue to sample what Otavio could offer. I needn't had bothered. He literally moved, maybe one millimetre of his body and I was tossed in the air like a Caesar salad. To be fair though, he did that to everyone he sparred with.

GB Brum
The seminar also gave me a chance to check out the GB Brum gym. Located at the back end of a high street, the gym is actually called Stevie B's Gym. The BJJ gym is the ground floor and they advertise Thai Boxing and other classes as well as usual gym equipment.

The training area is a very large 'L' shaped room with wall to wall mats covered in a one-piece tarpaulin. It was very well lit and with adequate changin rooms and toilet facilities. There were also lots of places to sit and watch.

But the thing that makes GB Brum special is Braulio. Throughout the session, he would add his own comments to Otavio's teachings, mainly so that an important point was emphasised, but also to add a lot of humour to the occasion with his comedy grimaces, grunts, quips and general larking around. The end of session photo call was especially hilarious. Braulio is clearly someone who loves a big photocall!

Overall I loved coming up to see this place. Otavio is a cool guy, still very young and a huge talent. I got to savour the Braulio atmopshere and met a lot of great BJJ people. Hopefully somewhere among all this, I have saved a few techniques and pointers to help my game too.

Next week I compete at the Grappler's Showdown London Open Gi Challenge. Quite a mouthful. My match will probably last shorter than the time it took you to read the tournament title. As in, I'm not feeling too confident as this week my sparring has been absolutely diabolical. But hey, I'm doing this for the learning experience, so we'll see.

Tomorrow, the new Mill Hill Academy beckons...
Photo slideshow:





byMeerkatsu
in ,
August 02, 2009

Otavio Sousa Seminar - Gracie Barra Birmingham

Fellow Pluma fighter Vishal and I travelled from London up to Braulio's GB academy today to attend a seminar by GB black belt Otavio Sou...
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30 Jul 2009

BJJ is the best martial art and combat sport in the world...fact. Sadly, not everyone in the martial arts world agrees. I was curious to see what bloggers and forum posters from other styles had to say about BJJ. Here are some choice snippets. Of course these views are simply those expresed by one person at a time and may not represent the general consensus but they give a reflection of views outside the closeted world of BJJ:


"It requires more skill to become a good thrower than to be good at ground...If I do a clean throw with no mat/tatami and smash someone's head into cement I guarantee it's game over. Nobody rolls on the hard ground, especially when others are around to kick heads."
From Judo Boy, Apr 23rd 2009, Seattle Dojo Forums.

"My opinion (READ: OPINION) Technique wise Aikido is really rich compared to the B Jujitsu. It will be hard for a B Jujitsu to tackle down a well versed AIKIDOKA...On the ground with the B Jujitsu on top of me ( We started with me lying down) I was able to do both IKKYO and NIKKYO on one of the hands holding me down."
From Aries Navy 26/2/02 aikiweb forum

"I think BJJ is overrated...Aikido to me is a martial art BJJ is a sport...Both have applications for self-defense, but both are flawed. If you really wanna learn to defend yourself take a 6 week Krav Maga course."
From Erik 13/9/07, Aikiweb forum

"fighting on the ground like this, doesn't protect your balls... A real street fight have no rules... and jujitsu is doomed to fail. And if your opponent is a real ninjutsu artist, and go for a free for all, he would just poke your eyes out with his fingers."
From Ling1134, commenting on Rorian versus Kung fu guy video here:

" if anyone has noticed recent UFC and other "MMA" fights, the one using the guard is getting his face pounded to a pulp, but he still maintains the guard. This is the most absurd thing I have ever seen!"
"Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques are neither Brazilian nor Jiu Jitsu. They are a stylize form of Japanese Judo, and they may be highly effective under the rules of a competitive format designed for it, but it is NOT a reliable form of self-defense in a street attack!"
From:www.alljujitsu.com - The Problem with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Techniques, by Commander Nitro.

Can't you just feel the love people, feel the love.

byMeerkatsu
in ,
July 30, 2009

Feel the love - What do other martial artists think of BJJ?

