A while ago I purchased a Gameness gi from my school as a backup. One to keep in the car for when my others were dirty. I ended up wearing it as much as my Keiko and Koral because it was high-time for my Kwon to be retired.

The Gameness top material is pretty soft, and the collar is very heavy-duty, making it difficult to grab. The pants are somewhat stiffer than my other pants, with a smoother finish. They don’t move quite as nicely, and the crotch hangs way too low, making them difficult sometimes. However, they are all-around too big, so I don’t get tangled up too much.

The Gameness shrunk alot when I put it in the dryer. The unfortunate part about shrinkage is it always affects length, not width. The result was that the pants are just barely the right length but too wide, still. The top is also still baggy but the sleeves are now much shorter.

Overall Fit: yuck

Color: white, black, blue, forest green

Patches: modest, “Gameness”

Stitching: so far, so good

Fabric: moderately rough

Pants: ok fit, fairly baggy in the butt; Drawstring: fabric style (as opposed to rope), slightly difficult to pull after washing, easily straightened to fix

Jacket: big, shallow lapels, stiff collar

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*Product reviews by our contributors are solely the opinion of the writer and are meant to provide first hand experiences with products for female grapplers.  Views and opinions may not reflect the views and opinions of VJJBJJ.com.

I love my Keiko Raca Gi. It is a “limited series” double weave gi in size A1. Don’t be fooled by the “double weave” title. It’s actually very light, breathable, and the fabric flows, meaning, it’s not stiff as a board, even after you wash it. This is my IBJJF competition gi.

The jacket flaps are cut nice and long, like the Koral so that they wrap around completely, but unlike the Koral, my Keiko is also nicely fitted on top. The sleeves are more narrow, and the fabric is softer. The only downside here is that the collar is not as stiff so it’s more difficult to defend chokes.

A word of warning here, many people find that Keiko Raca pants run very small — this is TRUE. They are SKINNY! But if you can get over looking like somewhat of a hipster, than it’s worth it because skinny pants mean that it’s harder for your opponent to grab at your ankles and knees! Skinny pants are great for women. Here you can see me and my super skinny pants (A1) with my friend Bethany McKee at the 2007 Mundials.

Still, the A1 pants are even too tight for me. Although they stretch slightly, they don’t have the same airy freedom as my Korals. [Edit: after another year of use, the Keiko A1 pants are now stretched enough that they fit me wonderfully after one use (wash-use-compete).] I was lucky enough, however, that a very good friend of mine, Michael Harmon, had an extra pair of Keiko A2 pants (which were much too small for him). They have plenty of room in the crotch for movement, but are still narrow around the knees and ankles. Compared to the women’s-specific pants of the CatFight Gear gi, however, they are too baggy and somewhat restrict movement. Unfortunately, you cannot buy the pants separately, but I think if you email the manufacturer, they will likely be accommodating.

Pros: Super light and soft, jacket flaps close hip-to-hip, love the black trim, looks great with my BJJU patch on the back, IBJJF regulation compatible

Cons: Pants maybe too skinny (chose size up), collar not as stiff

Overall Fit: great

Color: white, blue, black, red, dark blue

Patches: minimal, classy

Stitching: excellent

Fabric: soft

Pants: skinny, did not shrink length-wise (not too short); Drawstring: rope style, holding up well so-far

Jacket: good fit, sharp-angled lapels, tends to come undone easier than my others which can get a bit annoying

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*Product reviews by our contributors are solely the opinion of the writer and are meant to provide first hand experiences with products for female grapplers.  Views and opinions may not reflect the views and opinions of VJJBJJ.com.

My Koral is size A1, classic weave. The jacket shrunk slightly, and the pants shrunk alot. The pants fit extremely well now with plenty of room for movement, but still fairly close fitting. They’ve faded, but are still pretty rough fabric. I love the Koral string — very easy to pull and stays tied pretty well. The collar of the Koral is really stiff and hard to grab, also good for defending chokes. Still, the Koral is very large across the shoulders and back. The jacket is thus pretty baggy and doesn’t stay on very well despite the jacket flaps closing all the way across. When you let the Koral air dry, it becomes extremely stiff and rough; however, if you put it in the dryer, it comes out nice and soft.

