Summary
An affordable light weight uniform with a number of high quality features that helps it punch well above its weight. I like the bold yet balanced use of patchwork and found this gi to be light and comfortable during rolling. My sample fell slightly short along the sleeve length but full final production version will have longer arms. I rate this gi as very good value for money!
I was sent this gi directly from Submission Fight Company but they can also be purchased from BudoVideos.
Summary
A colourful and flamboyantly designed gi by a company that wears its faith based ethos boldly on its sleeve. This gi is well constructed and incorporates a number of novel details in both styling and construction. It was fun to wear and drew many admiring responses from team mates.
Introduction
Sacrament Kimonos (based in Sacramento, California) rather uniquely brand themselves as a Christian fightwear company - which is novel to say the least and something I knew would excite some debate (I am non-religious btw).
Customers visiting their website are immediately greeted with a statement that "Sacrament Kimonos is a one of a kind gi company based on a common love for God, jiu jitsu and family." There is also some very loud reggae type music blasting away in the background.
Most companies tend to hide personal beliefs for fear of alienating a proportion of their customer base - but not Sacrament. This is brave. I'll discuss more about this topic later, but the main purpose here is to review their inaugural BJJ gi offering - the Enoch ($149.95), so let's begin with the stats...
Size, weight, shrinkage and other stats
....to come
Jacket
The jacket is made from 550gsm pearlweave, which is medium to medium heavy in the spectrum of most pearlweave gi tops. The collar has a rubber inner core which feels quite soft and spongy even before washing. The collar and lapels are covered with ripstop cotton. The interior of the jacket is screen printed with bright yellow Sacrament bear and star logos (note: this may not appear on the final production model). The sleeve cuffs are reinforced with ripstop seam tape - a sturdy and tough feature.
Design
The Enoch is a blue gi with yellow stitching and yellow trim. It is a very bright and bold contrast-coloured system that can also be seen on a couple of other brands - notably the Ouano Premium Comp , except that the Sacrament seems a lot bluer, and lot yellower!
The gi carries a number of synthetic patches and embroidered logos. I personally love the bear and star logos, but those featuring the word 'Sacrament' seem a little too pixellated to me. The Sacrament website displays a version of the logo that is not pixellated, so I wonder if the factory did not get a decent vector file to use? Regardless it is still a striking and eye-catching design. My young daughter loved the bear logos and asked me if it was Yogi Bear? I of course replied that it was indeed and that both Yogi and Booboo were expert jiu jitsu practitioners!
Trousers
The trousers incorporate a number of details worth mentioning. For a start, there are six belt loops! I love numerous belt loops because I hate it when the trouser cord rides up higher than the hem of my trousers. The trouser tie itself is made from flat cotton twill, which I am less keen on - I prefer rope as this comes undone less often and is a lot more sturdy.
The trousers are made from 220gsm ripstop cotton but the gusset panel is very different - it is made from pearlweave gi material. It's also coloured a bright lemon yellow! I am not sure if adding this will contrevene IBJJF gi-rules but it is certainly a very alternative styling choice that Sacrament have made.
Rolling performance
When I turned up at my academy wearing the Enoch I was besieged by training pals who all wanted a closer look at this gi. The general concensus was that the jacket colours and styling looked wonderful but the yellow crotch gusset was off-putting.
This gi was big on me, I knew that from the start when I was told I was being sent an A2...most A2 gis are a little too big. Actually I found the jacket looseness to not be a problem but the trousers were pretty baggy and my opponents were able to grip it with ease. I would normally state that this gi is cut slightly big apart from one thing - the sleeve lengths. As you can see from the stats above, the total armspan after washing measures 151 cm long. Compare that to a randomly plucked A1 gi, say the Break Point Deluxe model, which measures 150 cm and you can see how little difference there is. So for this prototype, it appears that you have an A2 sized body width and length but only as A1 sized sleeve length. This could cause a problem when it comes to passing the gi checker at IBJJF comps. I presume Sacrament will tweak their final gi accordingly.
Overall however, I found the gi to be comfortable to wear and I quite liked the slightly softer, spongier collar. It felt pretty light to wear and I was only encumbered by the trouser bagginess issue.
After three washes, I did notice that the little screen printed bear logos inside the jacket were flaking off - Sacrament Kimonos inform me that the final production model (which ships in late April-May) may not contain this detail. I also noticed the jacket itself faded unevenly in parts giving a slightly stone-washed effect - something I noticed on the Tatami navy pearlweave (under the 'colour' heading). Over time, I guess the fading will even out throughout the gi and look less stone washed. Possibly.
Discussion
I was not going to originally discuss the company ethos in this review, but since posting preview photos on my Facebook page (please join by the way if you haven't already done so) there has been excited discussion about the mixture of religion with sport with BJJ so it's not really something I can ignore.
