Spats Review - Samurai in Combat (Combat Skin)

Short Review: The second spats available from Combat Skin draw upon the classic martial arts image of the samurai, with several changes since their last pair of tights. The drawstring has gone (personally I'm glad to see it go, but your preference may vary), as have the anti-slip cuffs on the ankles. That anti-slip waistband is still there, but more comfortable this time around. The spats are also a little longer and wider than before (at least in Medium), making them a slightly better fit on my 5'7 and 66kg frame. Available to buy for $59 here.

Full Review: Since launching in November 2013, Combat Skin has continued to expand. I previously had the opportunity to try out their Combat Warrior spats, part of owner Steven Loi's inaugural market offering. That featured a design by Meerkatsu, replicated across a number of different BJJ fightwear products. The latest design I've been able to test, the 'Samurai in Combat' spats, has received similar treatment. Just like Meerkatsu's artwork, the Samurai in Combat appears on a t-shirt, rash guard and even a gi patch, as well as a gi.

It is not a new design: those samurai had already been revealed when I wrote my last review in March, although at that time it was being sold on a t-shirt. Notably, those sales had a charitable element. 20% of profits went to Bulig Isko, an organisation connected to disaster relief after the Haiyan Typhoon in the Phillipines. That's part of Combat Skin's stated aim of 'giving back to the community'. They've continued to back up that part of their mission statement, not just with various sponsored athletes, but helping out community projects and events too.

For example, Combat Skin provided the t-shirts for Jodie Bear's GrappleThon held in August, where she raised money to support the Donna Louise Trust. Jodie is herself now a sponsored athlete: you can check out her (slightly out of date, as she's since earned her blue belt) page on the Combat Skin website here.

Another part of the mission statement regarded using artists that train, something in evidence with the Samurai in Combat design. The two samurai that feature on these Combat Skin spats were created by Jay Acosta, who is based in the Philippines. He is also known as 'JayBhoi', the name under which you'll find his work on sites like deviantART and behance.net. His artwork on the left leg features a pair of samurai in full battle-dress, one wearing red armour while the other is in blue (there is a clearer picture of the design over on his Facebook page).

Drawing on Japanese tropes is a good move for a piece of BJJ fightwear. Anything Japanese is especially popular in martial art circles, from manga to cultural rituals. BJJ's titular Brazilian heritage has counter-acted judo's original stiff formality, although a few schools have poured some starch into the old Brazilian laid-back vibe. Still, although we might not be swishing our hakama skirts, the grapplers of BJJ nevertheless tend to love ninja and samurai just as much as the Japanophiles of a karate or aikido school. That also gives me an excuse to babble about samurai in general. Hooray!

The term 'samurai', which apparently translates as 'those who serve', was first used in a purely military context during the 10th century (according to military historian Stephen Turnbull). Their significance ramped up over the coming centuries: for example, the Gempei War (or Genpei War, depending on how you transliterate from the Japanese) in the 12th century, the rather fortunate repulse of the Mongols in the 13th century (the weather helped quite a bit), the Onin War of the 15th century and the following Period of Warring States, lasting around 150 years.

Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged as the victor of all that warring, after climactic battles at Sekigahara in 1600 and Osaka in 1615. The next two centuries would be remarkably peaceful by comparison to what came before, meaning that the samurai didn't have to do a whole lot of fighting. The fanatical Christian aspect of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1638 (one of the exceptions when the samurai did need to dust off their armour) triggered Japan's withdrawal from the world, codified in the 1639 Exlusion Edict that banned almost all foreign trade, barring a tiny selection of Dutch merchants based in Dejima. By the time Commodore Perry shattered that arrangement in 1853, the samurai had gone from feared fighters to pen-pushing bureaucrats.

From what I've read, the historical reality of samurai is not particularly elevated, much like the reality of European knights is far less 'chivalrous' than the Arthurian mythos might lead you to believe. Similarly to their European counterparts, samurai started off basically as mercenaries and bodyguards. Bushido was about as relevant to the original samurai as Idylls of the King was on the medieval battlefields of Europe (in other words, not very much). The samurai myth (again, judging by a few books and internet sites, so I could be wrong) was largely a 17th century creation, just when the real samurai were transitioning from a life of constant warfare to a life of political intrigue.

There's an article about myth versus reality over on TheGoldenEggs: I'm not sure how well researched that is as there aren't any footnotes, but it makes for interesting reading. Or have a read of this piece about a scholar of Asian history, which has several intriguing quotes. For example:

Samurai rarely used swords in battle — instead they most often used arrows. So the idea of the sacred Samurai sword isn't exactly accurate. Their weapon of choice was actually the pike, which was essentially a spear. Swords were very expensive, so they weren't used often, which also explains why they survived. [...]

