You may find yourself fighting off members of the opposite sex who are in love with your BJJ Globtrotters rash guard.
When I was asked to review the first release rash guard from BJJ GLOBETROTTERS I was excited to say the least. I have been following Christian Graugart and his brand on social media ever since reading his book, not long after I started my own journey into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The BJJ Globetrotter has been around a fair while now and was born with a once in a lifetime trip around the world training at as many gyms along the way. They have an awesome set of common values that clearly resonates through the ever growing fan base attached to them.
http://bjjlegends.com/index.php/reviews/itemlist/tag/rash%20guard#sigProId91d6d5799e
Here is a little something they put on the site that really shows the brand is about:
BJJ Globetrotters offers an alternative to traditional affiliation within Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Membership of the community is open for anyone (both individuals and gyms), and there are basically no requirements to join, other than to spread—and agree with—the message :)
The members don’t represent a specific person, academy, instructor or lineage. They are merely a world-wide community of people, who share a common set of values:
One thing I must say about this Christian and his brand it the fact he is willing to give back to the Travelling Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community by providing sponsorships to build their foundations and achieve the trip of a life time that allowed him to start the brand.
Let’s get to the review.
WHAT YOU’RE GETTING
BJJ Globetrotter Rash guard – First Release Rash guard
I will be reviewing the XL Rash guard
I am 92 kgs and 184cm tall, or 202llbs and 6’1
DESCRIPTION:
a. The artwork combines bright colours with a beachside backdrop and an old VW with a surfboard on top; one can’t help but see the casakickapoo theme that features heavily in the Globetrotter camps (annual summer camp).
b. The artwork is 100% sublimated and will not crack, peel or fade even after heavy and prolonged usage.
c. The fabric is high quality and reinforced with flat lock stitching for comfort. There are no seams in the underarms and the tags are also 100% sublimated for maximum comfort.
Specifications
FIRST LOOK IMPRESSIONS:
As soon as I open the parcel that was sent the rash guard was a stand out in terms of artwork and quality. The rash guard is smooth and has yellow stitching to add that little extra pop to the already bright design. I can’t wait to be able to train in these products. The feel of the rash guard without even trying it on are amongst the softest I have felt. All the products seem to have been prewashed so there are no remnants of chemicals, which means, I am going to train in this right now! A + for the first impressions.
FIRST WORKOUT AND ROLL:
The fit and feel of the rash guard is amazing, just as soft as I had imagined while holding them straight out of the package. The rash guard has a strip around the bottom of the rash guard which will lock onto a pair of spats or if worn without spats will lock under your fight shorts. This is something that was appreciated by not just me, but everyone else on the mat. My belly isn’t on any wonder of the world lists, people won’t travel across the world to see it slip out mid roll that is certain.
The other cool thing about both the rash guard was the fact that I stayed warm during training. I can almost guarantee anyone who has trained No Gi once or twice knows that feeling once you start cooling down the rash guard can sometimes make you feel cold however I did not experience that at all. Between rolls with the next training partner I stayed warm and did not experience the “cooling off” effect. The rash guard stood up during the hard training and after one hour of rolling I was still warm (not to hot) and I was completely rash and cut free which is always a bonus. Rating: A+ for my first workout and roll impressions.
FIRST WASH AND FIT:
After the first wash I was still impressed as ever with both the rash guard I actually trained again a second time the following day with the rash guard under the Gi. I accidentally left it in the washer on the second wash and my wife threw them into the dryer. Like an honest man on a winter’s day minimal shrinkage was noticed however IT STILL FIT! I would not recommend doing that often due to possibly of shortening the life of the rash guard but I was amazed that it held up and still looked as good as the day I received them. The fit was still amazing and I use it almost daily. Not only for BJJ this rash guard would look great out amongst the waves however the middle of winter in Australia and I am a wimp when it comes to cold water so no surfing for me.
THE GOOD:
1. Will not shrink on you after a wash.
2. Awesome Graphics to set you apart.
3. The artwork is 100% sublimated and will not crack, peel or fade!
4. Great price for what you are getting.
5. No infections or rashes to be seen whilst wearing this product.
6. Will be the best looking guy or girl on the mat on No Gi night.
THE BAD:
1. Recommended to hang dry, so do not forget to pull it out of the wash before class so it will dry in time.
2. Sizes run a little small so if you are in-between sizes order up, worst case scenario send it back for a free exchange.
3. It is a little harder to hold submissions due to the slickness of the material although this could be the lack of No Gi training that I do. :) (Typical with any rash guard but it will improve the little technical details.)
4. You have to wait for it to arrive at your house. (Although postage from Denmark to Australia was not exceeding 2 weeks).
5. May have to use your BJJ skills in a real life situation if worn outside the gym. (Fighting off members of the opposite sex who are in love with your item)
6. May run out of room for all your trophies won for “best dressed” at events.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I have purchased a few different items from BJJ Globetrotters and everything has been of great quality. Christian has done a great job building his brand into a worldwide movement with patches and gear popping up all over the place. The rash guard I reviewed was the first release that was made however I can honestly say that the quality of the gear that comes out of Globetrotter HQ is second to none matched by their service sees this rash guard in particular get 4 Gis out of 5.
