Intro:
“In my opinion there was no BJJ brand that represented the beauty and elegance we all experience when participating in the gentle art. I was looking to create a brand that had meaning, that word that came to me was ORIGIN.” Pete Roberts
Origin BJJ has been getting a lot of press lately because of their move to have all of their gi manufacturing at their Maine headquarters. Origin is the product of Pete Roberts and his desire to get out of the corporate word and to pursue his passion for BJJ as a career (for a little more on Pete check here). Their products are designed from his experience as a student, competitor and teacher. To that end Origin’s products include gis, nogi apparel and training accessories. With a reputation for service and quality I was very excited to use Origin spats for my initiation into the world of spats.
Technical Specs/Construction/Design:
The seams are flat stitched and sturdy. After 3 months of use all of the seams look the same now as they did when I opened the bag that they were delivered in. There is a rubberized strip on the inside of the waist that is designed to keep the spats from sliding down. A smaller version is on the ankles. The strip works pretty well when it’s against your skin. If you’re wearing compression shorts underneath the spats there is some slippage while rolling. The overall compression of the spats is light.
The graphics and design are fairly straightforward. The only color/model available uses a bright neon green for the accent graphics, Origin’s symbol is in gray and the rest of the spats are black. All of the graphics are fully sublimated and will not fade or crack over time. The only wear that I noticed after several months of heavy use is that there is some abrasion/pilling at the knees.
Test Run:
I’ve worn my spats under my shorts for nogi, under my gi pants, for conditioning and under my street clothes when it’s cold outside. They are very comfortable in both cases and I rarely notice that I’m wearing them once training starts. Spats offer all the benefits of a rashguards: warmth, protection, and some compression. They act as a physical barrier between your skin and the mat. They’re also using in wicking away some sweat while training.
My gi pants, especially non-ripstop pants, have a tendency to stick a little while I’m playing open guard. The tendency gets worse as I get sweatier and the addition of spats under my pants eliminated that completely. I’ve seen a few people mention that they think they get less in-grown hairs while wearing spats/compression pants. I’ve never had an issue with in-grown hairs so I can’t comment on that.
Special Consideration:
There are a lot of people out there that are curious about using spats. Maybe you think of Shinya Aoki whenever someone says spats and that’s keeping you away. In other cases it may be the price tag. And finally maybe you’re new and don’t think you’ve “earned” the right to wear them because they’ll make you stand out. I can tell you that I’ve been in your position and thought of all of those reasons in the past. I can also tell you that I’ll never go back to training without spats/compression pants. The Origin Spats address those concerns. They’re well-priced, not too flashy and feel great.
Wrap Up:
I am now a man who wears tights. There, I’ve said it and it can’t be taken back.
If you’ve been thinking about trying spats and didn’t know where to look Origin’s spats are great. They perform well for both gi and nogi training, are very comfortable and at $56 (available here) they won’t hit your wallet too hard. Take a few minutes to check out Origin’s website, Facebook and Twitter (@originbjj). Pete has been known to do random sales and giveaways to their followers.