Shipping from Koral was pretty fast! Score!

Pros: decently sized after shrinking, nice color, patches, light weight, stiff collar

Cons: rough, still too baggy, pants fading

Overall Fit: pretty good, baggy in the chest/shoulder area

Color: white, blue, black, dark blue, dark green, red, etc.

Patches: pay more for more patches, classic Brazil competition style

Stitching: excellent

Fabric: soft, took about 1.5 years to break in

Pants: short fit, shrunk length-wise; Drawstring: fabric style (as opposed to rope), slightly difficult to pull after washing, easily straightened to fix

Jacket: mediocre fit, too baggy in shoulders/chest, long lapels close entirely hip-to-hip

*Product reviews by our contributors are solely the opinion of the writer and are meant to provide first hand experiences with products for female grapplers.  Views and opinions may not reflect the views and opinions of VJJBJJ.com.

VJJBJJ: EUREKA! A women’s only tournament!  How did this event come to be?
GGO: It was all Kaelyn’s fault! 

We were talking in 2008 about how awesome it would be to have a tournament that was well-run, where the divisions happened on time and there was toilet paper and hand soap in the washroom and you didn’t get relegated to competing at 9pm because there were so many boys that there was no other place to fit us in. There weren’t a lot of tournaments like that in Toronto at the time (it’s gotten way better in the last year), but we all got enthusiastic and… well… here we are.
VJJBJJ: Any idea how many competitors you’re expecting?:

VJJBJJ: What’s different about the GGO’s divisions and weight classes?:

As far as the organizers go, we’re all BJJ people, but we’re hoping to get wrestlers, judoka, submission grapplers, etc., to come out and test their stuff.

VJJBJJ: It’s noon on August 22, you look around the venue and realize it’s a successful event because you see… 

GGO: … that Chrissy Linzy is running it. I’m not even joking about that. She’s amazing.

The divisions will be running on time, women will know when they’re fighting, and you’ll be able to visit the vendors and the food tables and get great gear and awesome snacks. We have everybody from brand new BJJ white belts to black belts with more than ten years of experience. You’ll get to see some great jiu-jitsu from the experienced ladies and several of the American and Canadian up-and-comers.

VJJBJJ: Women’s Jiu Jitsu is on the grow.  What do you envision as the future of competitive women’s grappling?

VJJBJJ: Immediately following the tournament there will be women’s only grappling camp.  What’s in store for those who attend?

VJJBJJ: When you’re not running tournaments, you can most likely be found…

VJJBJJ: What is the future of the Grapple Girl Open: Annual events? Multiple events each year?
GGO: Oh god, don’t give the rest of the committee any ideas! This tournament is SO much work!

I think an annual event sounds cool. We’ll talk about that after this one is over.

VJJBJJ: There are more and more women training BJJ; any advice for those nervous about competing for the first time?

GGO: It’s just a tournament. I think women psyche themselves out way more than men do. We’ve had a few people try to sandbag (to which I am morally opposed in the strongest and most strident terms), and I’ve had to have a talk with them, but when I talk to them it’s clearly because they are either not sure of their own skills or scared of losing.

To those who are scared of losing, I say: relax. Loss is part of competition, just like winning. Get out there, give it a try, and see what you think. Maybe competition isn’t for you, but how will you know unless you try it?

You’ll get to compete, you might take home a medal or two, but you’ll definitely get to share the experience with other women who are as enthusiastic about grappling as you are. Trust me, you don’t want to miss that opportunity.

U.S. Grappling is run by Andrew Smith, Brian Linzy, and Chrissy Linzy.? Visit them online at www.usgrappling.us?