Sacrament themselves state that their company name was chosen for its dual meaning:
"We really set out to make a company that had a lot of the elements that meant the most to us. We are all from Sacramento, California so naturally the name took on two meanings right off the bat. We have a very strong pride in where we are from (California) and that explains the bear/star logo taken from the California flag. Our saying (Grace Through Submission), or "motto" if you will, takes on dual meanings as well. Not only does it take on the spiritual meaning of being saved by grace through our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins and in submitting your life to him, being blessed with the gift of eternal life, but it also takes on the literal meaning of submission with the sport as well... The definition of Sacrament is as follows:
A visible sign of an inward grace, especially one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace.
This is who we are and the reason for why Sacrament is what it is today."
Some of the comments on my FB page suggested they would be turned off from buying a gi due to the (in their eyes) unsuitable mixing of religion with sport.
One commentator writes:
"I like the look of the gis but I cant help but feel linking jiu jitsu with christianity seems a bit odd, I mean surely the only religion that could do that would be Japanese shintoism - it's a samurai art afterall. Plus I don't like the idea that this gi is essentially propaganda and I've always had the attitude that if you're doing jiu jitsu then leave work, other training ideals, religion etc off the mats."
Many others however reasoned that the gi itself was devoid of any obvious Christian messages (apart perhaps from the name itself) and most would have no problem wearing such a gi:
"even being of Jewish faith growing up (don't practice anymore), it wouldnt bother me too much about wearing it, and if it did I would SIMPLY NOT BUY IT."
Whether Sacrament chose to publicise their personal beliefs in order to bring exposure to their products (which is working!) or whether, as I believe, it was an honest statement of who they are, only Sacrament can say. Regardless of the messages, I think most people will buy this gi based squarely on whether they like the design or not.
As one Facebook follower stated:
"by some of this reasoning I shouldn't buy "Quaker" furniture (good handbuilt solid wood stuff) because it is better than what I can find elsewhere, I shouldn't get a "kosher" meal on a plane because it tastes better, I shouldn't get the salad bar because I'm not a Vegan and those ##$% hippies might take over the world...I guess I will just stick to companies/products whose sole "religion" is to take as much of my money as possible for the least effort."
Conclusion
Despite Sacrament explaining the dual meanings behind their wording and imagery, it's still pretty hard to avoid when you log on and order from their website. It personally does not bother me the slightest, in fact I think it's pretty bold of them to make such a statement and I warm to (what I perceive to be) their honesty. Most potential customers will probably bypass the faith-based statements and base their buying decision on one thing - the bright and imaginative styling of the Sacrament gi models. Many will love the bold colours and many will be detered. My view is that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu uniforms should reflect the colourful cultural heritage of its namesake - and the Enoch certainly fulfils that brief. More importantly, Sacrament have not forgotten about the functional aspects of the gi and have ensured that it is made with good materials and tough reinforcements. I have little doubt that it will hold up to rigorous and frequent usage. I can only assume that their final full production models will be tweaked to fix the issues I discussed above.
Customers can pre-purchase the Enoch and other products made by Sacrament Kimonos from their website:
CREDIT AND DISCLOSURES
My thanks to Sacrament Kimonos for offering me the chance to be the first person to officially review this gi.
This review represents my own opinions. I am not an expert in textiles or clothing etc, just a regular BJJ student who likes a few BJJ gis (okay a lot). I consider myself independent and impartial - I am not sponsored by any one company nor do I endorse any one brand. I have a close dialogue with a large number of gi makers and sellers, some of whom I collaborate with on various projects that are unconnected with this review. If you have any questions about this review, please feel free to email me (see About Me) or post a comment below. I hope this review was helpful.
Summary
New UK fightwear brand K2 release an outstandingly robust, thoughtfully designed and stylish pearl weave jiu jitsu gi. This gi is priced at the higher end of the gi market (£89.99) but with the large number of practical features designed to ensure longevity and durability, this gi represents very good value for money.
DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored by any company nor to I endorse any brand. This review represents my honest, unbiased opinions. Thank you to www.k2fightgear.com for sending me this gi for review.
Introduction
K2 is the second tallest terrestrial mountain in the world and also the name given to new UK based fight wear brand. This gi incorporates so many reinforcements, it's as if it was hewn from the very same rocky stuff as its namesake. Currently being endorsed by BJJ black belts Lucio Sergio Dos Santos and Adem Redzovic plus Brit purple belt sensation Omar Rashid, K2 have clearly set their sights on global recognition. I've seen their earlier gis being worn by fighters in the US and Brazil but I'm told that this pearl weave model represents their debut full production offering.
