Your Guide to Choosing a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi

Everyone who trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will need a BJJ GI but with so many different companies now offering numerous Gi's you could easily choose the wrong one for yourself and your training. Below we will outline the 3 most important things to consider when choosing your BJJ GI.

Weave: One of the most important things to consider when choosing a BJJ GI is the type of cotton weave that the BJJ GI is made from. The 4 main weaves are single weave, double weave, gold weave and pearl weave. Single weaves are light in weight, supple and comfortable but are not very strong and BJJ being a physical sport single weaves can sometimes get ripped or torn. Double weaves are a lot stronger but they are also very heavy. Some people prefer them for that very reason especially people who have crossed over from judo where grip fighting has an importance. There not recommended in summer months because they can make you very hot during intense training. Gold weaves used to be the best weave BJJ GI that you could buy because they were a cross between the single weave and the double weave. You had the lightness of the single and the strength of the double. Unfortunately the gold weave is notorious for shrinkage with some GI's shrinking up to 5%-10% in size. Some people order a size bigger then there normally size to allow for shrinkage. By far the best weave is the pearl weave. The pearl weave is similar to the single weave but has the strength of the double weave. Also because of the tightness of the weave its very lightweight and hardly suffers from shrinkage.

Cut: when choosing the cut of the BJJ GI it comes down to personal preferences. Some people like the feel of a tailored cut GI that is tight to your body. The reason for this is that people find it hard to grab or grip an opponents GI when it's closer to their body as there is less material to grab. Other people prefer to have a loose fitted BJJ GI because it gives them greater freedom of movement when training or sparring but with looser fitting BJJ GI there is always more material to grab especially round the cuffs of the trousers and sleeves and also the lapels

Size: BJJ GI's come in "A" sizes. A1, A2, A3 and A4 (some companies offer A5 sizes but not many). typical sizing includes A1 5ft 2", A2 5ft 7", A3 5ft 10" and A4 6ft 1" to 6ft 3". Sizing is very important when choosing a BJJ GI so Always take in to account shrinkage when buying one.

Colour: the three main colours are white, black and blue. These are the only three colours accepted by the international Brazilian jiu jitsu federation in there competitions including "The Mundials" and "The Euros". There are many other colours including red, yellow, navy blue and even camouflage.

Trousers: when choosing a BJJ GI the right trousers can make all the difference. Like the GI jacket the cut of the trousers is also very important. Some people prefer them baggy so that they have more room to move around in but it also offers a lot of material for your opponent to grab and control your legs. Trousers will tighter ankle cuffs are the preferred choice of most people when selecting their trousers. Material is also important. You can get heavy drill cotton trousers and these are very strong but also heavy especially when wet and sweaty. A lot of companies have started making their trousers from Rip Stop Cotton. Rip Stop is very strong and also very light weight. Ideal for hot summer days or for when you're competing when you're close to your weight limit. One down side to Rip Stop Trousers is that they can feel a bit "waxy" on your legs. Some people can find this feeling annoying. The last thing to consider with the trousers is the draw string. Most come with flat twill draw strings but they can snap quite easily and they also come undone quite easily. The best draw strings are made from rope cotton. They are a lot stronger and they also stay tied for a lot longer.

Lapel: some BJJ GI has a cotton lapel with more cotton stuffed through the middle. This is the traditional way of making lapels for BJJ GI's. A couple of downsides to cotton lapels is that they can take quite a while to dry after washing and they are also easier to grip hold of during sparring and use for control or for chokes. The best lapels are made from cotton but have a piece of rubber running through the middle. These are good for 2 reasons. They dry a lot quicker and they area lot harder to grip or manipulate for chokes when sparring.

In my opinion the best BJJ GI will be a Pearl weave GI jacket, Rubber lapel, 8 oz light weight drill cotton trousers with rope draw strings. A BJJ GI to this spec will be strong, comfortable, light in weight and will have minimal shrinkage. Hope you have found this help full enjoy your new BJJ GI and happy "rolling".