BJJ Gi Review: 93 Brand "Grey Goose" from MartialArtsSupplies.Com



No Relation!

 93 Brand is a new American fight apparel company. They real seem to have done their homework though as the gi is both beautiful, aesthetically designed and seems very sturdy. It's light enough to train in and do local comps in but as it's grey, it's not IBJJF legal.

Grey Goose gi by Brand 93

Disclosure and cost:

The fantastic guys at MartialArtsSupplies.com sent me this gi to review. MartialArtsSupplies.com sell the 93 Brand Goose gi for $139.99 which works out to around £92. 

Gi Review:

The first thing that hits you with the Grey Goose gi is, you guessed it, the grey colour. It's so beautiful. The first time I ever saw a grey gi was when Seymour (Meerkatsu) invited me to help out with the Design Your Own BJJ Gi competition which was won by Mr Evan Mannweiler with the Pin Up Gi.

The second thing that struck me was how light it is. The gi arrived in a see-thru buttoned-up plastic bag which I carried from the Parcel Force depot to the gym and it felt lighter than carrying a big book. In fact, when I got home, I weighed myself holding the gi then weighed myself holding Saulo's Jiu Jitsu University and I weighed the same. The gi weighs approximately 1.7 kg :)

Thirdly, it's full of white details and contrast stitching. The crotch, for example, is white. Shiny!.

Never mind red belt, I have a red chair!

Drawstring and loopy loops

Beyond the grey / white flash and dash, there is a nice big fat patch on the bum:

and a couple of patches on the sleeves

and very tasteful seam tape inside the cuffs and along the inside of the skirt

Nice contrast stitching

The gi pants are light but very sturdy

The weave, if that interests you, is advertised as a pearl weave but to you and I, that basically means a tightly woven single weave. Translation: light yet sturdy.

This is not the heavy and warm gi you might get from a Gameness Premium Gi that will keep you warm rolling on a cold evening in Northern Europe nor the super feather of a Kauai best suited for training BJJ around the world, but rather something of an in between. Elegance and sturdiness for everyday training.

The gi I was sent is an A2, measurements below: 

Wing Span : 171 cm (67 1/3 inch)
Wrist Cuff: 17 cm (7 inch)
Jacket Length: 79 cm (31 inch)
Jacket Width: 65 cm (25 1/2 inch)

Waist Width: 57 cm (22 1/2 inch)
Outside Leg Measurement: 98 cm (38 1/2 inch)
Inside LM: 70 cm (27 1/2 inch)
Ankle Cuff: 22 1/2 cm (9 inch)



Probably the simplest Gi Map you've ever seen :)

 What's really nice is that what you see is what you get in terms of shrinkage. It doesn't shrink much from the original shape. 

The general fit of the gi is a tad on the generous side, but I am on the huskey side (85kg of pure muscle or 187 1/2 lb, 1.76 m or 5ft 9Inch) so it fits me better than perhaps a skinnier person of my height.

Remember, it doesn't shrink much so if you're skinny, expect it to remain a bit baggy.

Here are some brief info tidbits from the MartialArtsSupplies.com:

• Comfortable Pearl Weave jacket
• Grey fabric with white stitching and minimal embroideries
• 12 oz cotton pants
• Extended knee reinforcements (all the way to hem)
• Cord style drawstring and additional loops
• Sturdy collar and heavy reinforcements
• 93 Brand has what we've been looking for... A functional kimono that looks unique yet not over-the-top in terms of patches and color schemes. Well their Classic Grey BJJ Gi has looks to kill and meets the highest standard of construction and functionality.
• Pearl weave jacket with an EVA foam collar and custom interior taping along the skirt and lapel. 12 oz. cotton pants with reinforcements that extend to the bottom hem, strengthening the shin area that's normally thin on most Gi pants.
• This beautiful grey fabric is highlight with white stitching and trim, giving a unique but tasteful look. The jacket has only two embroideries: the simple "93" logo sewn into the arms. On the seat of the pants there's a patch that remains relatively unseen and hidden under the jacket skirt until you start rolling around on the mats. Overall a very solid release from 93 Brand, with a great price tag and awesome comfort, durability, and aesthetic.

In short? Fricking awesome...for me and my (husky) body type and since it's not going to be my first option for competitions, I'm making it my Omni-patch gi:

Pictures by Turnip Head Little Lamb.

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ZHOO ZHITSU IS FOR EVERYONE!

Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

BJJ / Grappling Tips: Self defence and Gracie Jiu Jitsu

With my friend Mr Eddie Kone, Royler Gracie
Black Belt and head of EKBJJ

The applicability of Gracie Jiu Jitsu as an art of self-defence is an area I have found myself increasingly interested in. I’ve never been a massive self-defence guy and I’ve always believed that you should work hard to gear your life in a way that you don’t necessarily find yourself in need of self-defence and I still stand behind that statement. Basically, if you’re becoming an expert and defending yourself against muggers or those who wish to harm you, you need to move house, stop showing off your iPhone and maybe work a little on your attitude!