Size stats, measurements and other info
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| Click for larger view |
Fabric, Cut & Shrinkage
The first thing I noticed when putting on the K2 is how snug it felt under the armpits. It was a very similar feeling to my custom fitted Fushida gi. The body is also quite long compared to most other A1 gis that I own, even after several washes. From the stats table above, you can see how little the gi jacket shrank - only a few centimetres along the sleeve length and nothing along the length and width. The trousers shrank the most but still within the accepted 5% margin that most pre-shrunk gis attain.
The pearl weave fabric itself seems a lot more substantial than some other pearl weaves - at 550gsm weight, it's not the same as the pearl weaves found on ultra light brands. It starts off feeling pretty stiff, but does soften over several washes. It's never going to be as soft as a gold weave but it's fine for day to day use.
The trousers are 12oz canvas cotton which, although thicker and stiffer than most standard issue twill trousers, feel perfectly fine for training use.
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| Jacket lengths compared |
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| Logo tape on lower jacket seams |
Design, colour and extras
I love the patches on the K2. The logo itself is perfectly designed and the patches are distinctive but not too loud. There is also logo'ed reinforcement tape lining the bottom hem of the jacket and side vents. It all adds to little slices of colour and branding that make the gi stand out, without being naff.
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| Chest patch |
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| Back patch |
Of the three colours on offer, I think the black gi looks the sweetest. After half a dozen washes I was also impressed that it did not fade much. My black Vulkan Pro Light gi faded to dark grey very quickly so clearly not all black dyed gis are the same and the K2 keeps its colour well.
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| Shoulder patch |
The jacket has a cute little ID pocket on the inside left lapel - just the right size for an iPod or credit card sized ID (both useful things to bring along to some comps). Finally, the uniform comes neatly packaged in a very smart gi bag.
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| Inside jacket pocket for iPod or ID card |
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| Comes with a handy gi bag |
Collar
The collar is covered with tough canvas cotton and the inner core made from rubbery material. The only issue I found with this gi is that the rubbery core did not shrink in line with the rest of the gi material, so the collar warps a little over several washes.
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| Canvas cotton collar covering a rubber core |
The collar thickness is roughly in line with most other premium gis, not too thick, not too thin and it is pretty stiff too.
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| K2 collar similar thickness to Fushida, BP slightly thicker |
Sleeves
The sleeves are slightly tapered, which I personally like, and the cuffs reinforced with tape and triple stitching. After several washes, the sleeves are still the right length for me, which is not always the case for many A1 sized gis. These babies are tough!
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| Sleeve ends taped and triple stitched |
The sleeve openings are a fraction narrower than the other brands shown here:
Trousers
The trousers are held up by a thick rope cord. I much prefer the rope compared to the flat cotton tie. The trousers also have an incredible six belt loops which pretty much guarantee the rope stays in place and does not ride up.
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| Six loop system + rope tie = trouser not fall down! |
The double lining that covers the knees extends from above the knee all the way down to the ankles. I've noticed this is longer than most other gis (which stop mid way around the shin) which thus offers wear and tear protection over the whole of the lower leg, not just around the knee.
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| Long knee to ankle double lining |
The ankles are reinforced with tape and five rows of stitching. This is way more than any other gi brand that I have ever reviewed. The Vulkan trousers for example simply folds over the ends and stitches is together with two rows. It would be no exaggeration to say that these are the toughest gi trousers I have ever worn.
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| x5 rows of stitching plus taped seams = very tough trousers |
Fit, comfort, rolling performance and discussion
As mentioned earlier, I noted that the gi was snug under my armpits but with my experience wearing the similarly snug Fushida, it did not impede me in any way and in fact felt quite comfortable.
Both the jacket and trousers combined felt reasonably thick and a tad heavier than my other gis but as I was rolling during one of our very cold wintry spells, I could not tell if this gi would be too hot to wear during warmer weather training...I suspect that possibly it would be. If, in warmer conditions, I had to choose between a light weight summer gi or the K2, I would go with the former. But currently, with temperatures in our academy hitting zero, the K2 was ideal to wear.
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| x4 Meerkats, arrrrgh! |
Conclusion
In my opinion, the K2 pearl weave excels in two areas: strength and style. The copious and well-placed reinforcements ensure that this gi will be highly resistant to ripping in key areas, such as the lower trousers, and the cool styling will appeal to those who like gis that straddle the line between plain no-logo gis and those that are patched to the nines! The copious reinforcements, canvas trousers and dense pearl weave fabric are not without weight costs. It is also more expensive compared to other UK brands. But this gi has the potential to still be going strong long after cheaper gis have bitten the dust so in that respect, it still represents great long term value for money.
Disclaimer and Credits
I am not sponsored by any company nor do I endorse any one brand. My views are simply my own opinion. If you like this review and found it helpful, please post a comment and tell the company too - it helps me get more reviews.
Thanks once again to www.k2fightgear.com for sending me this gi for review.