VJJ BJJ:? When did the three of you decide to launch a new grappling circuit?? Why?
US GRAPPLING:? We started running tournaments together in 2006. Our vision is a grappling circuit for the competitors. All three of us compete, so we tried to design our events from the competitor’s perspective.? For example, upper belts need to compete first so that they can coach their students.? We also try to make our rules as clear as possible.? There’s nothing more frustrating for a competitor than not to know what’s illegal or how points are scored:? http://www.usgrappling.us/rules/

VJJ BJJ: Describe the perfect US Grappling event:
US GRAPPLING:? No points, no advantages, no time limits. 12 rings, 20 refs, 2 days.? Competitors at all skill levels. Cheering spectators.? In Hawaii.? Oh, and about a million dollars from sponsors, of course.

VJJ BJJ: How do you decide when and where to host a tournament?
US GRAPPLING:? We try to establish relationships with venues so we can continue returning to the same spot.? It’s frustrating for competitors when they have to start an already stressful day driving around looking for a venue.? Then we start looking at calendars. First, what’s going on in the grappling scene? We don’t want to conflict with other tournaments, or everyone loses. And there are other external things to consider – weather (Milwaukee + Winter = bad plan), non-grappling events (small town + NASCAR = no hotel rooms), MMA shows.? It takes a fairly long time to settle in on a date.? There are a lot of phone calls to make and schedules to check.? We try to coordinate with other circuits, smaller promotions, and local schools.?

VJJ BJJ: You have a very robust women’s division.? What’s the thought process behind having so many more divisions and weight classes than other tournaments??
US GRAPPLING:? We offer the same number of skill levels for men as we do for women, because we know that women’s grappling is growing every day.? At some events, all women are lumped together, regardless of time training.? This is a little daunting, and may discourage newer women from competing.? By offering multiple skill levels and weight classes, we hope to encourage women to try competing in a division that is more limited, so it’s not quite as intimidating.

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VJJBJJ: Favorite moment in US Grappling history thus far?

Chrissy:? For me, it was at the 2008 Diamond State Games.? A woman came to the bracketing table, and asked to be removed from her gi divisions, because she had already had more matches in her no gi divisions than she expected for the entire event.? She was too tired to do any more divisions.? For me, that meant we had finally succeeded for women.

Brian: One of my favorite moments was about halfway through the day during our first Submission Only event.? It was stressful going in that morning, and there had been a lot of naysayers online predicting we would be there until some absurd hour the next morning.? Even though the turnout wasn’t very high, it was clear by the early afternoon that the format works. In fact not only does it work, it’s really a better experience for everyone involved.

Andrew:? This one’s tough for me, because I’m often a coach as well as a promoter.? Seeing my students win divisions or just fight well is always really rewarding for me as a coach and instructor.? Seeing our tournaments wrap up ahead of schedule and knowing that we’ve just provided a terrific experience for the competitors, and maybe even helped shape the sport, is incredibly rewarding as a promoter.

VJJ BJJ: When you’re not running tournaments, you can most likely be found…
Chrissy:? In front of my computer, plotting ways to get more people to grapple each other.? Sometimes, I make it to class to grapple people myself.

Brian: I’m usually in front of a computer and listening to an audiobook on my ipod.? I watch a lot of grappling videos and spend an unhealthy amount of time surfing the web.

Andrew:? Doing jiu jitsu.

VJJ BJJ: Any upcoming tournaments you’re particularly excited about?
US GRAPPLING:? Definitely our two-day submission only event in Richmond on July 18 and 19.? This format is so much fun, for everyone involved.? There’s less stress on the referees, because coaches aren’t demanding points or advantages.? The competitors don’t have to play a points game.? Then, we have our Junior Championships on August 15, also in Richmond.? We love to spotlight the kids and teens, since they’re the future of our sport.

VJJ BJJ: It’s the year 2015.? What’s going on in the world of USGrappling?
US GRAPPLING:? By 2015, we hope to have spread the Submission Only brand from coast to coast. I’d like to see the community as a whole move past points and time limits and return to Jiu Jitsu’s roots – the submission

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VJJBJJ: Tell us a little about your background in grappling: How long have you been training, with who, what is your belt rank?
CHRISSY:? I started training in August of 2005.? I got my blue belt from Andrew Smith in December of 2007.? Before BJJ, I hadn’t done anything even remotely athletic since high school.? This is a lot different than the tennis team!

