I purchased this GI from bjjhq.com on one of their awesome promotions. With shipping and $ conversion this baby was just over $100. I was expecting a decent practice Gi and that’s exactly what I received. I have put the full eight weeks of training into this product with only a minor complaint.
Design
Technical features:
– Jacket fabric: Pearl Weave cotton.
– Ultra-lightweight fabric: 350 GSM.
– Reinforced collar to prevent sweat and bacteria absorption.
– Quick dry, aerated and pre-shrunk cotton for optimized fit.
– Pants: hard-wearing cotton.
– Knee reinforcement
– Back logo: Embroidery.
– Back logo: Applique.
– Fastening system with rope lace.
The Gi top design is simple with two branding logos; Venum on the left front and the logo on the back top/center. As you can see I have added the Gracie patches for my academy. The pants are completely blank.
Gi Top
This 350GSM product holds true to its name, its a contender forsure. At its price point it compares to some $160 Gi’s I own. The fit out of the box was very nice. The pre shrunk material provides a comfortable fit, although I did find a tiny bit of shrinkage in the sleeves… nothing that bothered me. After some serious sparring in this top and a lot of washing… the material is still strong and doesn’t show much sign of wear.
The main issue was with the stitching in the Gi top. A few spots small spots on the collar and one not so small section of the arm pit reinforcements came undone. I will confess however I’d say having some rather gorilla like, brown belt sparring partners didn’t help the cause.
Pants
These pants fit well and the draw string holds nicely. The pants knee and behind are also holding up nicely, with little sign of deterioration. I was a little disappointed in the pants having zero design and after the 8 weeks of wear and wash have become a bit rough feeling. The cotton does feel like a lower end set of training pants, having a very light and frail felling, but I believe they will hold tough. None of the reinforced stitching in the pants have came lose.
Conclusion
I would say at the price point this Gi is worth every cent you spend on it. It has made an excellent rotation in my practice uniforms and with a few extra patch can become a sharp looking Gi. I wouldn’t purchase this as your competition uniform even though it is approved for international competition.
Venum Size Chart:
Height Weight Size
5′ 5″ – 5′ 6″ 120 – 145 lbs. A1
5′ 6″ – 5′ 8″ 140 – 155 lbs. A1.5
5′ 6″ – 5′ 8″ 145 – 165 lbs. A2
5′ 8″ – 6′ 165 – 180 lbs. A2.5
6′ – 6’2″ 180 – 210 lbs. A3
6’2″ – 6′ 5″ 210 – 250 lbs. A4