That said, I have developed an interest in how self-defence and jiu jitsu actually link. It all started with me a few years back looking for a good online / DVD based source of jiu jitsu information and finding the Gracie University programme called the Gracie Combatives. I must iterate that, initially at least, my interest was in finding the best jiu jitsu instructionals I could get my hands on and not something particularly focused on self-defence per se. I was looking for someone who not only spoke excellent English, but could articulate their approach to jiu jitsu very clearly and for that reason, the Gracie Combatives was a great choice¹. Rener and Ryron Gracie are excellent instructors with a wealth of experience and a very clear objective behind every lesson, something an aspiring high school teacher like me really appreciates.

What the Gracie Combatives also did was get me to appreciate, amongst many other things, the following:

1.       The value of indicators: For every technique, there is a clear indicator for when it’s best utilised. A simple and commonly known example is “when the opponent in your guard puts his hand on the mat, it’s time to attack him with the kimura” but there were many other ones I, as a BJJ purple belt, didn’t know such as when to switch from hips-down side control to hips-up kesa gatame…etc.²

2.       The value of head control: In practically every position on the ground, the opponent can gain a mechanical advantage over you by controlling your head and NOTHING reminds you to keep your head away the opponent’s hands like punches!³

A question was brewing in my mind:

 “Does a focus on self-defence (punch protection, conservation of energy, defence against attacks a skilled jiujitsoka wouldn’t do such as standing headlocks…etc., training against people of various sizes and experience levels…etc.) help better other aspects of your jiu jitsu (rolling, nogi, MMA, competition preparation…etc.)?”

I recently celebrated my 35^th birthday and as a present, my wonderful wife hooked me up with a private session with my friend Mr Eddie Kone. Eddie is a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie and recently received his first degree through Rafael Lovato Jr and he’s also the head instructor of a large and growing jiu jitsu organisation. Most importantly, Eddie is dear friend of mine so I was very happy with my gift and the opportunity to spend some mat time with him.

Drilling the finer points of posture within the closed guard

When he asked me what BJJ skills / areas I wanted to cover in the session, the answer was very simple: Gracie Self-Defence. I wanted him to review and update my current understanding of defence against front chokes, rear chokes, bear hugs over / under the arms (both front and back), collar grabs, shoulder grabs and the basic hip throw from the safe clinch.

What Eddie did far exceeded my expectations. Not only did we cover all these in detail, and more techniques, he spent a good amount of time explaining the mind-set⁴ and framework⁵ within which these techniques fit. It was really mind blowing. The level of detail⁶ was fantastic but more than that, the attention to both the value of indicators and head control / knockout protection really cemented to me how authentic his approach to Gracie Jiu Jitsu is and I look forward to learning more from him.

More to the point, the adjustments he made to my self-defence techniques immediately addressed a couple of issues I’ve been having with getting some techniques to work when rolling! Look at this famous example from Kid Peligro’s and Royce and Charles Gracie’s book “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu self defence techniques”:

The devil is in the detail!

 When I demonstrated this defence against the shoulder grab to Eddie, he made a tiny adjustment that immediately:

1.       Put ME in total control

2.       Completely ruined my opponent’s balance

3.       Linked with a submission from side control that Martyn taught us a while back that I kept struggling with (and mentally blamed it on having short legs!)

Martyn had learned this really sneaky near side Americana from Rodrigo Praxedes at Phuket Top Team and I immediately liked it by kept failing at it. I thought it was a height thing (Martyn is tall and lanky and I’m, well, not!). The adjustment Eddie showed me from this self-defence position he had learnt from Royce Gracie personally not only fixed my defence against shoulder grabs and the nearside Americana Martyn had shown me but also meant I could better perform this other fantastic nugget of an Americana attack from side control I saw once on a Keith Owen DVD but could never get (this time I blamed it on, you guessed it, my short arms!):

I am convinced that training the self-defence aspects of Gracie Jiu Jits will trickle in and improve every other aspect of your jiu jitsu but, as always, don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. The next time your opponent smothers your armbar or a triangle attack from guard, ask yourself, would he have been able to do that if I had protected against say punches by controlling his other arm / wrist or broken his posture more…etc.?

  

With the team: Shuban, Piotr, Eddie and Nish

1.       MGinaction is another great platform to learn but from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t lay out jiu jitsu in a linear format (i.e. this is the first technique you should learn and this is the next and this is the next…etc.). Still, MGinaction.com is nothing short of a brilliant BJJ resource.

2.       Those who know me know my love for Saulo Ribeiro’s focus on the right timing (or as he calls it “momento”) for every move and this is a similar concept

3.       Whether by stretching your body away from them when recovering full guard or by controlling the distance when playing open guard or burying your head under their jaw line in a butterfly sweep, head control = safety from punches = better leverage

4.       How does what you’re doing look to a bypasser? Who looks like the aggressor / defender?

5.       When to clinch, how to de-escalate a violent situation, how to close down your opponent’s options…etc.

6.       Where should your feet be, your hips, your arms, your head…at one point, he even asked me to pay attention to what he was doing with his armpits!