If you haven’t already head over to www.bjjglobetrotters.com to take a look sign up for FREE and why not even take a look at the other quality gear they have on offer here http://www.bjjglobetrotters.com/product-category/rashguards/
Thanks for reading,
The Rolling Reviewer
Anthem Athletics rashguard is a great light weight rash guard -- if your a man. Our female review found it was still light weight, dried quickly and long enough to cover the belly in most all positions but too big in the shoulders. Melissa Davis is a purple belt under Giva Santana at Lotus Club in Irvine.
MEN’S
My boyfriend (Brazilian black belt and Lotus Club member Fernando Travessoni) reports that the men’s version of this rash guard fits great, is light weight and is very comfortable.
WOMEN’S
In keeping with the reputation of my gender (or perhaps with the increased difficulty in fitting women’s bodies with tight, thin fabric), I have a bit more to say.
PROS:
Super light-weight, breathing fabric adds very little to your weight and does not maintain much moisture on your body as some thicker rashies can do
Long torso keeps the tummy under wrap when you are in the most flattering of inverted belly fold making poses
CONS:
Suffers from the common women’s rash guard syndrome – it has that extra shoulder fabric and lack of curve hugging that tends to occur when the women’s rash guard is just a smaller version of the men’s pattern. Not nearly as bad as others I have experienced, but still not a totally flattering fit.
-[EDITORS NOTE: This is the mens small rash guard. Anthem Athletics has informed BJJ Legends that they are is working on a women's rash guard. We look forward to comparing and reviewing the new women's rashie when it comes out.]-
SUMMARY:
This is a great basic rash guard with nice fabric and a good long torso for coverage. If you are a dude it has no real downside. Its light weight and fits great and is comfortable. If you are a woman, it is still light weight and comfortable, but not completely fitted for your feminine bits or lack of masculine bits. For girls I would go a size smaller to minimize the extra shoulder and waist fabric and it should be about 90% of the way to a well fitted rashguard. Since the torso is long you won’t lose tummy coverage with a smaller size. (I am 5'6" and about 135 lbs with a very long torso and slightly larger than average shoulder width, ~34C chest. I am usually a size small in rash guards, and am wearing a size small Anthem Athletics rash guard in the photos).
Website: http://www.anthem-athletics.com/
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Detales Gear Review: Buy Now! DETALES is a brand new athletic apparel company that makes clothing for female athletes who train and compete in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Sports bra: Medium (I am about a 34C-32D). I love this sports bra. It is super light-weight, but delivers heavy duty support. This combo of attributes is unusual and great for weigh ins when every ounce is a half a granola bar I can eat before competing! I was really impressed with how light and comfortable it felt, while still restricting motion affectively. It wicks moisture and resists getting stinky in the dirty clothes while waiting to be washed compared to my other sports bras as well. (Yes I did a dirty clothes smell test on laundry day and compared it to another very new, sweat-ified sports bra. Detales won!)
Rash Guard: Medium (I am 5'6", 135lbs, with an extra-long waist). This is my new favorite rash guard. The material is different than any other work out shirt I own, it feels very soft, but hugs like a rashguard is supposed to. It seemed on the short end for my long waist at first and I was worried it would ride up and expose my stomach while I trained, but I was wrong. It stayed put better than any of my extra-long rashies and training tops. The material is ridiculously comfortable and somehow manages not to move around while I do. The cut is also nice and the fit is flattering.
Grappling tights: Medium (I am 5'6", 135lbs, with short legs and a biggish booty and quads). I tried the black and the grey. I absolutely loved the fit. They are low rise which I find much more flattering and comfortable. The material is thin, but not see-through. I wouldn't recommend sweating heavily in the grey ones if you are wearing them by themselves (not under a gi or with shorts over), but the crotch-sweat-butterfly pattern is something basically any lighter colored work out pant has to offer, so no minus points there. The grey ones are great for under gi or with little shorts over. The black ones are my go to pants for lifting now. I really like the way they look on and despite the low rise, they don't threaten to expose any booty crack and distract me from deep squats. Feeling safe in your pants is also critical for no gi grappling, so these will be getting added to that wardrobe pile for me as well. They seem to have some pressure at points along the waist, leg openings and knees due to the stitching and I think that is what holds them in place so well. I would definitely purchase these babies. I am usually a medium or a small in work out tights and the medium was great for me, so if you are between sizes, go with the larger.
Compression shorts: Medium (I am 5'6", 135lbs, with short legs and a biggish booty and quads). These pinched in at the thighs just a bit, but since I only used them for under gi and no one could see the little fat squeeze, they were perfect. If I were going to wear them alone I would have gone a size larger for a sleeker look. As it was, unlike ALL other compression shorts, they did not ride up into a diaper g-string under my gi as I rolled. They stayed right where they were supposed to be. I especially love these for under my lighter white gis that can get a little see through after serious sweating. Most ladies have been there – smash passing with your sweaty gi butt in the air, knowing full well the sweat has made it semi-transparent and your granny panties have made their way into a less conservative arrangement... with these shorts everyone trying to sneak-a-peak can move along. Nothing to see here but some cute compression shorts that have stayed in place. These are also super light-weight and very comfortable with nice lines and details.
Detales Clothing
Web: http://detalesclothing.com/
Twitter @detalesclothing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/detalesclothing
Instagram: @detalesclothing
Melissa Davis is a purple belt at Lotus Club Jiu-Jitsu with a particular bent towards Neurobiology & Behavior Science.