there's always a "what gi should i buy" thread every other day.
how about a gi that ended up not to your liking and why.
could be personal preference, poor materials and/or workmanship, etc.
please try to be fair. no stories about how your one gi fell apart after a month rolling 2-a-days with 500lb gorilla's
i won't name any gi's at this point, but having cotton skirts these days is unacceptable for a bjj gi.
I actually did not like the Atama gi I used to own (gave it away). Upper
body and sleeves fit fairly well, but the skirt was so long it was ridiculous.
atama do have long skirts, old school style.
Had the HCK double weave Judo gi and didn't like it very much. Way too heavy and cumbersome, plus illegal in competition.
I have a Krugans Tribal in black, size A2. While not crappy, it's just not for me. The jacket fits bigger and longer than Atama & Koral in A2, and the pants are overly baggy. I've tried many times to shrink it w/ hot water (didn't care about the black fading, just wanted my gi to fit, dammit!) but still fits loose. Also, the surface of the fabric on the outside is pretty rough. Every time I roll in it, my sparring partners & I end up w/ facial abrasions because of the fabric!
I got a gi from the Gracie website when I first started training at a Gracie TA. I think it was made by Golden Tiger. It was comfortable, though I wasn't wild about the long skirt because, well, I don't wear skirts, but what I really didn't like about it was the collar was really, really thin. I don't mind giving up choke protection -- in my experience with the gis that followed that one, even a very thick collar won't do much for you against a decent opponent -- but that collar was so thin that I felt like I was getting garrotted (sp?) every time I got collar choked.
I've since bought three other gis and retired that one. It certainly served it's purpose and I got Royce to sign it shortly before the Hughes fight, so I plan to frame it or something.
i love my HCK double judo...peace, john
addidas gis are way overpriced. I got one because it was on sale for 39 bucks. (normally 120) It's worth 39 bucks. It's clearly a judo cut and not bjj cut. Long skirt, baggy sleves. High water baggy pants. The pants are really thin. I don't think they'll last long. The jacket will probably last OK. Lapel not as thick as a howard. The gi I got was the Rio contest gi which is supposed to be a competition cut. I wouldn't buy one for over 39 dollars.
I didn't like my KF Gold Weave. It billows out in the chest, is too narrow for my shoulder, too big for my waist and the pants are coarse and uncomfortable. I gave it to a friend who it fits perfectly.
Don't really like my Kieko Raca. After 3 wears, the stitcking in the sleeves is coming undone and it is a pretty tight fit after 1 washing. Wouldn't get another one.
I have tried maybe 4-5 different gi companies. Overall I like all of them, but the Howard was definately my least favorite. Really heavy, thick cheater lapel. Just wasnt my style.
However, the quality is good if you are looking for something inexpensive
golden tiger gi sucked, short sleeves with a long skirt and the patches started coming off after the first couple of classes, this gi is 2 thumbs down