Sunday, January 15, 2006

Dragao Kimono / Gi

When I first started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I wore a Judo Gi. It was quite heavy but did the trick. But after I realized that I wanted to study further I decided to purchase a Kimono (Gi) for training as it was more "Jiu Jitsu". I did a great deal of research on all different types of Kimonos and found a company called Dragao in Brazil.

After talking with some of my classmates about Kimonos I decided to make the purchase. Rather than purchase it from a MMA store, I wanted to go to the source. The mark up of many of these stores was unreasonable. As well, dealing with an intermediary can sometimes be a pain in the butt; there are some horror stories floating around.

I visited the Dragao Kimonos website and made my choice; the "Arm Lock" Kimono. I chose the A-2G which was perfect for my 5'9 height and 168lbs build. I made my order, paid around 100.00 USD and 32.00 USD for basic economic shipping. All toll, 132.00 USD for a top of the line Kimono. Shipping took around a week and a half; I was surprised it got here so fast.

I have been wearing this Kimono for over 4 months now and love it. The more I washed it, the better it fit. The only complaint I have is the canvas pants are sometimes difficult to take off after training because of the sweat. The positive side effect of this is I get a second work out taking my pants off after class.

Ous.