BJJ is the best martial art and combat sport in the world...fact. Sadly, not everyone in the martial arts world agrees. I was curious to see...
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28 Jul 2009





  1. Gi - Faixa Rua Classico (one of four currently in use)

  2. Belt - blue Evolution Fightwear size 3, cut to size

  3. Rash guard - Koral short sleeve

  4. Ear guard - Brute Shockwave

  5. Groin guard - Shock Doctor Ultra Carbon Groin Guard

  6. Gum shield - Opro custom fit, stars on blue

  7. Tape - Boots stretch dressing tape

  8. Contact lenses - Acuvue One Day toric lenses

  9. Spectacles case

  10. Fight shorts - Atama

  11. Protein drinks shaker - Sci-Max mixer

  12. Deodorant spray - Adidas sport

Funny. For an empty hand martial art, one sure can bring a lot of stuff along to class. Some guys rock up to class with nothing more than their gi and belt. Others lug a sports bag so huge, you could sleep inside one. I'm kind of in between. I carry all this with me because I really need them for every session. For competitions though, rash guard, ear guard and groin guards are not allowed. The tape is really handy for all sorts of emergencies, mainly bolstering finger joint pain. I always bring spare lenses and my glasses. The drinks bottle is great for avoiding lumpy protein shakes. And I always bring shorts just in case someone wants a bit of no-gi sparring. This is pretty much everything that is inside my kit bag.

byMeerkatsu
in , ,
July 28, 2009

What's inside the kit bag?

Gi - Faixa Rua Classico (one of four currently in use) Belt - blue Evolution Fightwear size 3, cut to size Rash guard - Koral short sleeve ...
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25 Jul 2009


I thought I would kick off my once-in-a-while BJJ Academy tour with an easy one - RGA Vie is part of the Roger Gracie family and many of the Mill Hill crew go down there to train so I felt at home the moment I opened the Roger Gracie logo'ed door. The gym is located in the basement of the Vie Health Club and is permanently matted wall to wall. The training area is partitioned into two by a couple of large pillars, but these don't seem to get in the way too much. I would say it is a small mat area, but big enough to cope with perhaps 15-20 students. The walls have cool 'Vie' graffitti spray art.

Class today was taught by Cesar Lima, a brown belt. But as it was Friday, most of the time was open mat sparring so I didn't really drill any techniques.

I rolled with couple of white belts and a female purple belt. As there was no time limit set, we just rolled and rolled until a natural break occurred. I would say each roll was about ten minutes long. The guys and girl were very friendly and I struck up a nice rapport with the crew. As it is a fairly new academy, most of the gang were white belts with a few blues. Amora, the purple belt female, had earned her belt from another association.

One interesting piece of equipment was a thick rope suspended parallel to the ceiling so that one could monkey climb along it upside down. At the end of the rope was a horizontal bar for chin ups. I was so zonked from sparring, it being in an airless cellar, I did not attempt the rope. It looked a bit formidable but I have no doubt it is awesome for tough upper body and grip training.

Finally, the big benefit of training here I would say is the top notch health club facilities. You get proper showers, lockers, huge changing area, drinks machine, towels, leather armchairs in reception - everything you expect from a proper gym. The cost to me was £14 drop-in fee. RGA members pay £8 so I'm going to ask if my Mill Hill RGA membership counts for the discount next time I attend. I doubt it, but it's always worth asking.

RGA Vie is located on 122 Clerkenwell Road, London. Buses 55 from Oxford Street or Farringdon tube is nearest. Classes Monday - Saturday all day. See website for further details.

byMeerkatsu
in
July 25, 2009

Academy Tour - RGA Vie, Clerkenwell, London

I thought I would kick off my once-in-a-while BJJ Academy tour with an easy one - RGA Vie is part of the Roger Gracie family and many of th...
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23 Jul 2009


Just got to big up my new Opro gumshield. This little beauty fits like a glove and has already saved me from cutting my tongue on my own teeth (I tend to spar open mouthed so any knock and my tongue gets caught).
The Opro gumshields are the next step up from boil your own types. When you order one online, they send you a putty mix and you make your own dental mold. Then you send it back and they laser a gumshield that exactly matches your dental pattern. At £40 it's cheaper than a custom fit job from the dentist, although obviously more expensive than the boil your own. I can honestly say, after one session wearing it, the Opro is very good indeed. No gagging, no looseness, no cutting of the gums. It is well worth the money.
BJJ training is going ok. I'm not making any particularly big strides with my new sparring style, but then I'm not necessarily making too many errors as before, so I think I'm going in the right direction. In between training sessions, I've been adding some road work (cool term for basically jogging badly round the park), kettlebell sets and generally trying to get fitter. One of my biggest problems at the last comp was gassing out too early. I want to give myself a better chance at the forthcoming Grapplers Showdown London Open in August. I've also ordered a Powerbar. This chin-up bar does not need to be screwed into the wall, and the bar itself is set high above the top door frame, so you don't have to bend the knees when dangling. When it arrives, I'll post a little review here.
byMeerkatsu
in ,
July 23, 2009

Opro gumshield

Just got to big up my new Opro gumshield. This little beauty fits like a glove and has already saved me from cutting my tongue on my own te...
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19 Jul 2009

