Guest Gi Review by Ayanthi

Introduction

I have a new favorite gi in my repertoire.

No exaggeration, if I had a choice I would probably have five of these gis in my closet.

Find your next favorite women's gi at MMA Overload

Fushida is a Canadian BJJ company that has garnered a great deal of attention over the past year and even came first in Aesopian's annual BJJ Gi Survey. I came across Fushida before the gi survey, and they looked quite reasonably priced and other online reviews said they were durable.

So I figured I’d give it a shot, as women’s gis are hard to come by and men’s A1 gis are often a bit baggy on me.

As a reference, I am 5’5” and 137lbs. As previously mentioned, this is a women's specific gi. As per the website, here are the physical specs:

Fushida Comp LS Women's Gi Review

Jacket

• lightweight 450gr Pearl Weave fabric (pre shrunk)
• one piece jacket with no back seam
• signature Fushida competition collar
• antimicrobial EVA foam collar
• heavy reinforced seams and stitching at all stress points
• custom Fushida woven tape on outer skirt edge
• custom Fushida woven tape on inner cuffs
• purple accent trim on inner length of collar
• embroidery: both shoulders and “in spiritu et veritate” on upper back

Pants

• 12oz drill cotton pants with pearl weave gusset
• dual core rope drawstring reducing binding (32 thread count)
• 4 point oversized loop system
• heavy reinforced seams and stitching
• custom Fushida woven inner taping in ankle cuffs
• purple accent trim on inner waist band
• embroidery: bottom left pant leg
• comes with gi bag

Jacket

When I got this gi in the mail, I was blown away. The white gi with the purple logos looks really sharp, and the gi just feels like it's high quality. The collar on this gi is REALLY thick– thicker than my Keiko and Sirius which says a lot.

However, Christo told me that only the prototype had such a thick collar, and that the production model would still have quite a thick collar, but not as thick as the prototype that I have. Personally, I like the thick collar and it's one of the things i look for when buying a gi.

Weight

One of the great things about this gi is that it's a perfect combination of durable and lightweight. I have the F2 and it only
weighs 3 pounds total! Of course, when you compete you need to take into account the weight of a rashguard, spandex shorts, and your belt, but 3lbs is pretty light for a gi, especially one that isn’t ripstop. The sleeves aren’t too baggy; with my arm outstretched, I can fit four of my fingers into the sleeve with a little bit of extra room.

I’ve worn it for tournaments where they have checked the gi according to IBJJF regulations and it has passed. The skirt on the gi is shorter than most of my other gis, which has not posed any problems.

Shrinkage

This gi fit me perfectly right out of the bag, so I didn’t need to shrink it in the dryer at all. I’ve worn it for a few months now and it’s really comfortable. I don’t feel like I’m drowning in a thick chunk of sweaty cotton after class because the material is light. I haven’t noticed any tears or loose threads on the outside of the gi.

Cons

However, the taping on the inside of the collar is coming loose, which hasn’t presented any functional problems but I have been watching out for any other loose threads. One other con is that the rope drawstring is a little long for me and it’s a smooth material that can come untied. A double knot generally fixes this, but it’s still a small issue. I prefer the coarser rope drawstring that Keiko Raca uses in their gis.

I highly recommend this gi to any woman who is looking for a sharp looking, good fitting, high quality gi without being bright pink or covered in flowers. The gi comes in black or white, and both look great.

If you like your gi covered in flowers, check out Storm Kimonos at Amazon

Post your comments for us below or contact us on Twitter (@GiReviews & @HoneyBadger88)!