VJJBJJ: Spouse/Children/Pets?
CHRISSY:? I’ve been married to Brian (Brain to you internet folks) since November of 2000.? We have two Rhodesian Ridgebacks (Deke and Miles), and a 3-legged cat named Lego.?

VJJBJJ: Proudest moment on the mat?
CHRISSY:? Man, that is tough.? I think it was about 2 years ago, at an open mat.? A woman came in with one of her BJJ friends.? She had been around the BJJ scene before, but never actually attended a class.? She was rolling with her friend, and I was attempting to coach her.? A guy from one of our affiliate schools came over to listen to me coaching her, and asked if he could come back sometime and film me giving instructions, because I was being so precise with what I wanted her to do.? I think that was the first time I ever thought, “Holy crap, I can DO this.”? Of course, he never came back to film anything, but it was a really nice thing for him to have said.?

VJJBJJ: Alaina nominated you for your contributions to women’s grappling.? What are your goals and plans for advancing the sport?
CHRISSY:? What a weighty question!? Honestly, I feel like a lot of what I’ve done (which never feels like enough to me) came from being in the right place at the right time.? I credit a lot of it with the NHB Gear forum, where Sam Kim gives women a top-secret place to come together and share ideas, tournament schedules, and plan women’s open mats all over the place.? Without Team Estrogen, I don’t know if we’d have the community that we have now.?

Looking forward, I’d absolutely love to see even more women trying jiu jitsu, and trying out competition.? It really can be fun (after it’s over, anyway).? One day, I hope to see all of the women’s weights and skills have full divisions, something we don’t even get to see at the IBJJF events yet.? I think the only way to make that happen is for all of the women training today to remember that we’re the groundbreakers here.? We have to keep spreading the word about BJJ.? I guess that’s my only plan…keep spreading the word, and making sure that women always feel like they have a place on the mat.? ? ?

VJJBJJ: What do you do in the “real world” outside of the hours and hours you devote to BJJ? Does such a thing exist? J
CHRISSY:? My “pay the mortgage” job is as part of the telecommunications team for HMC, a subsidiary of Anthem Health Insurance.? Basically, I design the call routing for different companies, so that they can talk to a nurse about whatever is ailing them.? I’m hoping we’ll add a sports medicine option soon, so I can call it when I tweak something on the mat.? When I’m not at HMC or training, I’m typically working on upcoming US Grappling events, hanging out with Brian and the dogs, and swearing at the PS3.?

VJJBJJ: Favorite splurge?
CHRISSY:? Ice cream, definitely.? I wish Ben & Jerry would bring Primary Berry back.? It’s always election time somewhere.?

VJJBJJ: What are you most passionate about?
CHRISSY:? Aside from running really awesome tournaments, I’d have to say dogs.? I’ve been a dog trainer since I was a teenager, and there are few things that get me on a soapbox faster than lousy dog training techniques.? Please, PLEASE don’t mention Cesar Milan (the dog whisperer…ugh) to me unless you have time for a lecture about why he should never be allowed near dogs.?

VJJBJJ: We would be surprised to know that…
CHRISSY:? Hmmm…I sort of already blew the dog training thing in the last question.? Plus, that’s fairly common knowledge nowadays.? I’m really a pretty open book.? I don’t like germs.? I will yell at you if you go into the bathroom barefoot at the gym, or at a tournament.? I’m not above public humiliation to make my point on that one.? Oh!? Here’s a surprise!? The last two times I trained no gi, I had fun.? No one will believe that!

VJJBJJ: 10 years from now you’ll be….
CHRISSY:? Running tournaments with Brian and Andrew, and training dogs…without needing a “pay the mortgage” job.? I also plan to have an awesome car, or six.? I dig cars.

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