Your Gi, like any other sports apparel, has to fit you well—it shouldn’t be too loose or too tight. Before you look into Jiu-Jitsu Gi brands, make sure that you determine if your Gi jacket and pants will fit properly.
Follow these steps to find your ideal fit for comfortable lessons and future matches.
Finding the Right Fit for Your Gi Jacket
Testing the tightness of your Gi jacket is one of the first things you can do to see if it fits well. The torso and sleeves are two regions to pay special attention to. Checking your torso is as simple as making sure your lapels can overlap comfortably without feeling restricted.
Your elbow and upper body movements should be unrestricted as well. Although a tighter Gi appears to be an advantage since it makes gripping your Gi more difficult, it comes at the expense of your ability to roll fluidly.
Extend your arms in front of you to check sleeve length. If your sleeve’s hem is more than two inches from your wrist, the sleeve is too short and will not meet competition requirements. The breadth of four fingers is the most common method of measurement.
Finding the Right Fit for Your Gi Pants
Beginners often think their Gi trousers should fit like their regular pants, but this is not the case. Jiu-Jitsu is a movement-based sport, so you’ll need a comfortable pair of pants that can move with you.
Your pants, like your Gi jacket, should find a balance between looseness and tightness. Testing the resistance of your trousers is a great technique to see if they fit nicely. Bend your knees, squat in position, and make sure there’s enough material around your knees to grip onto. If you feel constrained during any of these actions, you may be wearing the incorrect size.
Check if the hems of your pants end at your ankles to see if they are the correct length. The four-finger rule also applies to Gi trousers, so make sure the hems of your pants are less than four-finger widths from your ankle. If not, you might want to consider hemming your pants or going up a size.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Gi vs. Traditional Martial Arts Sizes
It can seem pretty easy to figure out the size for someone wearing a conventional martial arts uniform: you measure their height and select a size. However, you may not be able to find a perfect fit by just using this parameter. While it may fit in height, not everyone will fill the best Gi in weight and width; therefore, they appear ill-fitting and baggy or loose most of the time.
When it comes to Jiu-Jitsu apparel sizing, the size is calculated using a combination of a person’s height and weight, resulting in the optimum fit for that individual. This works for most, but there are exceptions, such as tall and slim persons or those on the heavier side.
Conclusion
When compared to other martial arts Gis, BJJ Gi sizes are measured differently. You’ll be wearing your Gi for a long time, so it should be comfortable all over, which is primarily a matter of personal preference. Make sure to look for the best BJJ Gi brands for comfort and style.
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