Jiu-Jitsu Gear

Can a very affordable gi (read cheap) be a worthwhile part of your training rotation? That is the question you’ll ask yourself when you’re in a sudden need of a new gi, and it is completely unexpected.

Sure, you can save some skrilla to cop that hot new Shoyo when you plan for it, but what if one of your gis happens to rip during training? What if you just bought a new car so your discretionary money is a lot tighter? What if I just keep coming up with a million hypothetical scenarios when we all totally understand already? We get it Ruben, we’re broke...

I sought out to review one of the lowest cost gis on the market. The Elite Sports Ultra Light gi.

You can purchase it on Amazon, and get back on the mats in a jiffy. But, is it a worthwhile purchase?

In short, yes. Although it is partially made with polyester, the gi performs just as you’d expect any other gi to perform. The design is understated and if you utilize my process for washing black gis, you’ll keep it dark and dangerously sexy.

It’s been a while since I reviewed a Gi.  I mean like… years.

I’ll be honest with you guys, I’ve declined a lot of free bjj gear during this time in exchange for reviews because it seems to me that the BJJ Gi market has become commoditized.

This review is different, because I wasn’t sent this for free.  I actually purchased this Gi with my own hard earned monies.

I haven’t bought a Gi since 2016.  As I have enough that are holding up pretty well for me.

Which is exactly why I am writing this review.  To let you guys know that I’ve found, what I consider to be, the absolute best light Gi for summer training and for shaving a few extra ounces when you need to make weight at your next tournament.

The Gi is the “Air” by Flow Kimonos.

To sum it up, this is a lightweight gi.  It’s worth considering if you are looking for a summer gi or a lightweight gi for tournaments.  I have used this gi four a couple of years now, and, using my process for washing white gis, it remains nice and white AF.  The gi has not shrunk at all in all of this time nor have any of the seams started to wear.

[Read more…] about Gi Review: Air – Flow Kimonos

What is The OSS Box?

The OSS Box is a service that sends you a monthly package of goods relating to, or useful for, grappling athletes.

From their about page:

I started The OSS Box as a way to get awesome products into the hands of subscribers like you. The BJJ community is a tight community on it’s own, so our idea is to have The OSS Box serve as a gateway for our subscribers to be introduced to companies and products that will benefit them on and off the mats.

I am a BJJ fanatic myself. I have been training for almost two years now and am blue belt. I have a background in Judo and Wrestling as well. I live, breath, and train BJJ every waking moment. I can truly say that BJJ changed my life for the better.

By offering amazing items in our monthly subscription boxes, I’m hoping that BJJ can become more a part of your everyday, training and life.

What do you get?

You get an assortment of curated items from a variety of companies.  One of the pros of subscribing to the OSS Box is that you’ll get hooked up with products that you might not ever be aware of.  Specifically speaking, they incorporate the following into each box:

• Apparel
• Edible Goods
• Supplements
• Hygiene Products
• Accessories

The OSS box packages for December and January. Tap the pic to see the product companies. If you've been looking into getting a subscription, you may be interested in the review I'll be posting on the blog.

A photo posted by Ruben Avila (@rubeneavila) on Feb 15, 2016 at 1:52pm PST

Here is what I received in my December box:

1. “Just Roll” Shirt from BJJ Tees $14.99
2. Vanilla Cream Protein Powder from EAS Brand Retail Price Unknown
3. “Holy Jolly” Bar of Soap from Soap-A-Licious $6.99
4. GoStak Portable Containers from Blender Bottle $12.99
5. EnergIce Electrolyte Icy Pop from EnergIce ~$2.00

Here is what I received in my January box:

1. “Keep Calm and Pass Guard” Shirt from Martial Arts Tees $19.99
2. Belt Rank Key Fob by Ohana Paracord $7.00
3. EnergIce Electrolye Icy Pop from EnergIce ~$2.00
4. Mixed Berry Protein Powder from Designer Whey Retail Price Unknown
5. Healing Solve by Joshua Tree $1.50
6. Tea Tree/Mint Body Wash by Joshua Tree $6.00
7. “Stakk’D” Caffeine Blend by Please Mix Responsibly ~$4.00

I fucking LOVE the GoStak.  So versatility, much awesome.

How often do you get it?

The OSS Box delivers every month near the end of the month.  Just like that.

What do you pay?

That will depend on how often you’d want to be billed.

If you want to be billed every month, you’ll pay $24.95.

If you want to be billed quarterly, you’ll pay $70.95 (which equals $23.65 a month).

This price point is on par with similar services.

Who should get the OSS Box and is it worth it?

I think The OSS Box is great in two situations (that I can think of).

The first situation in which I would recommend The OSS Box subscription is if you are a BJJ player who has identified a lack of bjj apparel in your wardrobe and want to remedy that.  Each month, you’ll get a new piece to add to your wardrobe.  That’s an immediate and obvious way to fix that situation, and you’ll be styling on people all day errday without having to go and actively look for stuff to buy.  Additionally, you’ll be getting the clothes at a nicely discounted price point.  Win win, if you ask me.

The second situation I think would be perfect for a subscription is if you’re looking to give someone a gift that happens to train Jiu-Jitsu.  In this case, they’d get an assortment of BJJ products and you get to look like an awesome person.

Third bonus scenario: do you remember what it was like to be a child upon waking up on Christmas?  Do you miss that feeling there buddy?  I bet you do.  Can you see where I’m going with this?  In case you can’t, The OSS Box can provide those feels.  Every.  Single.  Month.  #HollaIfYaHearMe

Of course, there may be other scenarios in which you’d want to subscribe to The OSS Box, but those two come to mind off the top of my head.

Each of the boxes I received had more monetary retail value than the subscription price.  Conservatively speaking, each box had at least $40 of goods in retail prices.  If you were to factor in how much you’d pay in shipping for each of these items alone, you’d save another $25 or so (assuming, on average, about five bucks per product for shipping).  So, roughly speaking, twenty five bucks spent to receive sixty five worth of stuffs is pretty reasonable.  Wouldn’t you say?

If you have any other questions, check out their FAQ page.

Use “TheArtist20” to get 20% off your first package!

Cyber Monday / Black Friday BJJ Deals

[Read more…] about Black Friday 2015 Deals for Grapplers

I must have dope reviews.  Or, Submission FC can’t tell the difference between a good review and a bad one because they selected me, once again, to do a review of their newest offering the Mania Gi.  Either way, I’ll take it.  #EveryDayImHustlin

To sum it up, this is a premium gi.  And, for the price, it’s definitely worth considering if you are venturing into the premium gi market.  I have used this gi a total of 8 times now, and, using my process for washing black gis, it remains nice and holds on to the color of the gi.  The gi has very little shrink to it which may be bad if you are a taller person.

[Read more…] about Gi Review: The Mania – Submission FC