Gi Review - Blitz Kokuba Judo Gi

Five years ago, I ordered a Blitz Kokuba gi through the Warwick Judo club. It cost me £20. I got injured before I actually had a chance to wear it, but it did finally get some use the following year. By then I'd sufficiently recovered for my first experience with BJJ, an introductory session with Oli Geddes. That gi has served me extremely well: in over four years of training, the only damage has been a small rip on the knee, sustained towards the end of 2009.

Those trousers are without any doubt the softest and therefore most comfortable of all my gis. I never got round to patching up the knee, though as the jacket hasn't shown any significant signs of wear and tear, I've continued to wear it with one of the other four pairs of gi trousers I have. However, as you can see from the picture, the rip by the knee is pretty small, so I'm sure if I had the inclination, it wouldn't be difficult to fix. [Update Feb 2011: Now sewn up, so the trousers are back in rotation with my other gis.]

I really like the fit, so until the trousers developed that rip, this was my second favourite gi after the Padilla & Sons Gold Weave. My Blitz Kokuba has 4/170 written on the inside label, which seems to be roughly equivalent to an A2, if like me you're used to BJJ sizes: for reference, I'm 5'7 and 65kg. It comes with a white belt, although if you're buying this for BJJ, I'd note that there is no rank strip (judo does not not use stripes in the promotion process). There is a black logo on the end, but it is too small to use as a substitute.

As this is a judo gi, that means the skirt is longer than you would find in a specifically BJJ gi, and possibly a bit baggier. However, I've spent four years training BJJ in the Kokuba, and I can't say I've noticed much difference between this and any of my 'BJJ' gis (I've got two Padilla & Sons and a Tatami Zero G, along with another judogi, from Black Eagle). The Black Eagle is a bit baggier, but that could be because I think I washed my Kokuba more harshly: I wasn't as careful about avoiding the spin dryer until I got my Padilla, which has some helpful washing instructions included.

There is some discolouration on the seams inside, where the bleach has faded, but that is also true of my Padilla & Sons Gold Weave, which is my next oldest gi. The Kokuba is comparable in weight to my Zero G, and it is clearly sturdy, given how long the jacket has lasted and the minor damage to the trousers. Having trained in both judogi and 'BJJ' gi since 2006, I can happily recommend beginners pick up a judogi as their first purchase, because they tend to be much cheaper than their flashier BJJ counterparts. It is also a good option if you're looking for some more gis to cycle through while you're washing and drying the others.

Another advantage of a judogi is that it doesn't suffer from the BJJ billboard effect. There are only two small patches on the Blitz Kokuba, at the bottom of the lapel and by the right hip. I much prefer the look of a plain, white gi (which I've talked about before), which is why I own two judogi.

If you're about to start judo rather than BJJ and are looking for a gi, then I've got less classes on which to base a judgement. However, I have worn it to judo training, and there is some coverage of takedowns in BJJ (though of course not to the same extent: despite being closely related, there are a number of differences between judo and BJJ), and not noticed any problems.

For some reason it is rarely listed as a Kokuba: when I see it sold, it has the rather more faceless title of 'Blitz Sport Adult Student Judo Gi'. Either way, you can buy one here. If you're a student at Warwick Uni, the judo club no longer sells the Kokuba, as I believe they have a wholesale deal with a different supplier now.

Update May 2016: This gi is still going strong, or at least the jacket is (as I didn't want to pass down the trousers, due to that small rip). My student Kate has dyed it a delightful shade of pink and uses it as her main gi. :)

Gi Review - Black Eagle Judo Gi

I first tried a proper judo class in 2005, but got injured three sessions in, so it was long past time I gave it another try. That previous stint of training meant I already had a gi for my next attempt at judo in October 2008, but because I wanted to bring my gf down to class too, I'd need a second suit. Black Eagle offered their basic 'Adult Elite' judo gi for the fairly low price of £25, which seemed a good deal (especially as they were running a 10% discount promotion at the time).

Although I haven't trained as much judo as originally planned (largely due to a change in circumstances that means I'm not at Warwick Uni as much as before), I've had no problems with this gi in the judo sessions I've made it to so far. It hasn't shown any signs of wear and tear, and after a few washes and one 30 minute session in the spin-drier on high heat, it has shrunk sufficiently for comfort.

This gi felt a lot baggier than my other judo one, which is especially noticeable when I've worn it for BJJ, as that provides my training partners with more handles and makes it easier for them to secure a choke. On the other hand, just means I have to work harder on my defence, which is probably a good thing. It also enables me to use my own gi to attack, wrapping up their limbs, or at least it would if I had any idea how to do that properly. ;)

It is also fairly light and not too stiff. That means I often grab this when I want to bring a smaller gi, as the Black Eagle packs up tighter than my Padilla counterparts (especially the single weave). It didn't cost me very much, so I'd also be more likely to take this one traveling, as it wouldn't be as much of a hit to my wallet as if I lost a higher quality purchase.

Compared to the Black Eagle BJJ gis, I prefer the simpler design of their judo gi. There aren't any large rectangular patches with 'Black Eagle' in huge letters, just a subtle and quite stylish eagle logo on the arm, with a small patch displaying the full logo on the trousers and lapel (the eagle picture, some kanji and 'Black Eagle'). I've never been fond of large patches, so this is a big plus point for me.

Unlike some gis, you also get a white belt included: all in all, perfect for somebody just starting out in grappling, who therefore may not want to splash out on something more expensive (although the white belt is for judo, so lacks the black BJJ rank strip). Once you've decided you want to stick with BJJ, and are therefore willing to spend a bit more, my BJJ gi of choice is Padilla & Son (particularly if you are in the US).

Update August 2014: Sadly, the company no longer exists, as per this status update on their Facebook page. To quote the founder, "Due to the incompetence of the people we effectively sold our business to, and from which we still earn a living through a percentage of sales, Black Eagle has now ceased trading. Those concerned still owe us £20K, plus earnings, and have left us completely penniless. So, if you see cheap Black Eagle gear being sold, please don't buy it, we get nothing for it, and you will just be lining the pockets of the liquidator."