:)
So I was chilling on the PC the other day going over random ideas with my good blogger pal Liam (of the Part Time Grappler fame). We were joking about how cool all the What Body Animal Type Are You? drawings were when it both hit us, like a tsunami, only less wet - why not get people to design their own flipping crazy-ass fantasy BJJ gi? We both simultaneously got so excited our PCs exploded. I immediately drew on on the most expensive bit of notepad I could find:
So I issue this challenge to you - dear reader, dear blogger, dear gi addict. Draw me a crazy-ass gi, send it to my email address (seymouryang gmail) and if you are a blogger - post your idea up online too. Let's make this the craziest collaborative social media experiment in a BJJ gi context...EVER!
Oh, and here's a gi design template if you want to use one. Just print it out, or colour it in using MS Paint, Photoshop or absolutely ANY method of design you like. Heck ignore it if you want and draw your own made up gi I don't care. Snap it on your mobile, scan it in, photocopy it....whatever. Just get me that crazy gi design. Do it! (pretty please).
I look forward to your ideas people!
.
Mucking around with stuff to test the jump break
Teaser
estra
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.
Before rocking up to RGA bucks, I was wondering to myself in the car, as I was negotiating the billion traffic cones laid out on the M25, if two bloggers meet on the mat and roll, would something weird happen in a parallel universe and two anti-quarks implode or something? It must be weird rolling with someone knowing that they will write about you and the same in return. One could get a little self conscious, knowing full well that any mistake or bad technique might be picked up on and mentioned in passing on the blog. But I've nothing to worry about, Slidey's written a detailed account of how our session went here, and he's been too kind about my dodgy old man's jiu-jitsu.
And so onto my review of RGA Bucks:
Kevin Capel
Kevin Capel is a brown belt under Roger Gracie. Kev comes from a boxing background but was first introduced to BJJ by Rick Young over ten years ago. Back in 2000, pterodactyls still flew and BJJ was but a small baby. Since then however Kev, who has trained under Mauricio Gomes, Roger Brooking, Roger Gracie, Lagarto and many others, has grown to become a highly accomplished and technical BJJ exponent. Kev has won two silvers at the Europeans and I think the same at World Masters level. He has fought at Super feather but I think he now sticks to feather weight. I managed to grab a quick interview with Kev after the class and I will post the full interview at some point soon.
Facilities
The High Wycombe branch of RGA bucks is based at the High Wycombe Amateur Boxing Club (HWABC). After negotiating a small backroad that has been thoughtfully bombed to resemble the cratered surface of the moon, the boxing club itself is a little combat oasis. It's spacious, well equipped with nice changing rooms, showers and a chill out lounge. About two-thirds of the floor space is covered with jigsaw mats and the other third is filled by a boxing ring. There's even a water fountain which is a nice touch and much needed.
Class Structure
Kev structures his classes into two parts; the 7pm beginners class, which includes Gracie Jiu-Jitsu style self defence techniques, and an 8:30pm advanced class.
Last night there were about 14-15 people on the mat, most were white belts, but there were a couple of blues too. The beginners class began with a self defence standing escape from a RNC from behind. Kev then taught a basic collar choke from the knee on belly, then showed the escape from knee on belly. Again, for a more detailed technique explanation, see Slidey's post here.
After some set position sparring, Kev moved on to the advanced class, I noticed that although this portion of the evening was open to everyone, pretty much only the blue belts and a couple of die-hard white belts stayed on. Kev taught the hooks-guard sweep (I called this the Sasa sweep based on my review of the Paraestra instructional), and the hooks guard transition into omoplata. These just happen to be two of my most favourite techniques of all time.
I noticed throughout the night that the class is conducted at a very laid back pace. Kev takes time to walk around and look at everyone, and if people (like me) bug him with lots of 'what if' questions, it can take a while before he moves on to the next technique. This is of course a good thing as you get plenty of time to drill the technique.
Sparring too was very 'non-aggressive' which is very much my preferred way of rolling. The guys are paired up by Kev or you just find your own partner and get on with experimenting and playing around with things. Mind you, I didn't roll with the very big guys who were on the mat, they looked too scary to approach so I stuck with guys I knew, like Slidey and Howard.
I remember Howard well. It was one of my first lessons at Eddie Kone's academy about 6 years ago. He was like a two or three stripe white belt which was very senior in the club at the time! He got an armbar on me then and apologised immediately after - how nice. Rolling with Slidey was good fun. I've read so many of his posts that it's like I've trained with him for years. He's got quick feet and despite my many, increasingly erratic and wild attempts to pass his guard, he retained his guard very well. So props to him and for his third stripe which Kev awarded last night.
Information
RGA Bucks website: rgaa.co.uk
Locations: High Wycombe (HWABC), Aylesbury (Mcleod Academy) and Bletchley (Total Dojo)
When bloggers collide! Slidey (left) and Meerkatsu
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