Loyalty has been grossly exaggerated. Warriors were interested in reward and recompense. Conlan found evidence that warriors moved from one side to another depending on the reward they would receive.

Of course, outside of academia it doesn't matter all that much what samurai were actually like. What matters is their status in popular culture. In that context, they're undeniably cool. Whether that's in Kurosawa films and the work he inspired (Star Wars being perhaps the most notable example), Ghost Dog or countless katana-wielding anime warriors, samurai through modern eyes are sleek, graceful and honourable to a fault. The positive image of the samurai as an intensely loyal aesthete with a sword, despite not being borne out by history, also remains powerful, as does their rather better founded status as elite soldiers. One of my own BJJ heroes, Saulo Ribeiro, has proudly described himself as a "samurai of the modern world." So, samurai imagery is an easy sell to BJJers (including me).

My knowledge of samurai armour comes mainly from Akira Kurosawa and playing Wizardry (hence why 'ashigaru' is a familiar word to me, as they kept stabbing my characters to death), but Wikipedia has an impressively detailed picture with a complete key of all the parts. Based on that, it looks like JayBhoi has kitted his samurai out with ō-yoroi ('great armour'), rather than the later more mobile dō-maru. That also means I've now learned a new word: I'm a fantasy and history geek so I love armour and weapons, but 'poleyn' isn't something I've read before. Apparently that's the bit that covered the upper leg through to the knees (4 on the diagram). ;)

JayBhoi's Red Samurai is trying to chop into Blue Samurai with a blood-stained katana. However, Blue Samurai has managed to overcome him through - of course - jiu jitsu (I somehow doubt BJJ would help you against a great big sword in real life, but it's a cool concept for BJJ fightwear). The difference in armour tone is a satisfying touch, as it makes Blue Samurai's triangle-armbar attack much clearer.

The main body of the spats is a rich blue, setting off the red stitching that continues the colour scheme of the samurai. That blue background contains a blown-up watermark of the samurai design, extending across the entire surface of the spats. Directly behind the two combatants there is a large oriental dragon, mouth agape and claws raised. She looks partially armoured herself, further enhancing the samurai theme. The ethereal light blue colour presumably indicates that this dragon represents the fighting spirit of the samurai. On a personal note, it fits pretty well with some of Jodie's own dragon artwork, which she tattooed on my left foot a few months ago. ;)

At the bottom of the left leg, Acosta's personal logo (a quizzical stylised head, atop a plate with 'JAYBHOI' written across it) stares out. On the right leg, 'Combat Skin' is written down its length in large white letters. The 'CS' logo sits at the top of the leg, looking like it has just been sliced in half. The waistband of the spats has 'Comabt SKin' written all along it, separated again by that CS logo (untouched by a sword this time).

Acosta's artwork has the standard sublimation to prevent cracking, peeling and fading, while the spats have the equally standard flatlock stitching for comfort. The tags are sublimated too, greatly preferable to those irrtating flaps you get in most clothes. Combat Skin have also helpfully pre-washed the tights, so you shouldn't have to worry about the various chemicals from the manufacturing process that can linger in new clothes.

There have been a number of changes compared to the Combat Warrior spats. The Samurai in Combat do not have that 'waxy' sheen, presumably because instead of 80% polyester and 20% lycra, they are 82% polyester and 18% spandex (the same blend as the Mashuu 2.0 from Strike). The dimensions for 'Medium' have changed as well: the Samurai in Combat is noticeably longer than its predecessor. They remain a good length for my 5'7 and 66kg frame, because I prefer spats to extend to my ankles. They are 93cm rather than 85cm (unstretched), while the width is 34cm, compared to the Combat Warrior's 31cm (measuring it flat on the floor on one side, again unstretched). Overall I'd say these are an improved fit compared to the Combat Warrior, which was already among my best fitting spats.

Those Combat Warrior anti-slip bands on the ankle cuffs have gone, with added reinforcement: the Samurai in Combat has three lines of stitching on the cuffs compared to the Combat Warrior's two. The drawstring has gone as well. There is still an anti-slip waistband on the Samurai in Combat, but it's more comfortable than on the Combat Warrior. As you can see if you click on the picture, the pattern of stitching on that waistband is different too. For me that again is an enhancement. Drawstrings have been superfluous in my experience with spats so far, though if the elastic loosens over the years, the Combat Warrior drawstring will have renewed purpose.