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ZHOO ZHITSU IS FOR EVERYONE!

Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

BJJ and the Cycle of Action

You didn't think Helio rolled competitively every day did you?

BJJ works, but that of course goes both ways.

When I’m rolling competitively I'm always initiating attacks. Always. It might feel like I'm just laying on you in side mount or just holding your head in my guard but believe me I'm actively working to kill your arms in the former and rocking your balance (kuzushi) in the latter to initiate a flower sweep or a back take. At the very least, I'm working to create a posture deficit to my advantage. This is something I've worked hard to develop over the past few years. To me, this is one of the strongest links between BJJ and MMA*.

But as I said above, this goes both ways. The other person is doing the same thing. They are constantly defending and negating my actions, trying to set up their own. This places the following three sets of demands on you:

Mental: As Saulo says in this clip, the only thing that differentiates us on the mat is the heart, and for this style of BJJ you need a huge heart. It's not easy. You're constantly working. Constantly flowing. Constantly in the moment.

Technical: You need to know your techniques inside and out. If your takedowns are getting stuffed and your passes ending with you getting swept then you will eventually stop doing them or at least hesitate to initiate them. Your momentum will be turned against you and you will start freezing.

Physical: I put this last because even though I acknowledge that BJJ, MMA or any combat sport places physical demands on you (strength, cardio, balance...etc.) these can never overshadow technical knowledge and having a big heart.

Start today. Grab a piece of paper and write down three attacks from each position you know and work out how to link them. The next time you roll competitively**, start from one of those positions and just machine-gun those 3 attacks in succession at your partner and watch your progress rocket***! Speed is not essential. Technical knowledge, heart and flow are.

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*Martyn, our coach at the LABS - FIGHTING FIT MANCHESTER, has always kept the MMA mindset with us. He couldn't care less if we ever compete (whether in gi-jiu jitsu, submission wrestling or MMA) or if we are just training for fun or self-defence. To him, you always keep to the positional strategy and hierarchy of BJJ.
**I don’t roll competitively often at all. I do it every week or two just to stay sharp and more nearer *the rare) competitions.

***Roy Harris wrote a classic article on Progress in Jiu Jitsu and the different belts.


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UFC fighter Alan Belcher shows you how to beat grapplers who are better than you

A week ago or so, I shared a link I got sent from Mr Alan Belcher, BJJ black belt and UFC fighter which showed some excellent entries to the truck position from turtle. I put that on Facebook and within a couple of days people were already reporting success with the transition.

Click here to see that first video.

I also just a day or two ago received some more techniques flowing out of that position. Here is an email from Alan:

Want immediate access to a weird grappling position that will help you beat better ground fighters than you?

If so, you have got to check out this video:

Click here to see the second video. 

This guy was able to beat a very high level grappler by using this exact move. This should be in everyones toolbox as far as I am concerned.

This is a perfect position for no gi grapplers or MMA fighters. It can level the playing field when having to go up against better grapplers than yourself.

Check it out now!

Click here to see the second video.


I hope you enjoy it :)

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ZHOO ZHITSU IS FOR EVERYONE!

Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

BJJ Globetrotter Christian Graugart Seminar: Wrestling from Guard and Upper Body Control in Passing

Christian Graugart in a shiny white belt :)

Christian Graugart, aka the BJJ Globetrotter, visited the North West of England recently. He was here with his brother to watch the Manchester United v Manchester City football game and while he was in the area, he gave a seminar at my friend Carl Fisher’s place Combat Base up in neighbouring Bolton. I was invited and had a great time.

This is a very serious photo.
Check out Christian's awesome PTGrappler Patch!

I found out that Christian was taking the train from Manchester to Bolton so I hooked up with him and we had a very nice journey. He even paid for my train ticket (what? The machine only took card and I only had cash on me?!). Christian is as sincere and genuine as he comes across in his awesome book and is, as you can imagine, a man of a million stories and very clear opinions on friendship, BJJ politics and what is and what isn't bullshit :).

After we got picked up by Mr Fisher and got to his gym, Christian asked me if I thought he should roll at the seminar and I gave him my frank opinion: You’d be crazy to do it. He had just a couple of days prior got a very very serious eye injury (which forced him to spend his birthday at the eye hospital) where a spider guard player almost took his eye out with his toenail. In fact, Christian was wearing an eye patch to protect his uber light-sensitive eye (due to the eye drops). He still wanted to test the waters so him and I rolled a little bit to warm up and while he did pull me apart like a cooked chicken, we had to keep a very controlled pace which thankfully drove the point across to him that he shouldn't roll just yet.

He distracts you with the eye patch and the promise of a
friendly High Five then BOOM... You're staring at the ceiling!