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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi Guide

How do I find the right size?

Our Jiu-Jitsu gi sizing guide explains how to find the correct size kimono for you and explains the different categories for adults, women, and kids.

Do I Need More Than One Gi?

You can get by only owning one gi when you start training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but in the long run, it pays off to have more than one Jiu-Jitsu gi because washing your kimono after every training session is a good practice to maintain.
It is not time and energy efficient to run one gi per wash cycle, which is why most dedicated practitioners own anywhere from 2 to 4 kimonos. Having a smelly, visibly dirty and stained gi is disrespectful to your training partners, instructor, and school. The same goes for a white gi which needs to be washed with a detergent containing bleach alternative.


How Do I Wash And Take Care Of My Gi?

Shrinking: Many Jiu Jitsu gis today are “pre-shrunk.” This means the kimono will not shrink one or more sizes after being washed and dried, but will have a slight amount of shrinkage. Many practitioners will follow washing and drying practices similar to those listed below for the first several cleaning cycles and add small amounts of heat to their dry cycle if they wish to slightly shrink their kimono.

Washing: Always wash your gi immediately after training in cold water. Never use hot water. Many detergents are very strong and is, therefore, damaging to the cottons fibers. Woolite is an excellent mild detergent to minimize wear induced by wash cycles. Washing your gi inside-out is another way to prevent wear induced by wash cycles.  Always use color-safe detergent for black and colored gis. Use a bleach alternative instead of chlorine bleach on white gis. Chlorine bleach will weaken the fibers, making them more brittle. Use liquid fabric softener in your wash cycle to prevent your gi from becoming too stiff. Do not use fabric softener sheets. Always wash gis separately from regular clothes because like towels, the coarse texture will wear on your clothes.

Drying: Hang-drying is suggested by most manufacturers as the best way to dry your gi. A dry cycle with no heat will also work. These two methods can take a long time, so if you do dry your gi with heat, use a low heat setting, remove the gi before completely dry, and finish by hang drying. Just remember—when using heat, almost all gis will shrink to some extent.

Color-Setting: To set the color and minimize color fading of black and colored gis, prior to the first wash cycle, soak your gi for thirty minutes in three cups of white vinegar mixed in enough water to submerge your gi.


Ripstop Jiu Jitsu Gis

Ripstop Jiu Jitsu gis are becoming increasingly popular because they are lightweight, dry fast, difficult for opponents to grip and durable. Because ripstop gis are amongst the most lightweight kimonos available, many competitors use these as competition and summer gis. There are some gis available with both a ripstop kimono and gi pants. Although, most Jiu Jitsu companies only offer gi sets with ripstop pants. Many competitors in major IBJJF tournaments. such the Mundials and Pam Ams, wear normal cotton gi tops with rip stop pants.