The Combat Warrior spats arrived in a small plastic pouch. This has been upgraded to a mesh bag for the Samurai in Combat, with a toggle drawstring. That's perfect for wet clothes you want to compress, so I'm currently using the bag for my old travel towel. The Samurai in Combat spats are available to buy from the Combat Skin website for $59, here.

Equipment Review - Combat Warrior Tights (Combat Skin)

Short Review: Combat Skin have produced a range of Meerkatsu designed equipment, encompassing both nogi and gi. Their Combat Warrior grappling tights feel a little different than others I've tried before, with a 'waxier' (for want of a better word) sheen to the material, but they're still comfortable to wear: a Medium was a good fit on me (for reference, I'm 5'7 and around 66kg). They also have anti-slip bands on both the waist and ankle cuffs along with a drawstring: this is intended to keep the tights in place, but in my experience it isn't entirely necessary. However, if you've had trouble with tights slipping, you'll be able to fasten these very securely to your hips. The design is a vibrant orange Qilin from Chinese mythology, with 'Combat Skin' written down the other leg in bright yellow. Available to buy from Combat Skin here for $55.

Full Review: The fightwear market continues to grow, but in a shift from recent years, the potential product line has also evolved. Previously, it would be a matter of sending off a gi design to Pakistan or China then releasing a gi largely the same as every other company, just with different patches and perhaps some embroidery. Now, it has become fairly standard to also offer rashguards and grappling tights (known alternatively as spats). I would assume those are also often made in Pakistan and China: not all of my rashguards and spats have a label stating where they were made, but of the three that do, two are from Pakistan.

In November 2013, Steven Loi (possibly the same Steven Loi who runs BJJ Video Vault) officially launched his contribution to that expanding market, Combat Skin. It's a good name, bringing up associations with cool sci-fi armour from films and computer games. I first became aware of the brand due to another positive pop culture reference from my past, in the form of their 'Street Jitsu' t-shirt, paying homage to classic beat-em-up Street Fighter II.

Over time, I have realised that a good product and customer service are not the only aspects of a company that matter to me, though both are of course important (I'm therefore going to babble about that for several paragraphs: to skip straight to discussion of the product, click here). In my case, I am equally swayed by how the company responds to what used to be called 'Corporate Social Responsibility' back when I worked in business. The Combat Skin mission statement indicates that is indeed one of their central concerns:

Our success will be based on how we serve the martial arts community and this includes:

* Creating the best designs and fight wear for combat arts/sports

* Providing a high quality service that leads to exceptional customer satisfaction

* Using designers and artists that train

* Supporting practitioners by giving back to the community (e.g. sponsorships)

The first two points are to be expected: pretty much any business is going to want to create the best product possible and aim to deliver high quality service: if they did not, then unless they are operating a monopoly, that business would not last long. The third and fourth points are more interesting. I can't think of any other fightwear brand that has a specific goal of only using designers and artists that train. There are quite a few in jiu jitsu, so I'll be interested to see what new artists may get a chance, along with established jiu jitsu designers such as Meerkatsu and Gawakoto.

Many companies claim to 'give back to the community': Combat Skin have attempted to back up their advertising copy with a charity t-shirt featuring a samurai image on the front. Combat Skin have also shown their willingness to engage with their potential customer base, using Facebook to discuss those charitable efforts. For example, for the samurai charity shirt, they first asked on Facebook if people thought it was a good idea, then went ahead and donated 20% of the t-shirt's profits to an appeal supporting the Haiyan typhoon survivors. A few weeks earlier, they announced they would be supporting the Inspire women-only open mat. I'm not sure what exactly that support involved (perhaps providing some t-shirts for the event), but either way it's a positive sign of their commitment to more than just lip service to the oft-quoted goal of 'giving back'.

Finally, 'giving back' can be seen in the Combat Skin approach to sponsorship. According to Facebook, they examine several factors on top of competition results. In fact, they specifically state you don't even have to compete. That greater scrutiny of potential candidates is important, given that there are both people and whole teams out there who can prove they have plenty of jiu jitsu talent, but possess a less than stellar reputation off the mats.

Moving on to the actual product, this is the sixth pair of spats I've owned. Although I only rarely train nogi, after getting hold of my beautiful Pony Club Grappling Gear unicorn spats, I've gotten into the habit of always wearing both spats and a rashguard under my gi. The Combat Warrior tights have a slightly waxy feel to the material compared to my other spats, a texture I have so far previously encountered in rashguards. That's not meant to be at all negative, I just can't think of a better word to describe it. The last time I encountered that kind of material was when I wore a rashguard Conor lent me to train nogi in Houston. While writing this review, I also received some rashguards from Odin Fightwear that felt similar.

