The fine folks over at Elite Sports and Born Tough Apparel reached out to Mick and me a few weeks back to let us know they were fans of the podcast and thought we might be a good fit for their products.
This weekend I received an OD Green Gi in the mail that they graciously sent me for free. Today I had my first good rolling session in it and thought I’d take the time to write a review.
My first impressions of the Gi are that for the price point, it’s actually quite nice. Compared to other gis I’ve worn in the $50-$60 range, this gi stands out. The pants are similar to those I’ve received with my more expensive ultra-light gis, and they have the elastic rope drawstring which I require for any gi pants I wear. In the last few months I’ve cycled out 2 pairs of gi pants because they didn’t meet my standards, but these ones will stay in the mix.
As for the top, typically lower priced gis come with tops that are baggy and don’t fit well, but the Elite gi top is cut to a professional fit. If the gi top doesn’t shrink with future washings, I can see myself using it for a long time, but to be honest, I am concerned with shrinkage. I’m 6’1” and 200 pounds and directly out of the bag, the A3 gi top is a bit small for me. The sleeves are short enough that I don’t think I’d get away with wearing it in a competition (though to be fair, I wouldn’t be competing at 200 pounds or in an OD Green Gi). Now, the gi is pre-shrunk, so I’m hoping it maintains it’s size, but if it shrinks any further, I’ll have to pass it on to someone smaller than me.
At this point, I can’t speak to the longevity of the gi, but I plan to wear it at least once a week for the next several months so I can see how it fares over the long-run. I’ll also be posting a video of the gi in action in the next couple weeks.
Overall, if you’re looking to buy your first gi, or even if you’ve been training a while and need some backups, I think it’s hard to go wrong with this gi at this price point. It also comes with a quality BJJ white belt, so if you’re just starting out, it’s the perfect combo at the right price. Here’s some non-affiliate links if you’re interested.
Stay tuned for updates.