I've mentioned before that I came across a very geeky subset of BJJ gi reviews on the Sherdog gear and equipment review section of their forum. These guys examine their newly purchased gis with the kind of staggering level of detail usually reserved for family cars or a new U2 album. So to pay homage to these reviews, I thought I would do my own. Handily, I have a brand new Faixa Rua Classico gi and a fairly new Vulkan Pro Lite. So here it is in all its quasi-scientific glory [all photos by Meerkatsu, click on pic for larger versions]:


MEERKATSU'S GEEK-GI REVIEW

Manufacturer: Faixa Rua (website: faixarua.net/)
Model: Classico in white
Size tested: A2
Weave: Goldweave top, denim cotton trousers
Weight: 1.6kg (?? with embroidery)
Manufactured: Pakistan
Overarm sleeve: 78cm brand new / 72 after one 40C then one 60C wash
Underarm sleeve length: 55 / 51cm
Sleeve width: 19 / 18cm
Jacket length: 77.5 / 74cm
Trouser length outside: 101 / 101
Trouser length inside: 68 / 68
Trouser ankle width: 23 / 23
Trouser knee width: 27 / 27
TOTAL Average % SHRINKAGE: 6.2% (top), 0% (trousers)


Jacket
This gi is very light, comparable to the Vulkan Pro Lite. The weave appears to be a goldweave pattern, but seems much thinner than other goldweaves I have owned eg Atama. The cut is of the two-piece design with no seam on the back and no separate skirt. There are double reinforced areas under the arms, around the shoulders and by the notch at the jacket base. It interesting to note the shrinkage percentage is greater along the length of the arms, and less so in jacket length - possibly due to the direction of the weave.

The routine to shrink the jacket (40, then 60 degree wash) was effective in reducing sleeve length and jacket length. I may require one more 60 degree wash for a perfect fit, but it is already at an acceptably good fit. The lapel is made from thick spongy rubber. It felt like it would be hard to choke me easily.

Embroidery and patchesThe embroidered pattern on the back is very intricate, and the workmanship to be of a very high standard. I was worried beforehand that it would be too stiff and may even buckle after several washes, but has not turned out to be the case. Some may feel impeded by the obvious presence of a solid patch on the back, but not me. Although I did wear a rash guard during testing. Apart from the embroidery, the gi is fairly minimal in design with red shoulder strips and a small logo on the trousers.



I do not have scales so it would be interesting to see how much the embroidery adds to the overall weight.


TrousersThe trousers are held up by a flat cotton cord.


I prefer these flat cotton ties to the cheaper feel of the 'rope' style ties. The loops are logically placed. I've never understood why some makers place a loop right in the centre, under your navel. The knees are double lined as is the case with all BJJ and judo trousers. However the denim type material feels much heavier than other brands. This is an area that could be improved. The trousers did not shrink at all even after a 60 degree wash. For me, I may end up wearing one of my old trousers as it is too long for me.

Comfort during class
Rolling with the gi during class was brilliant. It felt incredibly light and comfortable to wear. The addition of the club embroidery drew admiring comments from class mates. Although the sleeves are a tad long and wide for me (see below), it was not an issue that vastly affected the outcome during sparring. Long term durability may be an issue over a year or two. But, as with any gi, it depends on how frequently the gi is worn and washed. I may report back on this after 6 months usage.

Comparison with Vulkan Pro Lite
My Vulkan Pro lite is about a 2 months old and has undergone about 8-10 washes. Vulkan call their material 'honeycomb weave', but it is effectively a thin single weave. It is advertised as 'pre-shrunk' but most users experience a small degree of shrinkage after one wash.



Sleeve aperture is a big issue here. There is a considerable difference, the Faixa gi being 18cm wide and the Vulkan is 14cm. For those who like to do ezekiel chokes, this is a bonus. For those who get caught in spider guards, this is a bit of a pain.


Interestingly the Faixa collar is much thicker than the Vulkan. This could help defending against lapel chokes.
[CORRECTION: the above photo says 'Ultra' but the gi I reviewed is a Vulkan Pro Light, not the Ultra model] 



A comparison of the trousers, you can see the Faixa is considerably longer than the Vulkan. The material is much thicker also. Reinforcements, cords and loops are roughly the same.

Conclusion
Overall, I would rate this gi a 9 out of 10. The high rating reflects the high quality and good value of the product. The lightness and comfort of the gi matches, and even surpasses that of other, more expensive brands. There were a few slight issues regarding the cut of the sleeves and the non-shrinking trousers, but these are fairly minor points. In fact, I after a while I forgot what gi I was wearing. This in the end is what a gi should do - ie to allow you to forget niggly little things and concentrate on your game.

This gi can be purchased online, or from select suppliers at a cost of around £60 (plus P+P if ordering online). This is a 1/3 cheaper than well known brands such as Koral and Vulkan. The downside is that it may not acquire a high resale value. I have for example sold many of my older gis on Ebay (several Atamas and one Koral) and obtained at least 40-50 percent value on them.