That feel could be down to the mixture of materials. The Combat Warrior tights are 80% polyester and 20% lycra. That contrasts to the 82% polyester/18% spandex on my Strike Fightwear spats and the 80% polyester/20% spandex of my RGA Bucks Tatami rashguard. However, the Gentle Chief rashguard I reviewed a while ago has a comparable blend of 82% polyester/18% lycra, but lacks that same slightly waxy texture. I would therefore guess the Combat Warrior tights are either a bit thicker or perhaps has had some kind of treatment: either way, it's only a minor difference and doesn't affect my comfort, so I'm mainly speculating out of interest.

Unstretched, the Combat Warrior spats are 85cm long and 31cm wide, but keep in mind there is a lot of stretch in them due to the fabric. They have proved to be a decent fit on my 5'7 and 66kg frame. I prefer spats to pull down past my ankles, meaning they end lower than my gi trousers. In comparison to my other grappling tights, Combat Skin fall in about the middle of the range, although those tights are in a range of sizes and indeed each company has quite different ideas of what constitutes a 'Small' or a 'Medium'. As can be seen by lining them up, the Meerkatsu 'Medium' is by far the longest, followed by the Pony Club Grappling Gear 'Medium' and the Combat Skin 'Medium'. The Meerkatsu flaming rooster bunches at my ankles as it is too long, so the best fitting spats I have are from PCGG and Combat Skin (though the larger size of the rooster spats does mean they are the easiest to put on).

Like the Mashuu 2.0 spats from Strike Fightwear, the Combat Warrior tights have an anti-slip waistband, as well as smaller bands stitched to the ankle cuffs. I ended up removing the waistband from the Mashuu 2.0 and expected I'd experience the same unpleasantly constrictive feeling with Combat Skin's offering. Initially I thought my expectations had been confirmed when I heard that same ripping noise as I struggled to pull the waistband over my hips. However, while I assume that means that again the threads attaching the waistband to the spats were breaking, I think that first impression was misleading.

The Combat Warrior waistband is not as tight as the anti-slip waistband in the Mashuu 2.0 and the width is also broader. The compression around the legs is a lot more comfortable than the Strike Fightwear spats, though I would assume much of that is because I opted for Small in the Mashuu 2.0 when I should have gone for Medium. It's also worth noting that I like a tight fit, so it is possible you might want to get the next size up in the Combat Warrior tights or consider removing the anti-slip waistband.

The Combat Warrior tights have a drawstring in the waistband, as do the Meerkatsu flaming rooster spats I bought a few months ago. Personally, I think that's a superfluous addition in both the Meerkatsu and Combat Skin tights, but that is probably just a matter of preference. Especially with the anti-slip waistband in the Combat Warrior spats, I have had no need to use the drawstring to keep them up above my hips. I have never bothered tying the drawstring on either pair of spats and had no issues with slippage. Then again, I also haven't regularly trained with them in a nogi class, so perhaps that would pose more of a challenge. You could also argue that wearing them under gi trousers increases the friction and risk of slippage compared to nogi class. Either way, they stayed put.

In terms of the chosen design, I enjoyed the vibrant sublimated graphics, a mix of orange, red and yellow. This stands out against the black, in a way reminiscent of the Mashuu 2.0. This is subjective, but I think that Combat Skin have done a better job than those Strike Fightwear spats regarding the design proportions, resulting in a sharper finish on the main illustration. In a similarly subjective judgement, I am less keen on the text dominating the other leg (as I prefer graphics to text when it comes to spats), but I do like the bright yellow colour they've chosen.

Combat Skin decided to release multiple products off the same Meerkatsu concept, meaning you can kit yourself out with a whole Meerkatsu wardrobe (Seymour put up a post about it here). That includes a gi, rashguard, spats, t-shirt and shorts. The specific artwork builds on the mythical Qilin figure, explained on Combat Skin's website as having "the head of a heavenly dragon, the body of a lion, scales of a Koi fish, a tail similar to a raging bull and the hooves of a great stallion."

Along with that large Qilin design down one leg, there is a Combat Skin logo on the upper right and a Meerkatsu one on the lower left leg. The spats arrived in a small display bag, with a monochrome Qilin printed on the back and a clear plastic panel on the front. Combat Skin's product description notes that these are prewashed, meaning that you can wear them straight away if you're concerned about chemicals used in the production process. At $55, the price is close to other spats on the market: available to buy from Combat Skin here.