New Year, New Gi

-- Jonna B.


What's a good way to start another year on the mat right?  Get a pretty bad-ass gi!

When I say pretty, I mean this:

Atama Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition Gi
Gi Top Size:  F2
Pant Size: F2

Out of all the other gis I own (Atama, Koral, Vulkan, Keiko Raca, Jansport, unbranded Korean), my favorite is my blue Atama which I got in 2006 (still alive after rolling with me for 4 great BJJ years!).  For a 5'1" short Asian girl with a small body frame, Atama's top is clearly built for a woman, hugging our body in all the right places.  The pants may be a bit baggy, but it's okay.  I'm not in BJJ to show-off a curvy butt.

So, the Atama Leticia Ribeiro Limited Edition gi comes with dainty purple embroideries of stars and butterflies.  As the website notes, the weave is similar to Mundial 9.  The gi is a bit big and loose when I first wore it straight from the packaging.  The sleeves run up to an inch beyond my wrist, and quite baggy on the shoulders and armpit.  The pants were a bit long and wide, too.  

After a trip to the washer and dryer, it has shrunk beautifully.  The tag says that shrinkage is up to 5%, and it seems accurate.  The sleeves are now right on my wrist and the shoulders are slimmer (but not tight).  And the pants are now a perfect fit!  On the average, the gi has shrunk about an inch on the right places (length and width of the sleeves, shoulders, body and pants).

Because I train in two dojos with different mats (one with tatami and the other with blue rubber mats), I swore not to wear this pretty white thing on the blue rubber mats as the color tends to rub on our gis.  Other than that "consideration," I find it a great gi both for training and competition.  I just hope it's as tough as my 4-year-old blue Atama.

Oh, and one more thing: I got a lot of oooohs and aaaahs from my teammates when I wore it, mostly from guys.  They're simply jealous of the design, they want one for themselves!  I guess it's a real headturner :)