Keiko USA Kimono Gi Review (Overall 8/10)

I am 5'7.5 and I weight around 137-144 lbs.

Keiko USA Kimono (AKA The Keenan Cornelius Gi)

I give this Gi an overall score of 8.  The Jacket itself to me is a perfect 10.  But the pants… eh. 

Ok so unless you are a complete “noob” to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you know Keiko Sports rings bells.  It’s an awesome brand (made in Brazil), that has a reputation for making good looking, tough, durable, double weave gis.  Keiko gis are known for their very thick lapels, and their fit which a lot of people say are meant for lanky/tall athletes.

My first Keiko gi was the “Limited Series” gi, and I agreed that the fit was for longer limbed athletes.  I bought a size A2, and thought to myself hmm.. I could easily fit in an A1.  And I was right, A1 was PERFECT! Now recently Keiko has updated their sizing charts on their main store Keikousa.com.  So an A1 in this gi might be too long! Other sites still have their old sizing charts!!! So be careful when buying a Keiko gi!!

Here is the sizing chart from their store:

Ok on to the gi:

I saw Keenan wearing this on his Concepts DVD and was instantly draaawnnn to it. 

The GOOD:

This gi is definitely built to last, and is made for a lot of rolling. 

I bought a size A1 and the gi jacket and the pants fit PERFECTLY!
(AGAIN! Keiko's size chart has changed, and they are pretty accurate so be careful.)

The inside of the gi feels nice and soft.

There are no hard tapings on the sleeves, so it is very comfortable on the wrists. (No scratchiness).

The Lapel is VERY THICK! And is annoying for your opponent to control.  This thickness also helps you choke out your partner/opponent.

The lapel is long.  This also helps my lapel chokes.

The gi is said to be 650gms Double Weave, but feels VERY LIGHT! Matter of fact it is .10 pounds lighter than their “Summer Gi”.

Of course the American Flag embroidered on the arm is super cool! As well as the patches.

Re-enforced stitching on the armpits and stress areas.

The overall simplicity of the Keiko design is very good.

And lastly, the cotton drawstring!!!.. ITS GOOD! The more it gets wet, the harder it is to come loose.

Rip stop pants, they breathe and are light.

Knee re-enforcement goes all the way down.

Good for competition weight ins.

The BAD:

The gi only comes in white.

The long lapels are good offensively, but terrible defensively also, and can be used against you.  Especially by guys that have been infected by the “WORM” and “LAPEL” guards. 

It doesn’t come with the USA patch on the back. The patches were sold separately. :(

  

And lastly, WHY DOES IT ONLY COME IN WHITE?

The UGLY:

THE PANTS!

SMH. I do like that it is rip stop.  But the design is TOTALLY OUTDATED!

Too baggy.

They are flimsy.  Not at all like the Atama Mundials 9 or CTRL ripstop.

The pants are just boring and need to be updated.

Rolling in the Gi:

I love it.  It’s very light and fits good. Feels kind of slim cut, but does not constrict my body movements.

This is one of my go tos for training and competition.

Here is a sexy guard pass for you :)

Overall I love this gi and would have gave it a perfect 10 if the pants weren’t so “eh”.

This gi will not let you down.  After a year of competing and rolling in it, the only thing to come apart was the patch on the pants, 

THAT’S IT! No other complaints.  Very well made gi.

If you like this Gi, you can purchase this here: KEIKO USA KIMONO

Ouano Premium Lightweight Competition Gi Review (Overall:10!)

Overall Rating: A perfect 10 out of 10.  What can I say, its a very good gi!

I am 5’7.5 ft. and I weight around 137-144 lbs.

As with most of the gis that I am going to be reviewing, I have had this gi for quite some time. I bought this gi in 2012.  I am doing these reviews because like good wine, I believe good gis are judged based on how they hold up after grueling sessions, lots of grabbing, and hard training.  That is after all what these things are made for.

The Ouano Premium Lightweight Competition Gi

Ouano is an oldschool brand.  The owner John Ouano, has deep roots within the sport.  Training with Royce Gracie, Jean- Jacques Machado, and under Carlson Gracie Sr. ….oh damn, there I go jiujitsu nerding Sh*t up! BACK TO THE TOPIC!! THE GI!

The specs in Ouano’s site:

The Ouano premium competition jacket is made of 100% high-end, pre-shrunk cotton (mercerized/sunforized). The mercerized and sunforized process helps minimize shrinkage and keeps the color of the fabric vibrant for an extended period of time, as well as giving the fabric a unique look of a slight gloss appearance. The collar is padded with EVA foam which helps keep it's form and fight off bacteria. 

The Black and Tan Gi set includes 450 gram pearl weave jacket, 10 oz cotton twill pants with brown 38 thread count drawcord, and white belt stored in a twill travel bag with strap.

(The gi that I am wearing and reviewing is a custom designed color.)

First thoughts about the gi:

Wow the stitching is really on point.  Precise.  The inside of the gi feels very smooth. The lapel is twill, also feels smooth, and very comfortable around the neck (it might feel good to be lapel choked in this!).  The pants are also twill, and also feel super smooth.  The lapel, and pants of this gi unfortunately will feel very nice for your opponent to hold lol.  This is a very comfortable gi, and is suitable for competition as it is intended for. And it’s not a lame black dye job… it’s shiny!

The gi fits awesome but the sleeves are long! Here is the sizing chart from the website:

I am 5’7.5 ft. and the chart says that I am an A2.  I could have perfectly fit in an A1.  After several washes in hot water, the gi is still long (past the wrist), but fits very good.  The gi will always pass IBJJF inspectons that’s for sure.

I like the way the gi top hugs my body, not too tight and not too loose.  It is just right.  The sleeves were long when I first got the gi (to my thumb), and after several washes, some of which was in hot water, there was very minimal shrinkage.  But other than that, I love the fit.  The stress areas on the lapels are re-enforced, but not the armpits.  But I guess it doesn’t need it.  The stitching looks on point.

The pants are very soft and fitted.  The fit perfect and also did not shrink so much after several washes in hot water, maybe an inch.  The one thing, the ONLY thing I did not like about the whole gi, was that the drawstring loops were too high up. But this did not affect the comfort of the gi pants, just annoying to look at.  But hey when your fighting, you don’t care about that sh*t, so that is NOT a big deal.

After lots of rolling in this gi, I must say that I am very impressed with Ouano’s quality.  Not one thread is of place!.  All stress areas are re-enforced except the armpit area, but the way it is made, it doesn’t need it. Exceptional stitching!  The color has minimal fading.  It actually fades into like a dirty black cat color, which is pretty cool. This is my favorite gi for both training and competition.

If you want to check out Ouano, Here is the website:

http://www.ouano.com/ 

Also if your size is not available, shoot John Ouano himself an email.  He is very nice and will get it for you.

I highly recommend this gi for competitors, rough training, and anyone that wants a good quality gi that will last you. 

And click here to check out my previous post for more pictures. and to see the gi in action!