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Piranha Gi is value priced for the BJJ Market

Piranha Gear’s entry into the tall and lanky gi market is a value priced (~$75) gi that is cut to fit even the tallest and longest jiu-jiteiros in your gym. Their gi is a simple single weave kimono that includes pants with a reinforced knee area and a “karate” style belt. This gi is intended for those just beginning their journey with BJJ. While the collar and material of the gi are much tougher than those in traditional martial arts it is not as stiff as those preferred by many competitors.

A few weeks ago Piranha replied to my request for a gi to review and within a few days I had gi in hand.  I didn’t have many questions for Bill but each email was responded to promptly and if this feedback is any indication Bill places a high priority on the needs of his customers.  The gi came with a very detailed pamphlet on washing and taking care of your new purchase.  While this may be redundant for many of you reading this, it’s a great addition for this product’s target audience, the neophyte grappler.

A little bit about Piranha Gear:

We enjoy using the same clothing and equipment we sell – that’s why we started the company – so we could get good gear at reasonable prices. We were tired of getting stuff that wore out too soon, wasn’t comfortable or just cost more than it should.

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[social][/social][bjjad][/bjjad]Since it didn’t make sense to design and manufacture stuff for just a couple of people or limit it to our work-out partners, we took the big plunge and by 2004 we had a business. Our first product was a white single-weave Jiu-Jitsu Kimono. In the first month, we sold 3 on eBay under the seller name “Jiu-Jitsu-Style” and we were thrilled!

While we don’t sell on eBay anymore, today Piranha Gear ships our three different brands to schools, academies, and individuals around the world. We feel grateful for the wonderful feedback from literally thousands of customers every year.

We try to treat everyone the way we like to be treated. It’s not a “company mission statement” (so many companies seem to ignore theirs anyway) – it’s just the right thing to do.

First Impression of this Jiu-Jitsu Gi:

• Kimono top fabric is very soft
• Very lightweight pants
• Overall weight of the uniform is about 4.5 lbs
• Sleeves and pants more than long enough
• Double stitching at most of the seams

After trying the gi on out of the package I decided to wash it in hot water and dry with high heat before rolling or drilling in it.  I did this because this is probably one the longest gis that I’ve ever seen.  Washing and drying did shrink it up some, as you can see from the measurements below:

Test Run:
After washing and drying gi I took it out for a spin that night.  The gi was perfectly fine for warm-ups, drilling and technique work.  Even during drilling the overall length of the gi was evident, my partner had plenty of fabric to grab onto and use.  While the gi is baggy and long it was still comfortable to wear and would be perfectly suitable for drilling techniques.

After technique work I did a few rounds of rolling in the gi. The overall size and length of the gi did work against me somewhat while rolling.  On the plus side, I did manage to hit an Ezekiel choke from the bottom that I would never have been able to get in any other gi.  While rolling the gi seemed to hold up well. While rolling and drilling I never noticed the elastic pants, as either good or bad. The drawstring made sure that they were tight enough and they didn’t loosen up. To be honest, I was more worried about having to pull them up. When I had them pulled up enough to not touch the mats, I looked like Erkel. 🙂 Several of my partners were thoroughly entertained. I did notice a little stretching and my partner stopped once because he thought he heard a rip in my pants (I couldn’t find anything wrong after class).

Final Thoughts:
This gi is best suited to the BJJ hobbyist and/or someone who only rolls occasionally. For those new to BJJ this is a comfortable gi that is available at a price that is accessible to anyone. The large number of sizing options and simple design make this a gi that can be used by anyone at almost any academy. This is also a gi that many BJJ practitioners may outgrow (from a training perspective) once they’ve decided that they’re in it for the long haul and/or would like to compete.

Pros:

• Very comfortable
• Would fit Stefan Struve. If you’re extremely tall this will fit you.
• Great price point for a tall gi

Cons:

• Too loose/big for competitive rolling
• Would fit Stefan Struve. If you’re not at least 6’4” the A4S will be too long for you. Go ahead and look at the normal size ones and/or the A3S
• Double stitching may not be durable enough for long-term heavy use while rolling

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