I would rate the Vulkan Pro an 8/10 and my Atama Mundial No#1 as a 7.5 mainly due to their comparitavely high cost. The Vulkan pro trousers are much better than the Faixa ones, but the jackets are equally comfortable. Considering the cheaper cost of the Faixa model, it represents a great mid-range priced gi for the beginner and experienced competitor alike.
Embroidery I believe is only available on bulk club orders. More details on this can be acquired by emailing Faixa Rua.

Another impartial reviewer asserts his opinion


OTHER GI REVIEWS:

byMeerkatsu
in ,
July 19, 2009

Geek-gi Review - Faixa Rua Classico (embroidered) vs Vulkan Pro Lite

I've mentioned before that I came across a very geeky subset of BJJ gi reviews on the Sherdog gear and equipment review section of the...
Read More

15 Jul 2009

First up, some exciting news. Our BJJ club, Mill Hill Roger Gracie BJJ, will be moving to a brand new, purpose built location in a few weeks time. The builders are currently busy working round the clock to refurbish it. Nick tells us it is 2,000 square feet, will be permanently matted, open 7 days a week and hold classes in BJJ, subgrap, MMA, Thai boxing, judo and conditioning.

I've seen glimpses of the place and it looks amazing. It kind of looks like an old style warehouse but with a tallish roof and skylights. Actually, a bit like a mini version of the main RGA dojo. Everyone is getting really excited. And best of all - it is still in Mill Hill, thus avoiding the embarrassing situation where you are called one name, but located in another.
Hopefully we'll have a proper opening night and get some big BJJ names down to celebrate with us. Goodbye old scouts hall, hello cool new dojo.

Training
Since Roger Gracie told me my sparring ability looked a little lost, I've been really focusing on rolling with a purpose. It means I'm playing a much slower game as I set my grips and try to make them work harder and waiting for the appropriate moment to attack, rather than my usual continuous and frankly random switching around all the time. I also took a private with Nick to go over my last competition video. His conclusion was that I needed to recognise when a certain guard was not working and progress from there to another guard position. Mainly, that my de la riva guard was ineffectively applied but there were moments I could have moved to sitting up guard.
So, with those two facets in mind, I have noticed my sparring has definitely changed. It's too early to say if I've made improvements to my game, but I'll reassess it in a few weeks time.

Oh nearly forgot to mention. I rolled with my new Brute Shockwave Earguards the other night. Man, did I get grief from some of the guys mocking me in jest, but I'll be laughing when they're syringing their gunk out of their fat cauli ears, Ha! Seriously, I found the earguard to be no impediment when rolling and after a ten minutes or so, forgot I was wearing them so £30 wisely spent I think.

Meerkatsu's Academy Tour
I'm annoucing my UK tour. Ha, sounds like I'm a rock band doesn't it?
The plan is to visit a few BJJ academies regardless of affiliation, and write about my experience there, maybe interview the instructor, learn some new stuff, meet cool new people etc. It's not a new idea - Jadon is currently doing the same thing with his BJJ Pilgrimage - and others have written about their worldwide versions. But it's something I'd like to do too, so we'll see how it goes. I already have a few invites from various instructors, who have read my blog and BJJ reports, so that's a good start.
byMeerkatsu
in ,
July 15, 2009

Hon Bu

First up, some exciting news. Our BJJ club, Mill Hill Roger Gracie BJJ , will be moving to a brand new, purpose built location in a few week...
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13 Jul 2009

Just picked up my new Faixa Rua goldweave fully embroidered club gi. The base of the main section also has the words: Roger Gracie Jiu Jitsu Team but I cropped in to get a closer picture of the logo.

There seems to be a trend in the UK BJJ scene at the moment for personalised pimped up gis. Some fall just within the boundaries of the CBJJ rules on patches and logos, some fall wayyyy outside. But I think it is a sign of how confident the scene is growing in the UK that a guy and rock up to a tournament wearing a salmon pink gi, and he fights a guy wearing a jet black gi with white trimmings and cartoons on his legs. And as for the ladies, man have any of you seen the awesome custom-dyed gis that Catfight gear make?
Check out a couple here:

Above courtesy of gringabjj blog
Below, courtesy of Catfight Gear website.


Personally, I love a bit of customisation. But I probably would draw the line when it comes to the gi below courtesy of Happy Kimonos...



Tie-dye is definitely an acquired taste in my view. But fair dos, nice try at being creative. And to think in the old days, turning up in a black gi was considered the height of self expression.
byMeerkatsu
in
July 13, 2009

My new pimped up gi

Just picked up my new Faixa Rua goldweave fully embroidered club gi. The base of the main section also has the words: Roger Gracie Jiu Jitsu...
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