Sunday, March 14, 2010

Hybrid Gi

This is my second BJJ gi, purchased after months of deliberation. The breaking point came when I was training every day during finals and had from 11 PM to 8:30 AM the next day to wash and dry (and I hate machine-drying my gi) the only one I had. It didn't hurt that www.hybridgi.com was having a holiday sale. For reference, I'm 110 lb. and 5'4" with a short torso (and thus long-ish legs)

Hybrid
Black gi size A1
Initially, I was drawn to this gi by the look: Lucky without the patches. I was hoping the fit would be similar, but it was not to be. I tried it on once right out of the bag, and the pants were already fitting a little short. The jacket was large all around, so I did a hot-water soak and then threw it in the dryer. However, it shrank rather oddly--it is now a bit short on the sleeves, but quite long, hitting about mid-thigh. I'll likely get it tailored, since the gi was cheap enough that it feels worthwhile. Also, the jacket is skinny. I can't get the lapels closed all the way across on either side, and I'm on the low end of their size chart. I'm guessing it has something to do with the weave that made for mostly horizontal as opposed to any vertical shrinkage. Since the pants were already somewhat short, I didn't put them through any heat, and they may have shrunk a tiny bit more. I don't know if it's just my awkward body proportions, but the bottom of the reinforced patches (which are nice and thick) barely protect the top of my knees when I'm rolling.

Other than that, the gi is very nice. The fabric is soft and tough, the lapel is thick, and the pants are a sturdy material . The drawstring is easy to pull, although a bit short--I make a square knot instead of a knot with two loops. Unlike my Atama, there's no seam along the back to rub on my spine. Plus, the red stitching on the black fabric makes it look badass.

EDIT: Finally, some pictures!!


As you can see, it just fits me all wrong...the jacket is too long, and the pants are too short. Although part of that is the pants. Here are some measurements:
Inseam: 22"
Length of pant from top to bottom: 31"
Length of gi top, from the top of the collar to the bottom hem: 30"
Sleeve length, from collar to sleeve edge: 16"

As a result of this gi's odd fit and my own awkward measurements, I sold it. I do not plan on buying another.

3 comments:

  1. Good to know... saw a sweet Hybrid on one of their sponsored fighters at Houston Open last weekend and thought about getting one. Thanks for the review!

    Can you post later with some info on shrinkage?

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  2. Sorry; I'll update the post with that...basically, it shrank weirdly.

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  3. How about a gi for a 6 foot tall girl who weighs 145 lbs? I have an A2 atama (just a guy's cut) and it is too short and too wide. The A3 is long enough but two of me fit in it almost.

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete