Dokebi Combat Outfitters Jungle Rash Guard Review

Dokebi Combat Outfitters is a relatively newer gear company that provides kimonos, rash guards, grappling tights/spats, shorts, and apparel.  If you aren't familiar with the brand it may be partially due to the fact that not only are they newer in the market but they are based in Vienna, Austria of all places.  I had seen some of their gear through social media channels before getting my hands on some of their gear for my own review.

Construction & Quality

Overall I feel this is a very well made rash guard.  I have had my fair share of rash guards over the years good, bad, and everything in between.  The Dokebi is made of 85% polyester & 15% spandex. These days I think most manufacturers of sport specific rash guards (Jiu-Jitsu of course) are using a blend rather than 100% polyester.  Something worth nothing when doing a little research of my own current rash guards I realized that "Lycra" is a DuPont brand of elastane or spandex.  So if you think there is a difference there is probably very little if the label reads spandex versus lycra.

I can really appreciate the use of sublimated graphics throughout the construction of this rash guard. When I first started Jiu-Jitsu most companies were using heat transfer type graphics and some still regrettably do.  There is no worry about cracking and peeling of the graphics here with the sublimation.  In other words...it's worth the money to pay a little extra for that feature.

Fit & Performance

I received a size small to test and review.  I'm 5'7" & 145lbs.  A small is where I land on their sizing chart and I felt the fit was very snug and a slim cut.  Don't get me wrong it fits very well but I may have been able to go up to a medium size.  I would say that these run a bit on the small end so if you prefer a bit of a looser fit rash guard consider going up to the next size if possible.

The fit throughout is very consistent.  I don't find the sleeves to be excessively roomy as they extend towards the hands.  Some rash guards fail in this area and tend to not be snug enough and that is one of my pet peeves while training.

One of the things I really like about this rash guard is the mesh side vents that run from the bottom to just below the armpit.  This is a nice bonus to help the top breathe during training sessions and particularly if you like to wear a rash guard under your gi.  My biggest complaint wearing rash guards under a gi is the feeling of trapping all the heat generated while training and cooking inside my gi top.  This is a much more pleasant rash guard in that respect.

The rash guard itself is very soft and lightweight.  It features flat locked stitching throughout to ensure it stays together well.  After many hard training sessions both nogi and under my gi I haven't experienced any fraying of the seams at all.

Additional Observations:

Anyone that wears their rash guards under their gi's during training have likely experienced "pilling" in the fabric.  I did experience some while training in the Dokebi rash guard.  This doesn't count as a negative but while researching I did find some companies that claim their products don't experience this due to the blend of fabrics.  I have yet to experience a rash guard that doesn't exhibit "pilling" regardless of fabric blend.  I think this is just something to expect during normal training.

As a Tip:  Wash your rash guards inside out to help prevent "pilling" while running through the washer and/or dryer (especially if you wash with your gi!)

Overall Impressions

Being based in Europe the company's website has their products listed in Euro currency.  The price point on this rash guard is around $55 making it comparable to other popular brands.  I hope to see more of their products offered on more established vendor sites in the near future.

Pro's:

• sublimated graphics
• side vents
• consistent fit throughout entire rash guard

Con's: 

• runs a bit small on the sizing
• availability in the United States through vendors???

I like what Dokebi has done with this rash guard.  It is a very well made product that didn't skimp on design nor take short cuts on construction/quality.  Let's face it.  Most Jiu-Jitsu gear is not cheap and most of us want to feel like we are getting good to great value for our money.  If you are looking for those qualities and some gear designs that your training partners don't already have then Dokebi Combat Outfitters is definitely worth looking into for your next gear purchases.

http://www.dokebicombat.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dokebicombatoutfitters?fref=ts
https://www.instagram.com/dokebicombat/
https://twitter.com/DokebiCombat

Fenom Hemp Belt Review

I know what you're saying, why is a guy reviewing Fenom Kimono products?  I am lucky enough to know the owner and she offered me one of her hemp belts to try out.

A little background on the owner of Fenom.  I met her back in 2009 when I was just a baby blue belt and I believe she was a high ranked blue at the time.  She helped organize and run a local women's tournament that was a lot of fun.  My fiancee at the time (now wife) competed in the event and we had a great time.  Not long after my fiancee, myself, and a group of girls including the owner of Fenom took a road trip down to Austin, TX for the 2nd annual Girls in Gi's event which was a blast.  Since that time I've been a big supporter of women's involvement in the sport and supporting the Fenom brand has always been a no-brainer.  Fenom offers high quality products designed by women, for women, at a very reasonable cost.  Simply compare the price points of Fenom kimonos to any big brand and it's an incredible value.  Fenom is also one of the first brands to allow mix & match between jacket and pants that some other big brands have copied.

This is the same belt that Fenom offers with the familiar logo tag but mine simply had the tag removed so yes these belts are for guys too!

I have owned my fair share of belts since I started training in 2008:  Gameness, Atama, Shoyoroll, Inverted Panda, and now Fenom.  My preference in a belt is generally one that isn't overly thick.  I find the thicker belts can be difficult to keep tied and I also prefer a belt that is about 110" in length (I have a 30" waist).  This is primarily due to the manner that I tie my belt and usually find that anything shorter than 110" simply isn't long enough.  

First impressions out of the bag is the belt is not overly thick but very firm.  I immediately gave it a trip through the washer and let it hang dry to allow it to break in a bit.  Brand new belts can be very rigid and need a little work to get them more pliable.  After talking to the owner she did confirm the belt is manufactured in China so no fake hemp fiasco here.  

Comparison among other brands

The belt itself is simple by design and has the typical worn look after only a few washes and training sessions.  I love the look of a worn belt and it doesn't take long to achieve that look with a hemp belt. The belt looks great and the length is perfect, and stays tied very well.  The Fenom hemp belt has become my favorite belt for every day training and teaching.  If you are in the market for a new belt or back up belt I would give these a good look.  The price point is in line with any other major brand and is definitely of high quality.

Links:

http://www.fenomkimonos.com/index.html

http://www.fenomkimonos.com/products_belts.html

http://poweredbyshe.com/

Submission FC Mania Gi Review

Submission Fight Company has recently released a new offering to their line-up of grappling gear: The Mania Gi.  This is my first time working with any of their products.  The offer everything from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi’s, ranked rash guards, gi pants, belts, patches, t-shirts, and replacement drawstrings.  The company was originally based in California (most recently Frisco, TX) and has been in business since 2010. 

Design

The jacket and pants have a very clean and attractive look.  The model I received for this review is the black “Mania” with orange and grey contrast colors.  The Mania gi features embroidery throughout with very few sewn on patches.  The quality of the embroidery seems to be very good with no runners.  The embroidery on the jacket appears on the shoulders and lapel.  There is a small embroidered logo for on the skirt (front).  The back of the jacket only sports “Mania” and the company logo along the bottom of the skirt leaving plenty of room for affiliation patches, sponsors, etc.  The bottom of the jacket has seam taping with the Submission FC/Mania print as does the sleeve cuffs.  The pants also have the same seam taping in the cuffs of the pants.  The pants only have “Mania” embroidered just below the loop enclosures and a small, sewn on patch with accompanied size. 

Construction

The jacket is advertised as a 450GSM pearl weave and it is remarkably lightweight.  In addition to being lightweight both the jacket and pants are incredibly comfortable.  After a few trips through the washing machine I found jacket and pants to have a relaxed feel as opposed to a gi that can stand up on it’s own after air drying.   The jacket offers the typical reinforced armpit, single piece (no seam) back on the jacket.  The collar has a nice, thick feel to it giving some overall sturdiness. 

The pants are constructed from 100% 10 ounce cotton which also have a lightweight feel.  These pants remind me how I prefer the feel of natural cotton over cotton/polyester blends (rip-stop material).  The drawstring is the popular paracord material.  I did find the length to be too long but that is typical for most gi manufacturers.  This is easily fixed with scissors and a lighter to customize the drawstring to your desired length.  The only complaint I have about the pants is the loops provided for the drawstring.  The pants feature double loops near the hips and a single loop in the middle much like the Bull Terrier gi I reviewed some time ago.  It’s not a deal breaker but I feel would be better served with another pair of double loops just off center. The pants have reinforcement in the knees that begins at the middle of the thigh and extends down halfway to the shin. 

There is something worth noting that I found odd with the Mania was found during the vinegar soak process prior to the first wash.  I always pre-soak my gi’s (yes even the white ones) in vinegar for about 30 minutes.  Some ask “why would you pre-soak a white gi?”  Well it’s really simple.  Sometimes the tags and patches will bleed during a wash and a few bucks on vinegar are well worth the prevention of staining a brand new, $150-200 gi.  Therefore, I pre-soaked this gi and when I pulled it out I noticed there was a lot of black coloration left behind in the vinegar bath.  I imagine this gi would have suffered some fading if I had not pre-treated it so I highly recommend using vinegar or a product like Retayne.  All that said the gi didn’t seem to suffer any significant fading after many trips through the washer.  I would definitely plan to wash this gi with no other clothing the first couple of times to prevent any sort of bleeding onto other garments. 

Clean embroidery

Fit

Here’s where things were a bit tricky.  I am 5’7” in height and weigh about 150lbs.  I typically wear an A-1 in most gi’s but have found there are quite a few brands where I fall in low end of an A-2.  In previous experiences when I’ve gone with an A-2 size I end up with a very baggy gi both through the torso, long sleeves, and baggy, long pants.  Because of this I usually won’t even try certain brands when I find myself falling in that range of sizing charts.  I was sent an A-1 which is recommended for 5’2-5’5” & 110-145lbs.  I opened the gi up and knew immediately this one wasn’t going to work.  It was borderline competition legal without a single trip through the washing machine.  I was sent an A-2 replacement and my first impressions were also not optimistic.  I was swimming in the A-2 upon trying it on.  My biggest concern was that the gi is advertised as “pre-shrunk” but I had to try and make this one work. 

After a couple hot washes, low spin, and dried on high heat I was amazed that this gi actually fit me incredibly well.  The jacket has a very tailored/tapered feel and looks like it was custom made for my body type.  The sleeve length is now perfect and the skirt length is a bit long.  Many times A-1 sized gi’s that fit me perfectly still leave me a bit short on the skirt which can be annoying trying to keep it tucked in properly and when utilizing the lapel ends for chokes.  This one almost feels a bit too long but I think it’s really the proper length and I’m just accustomed to short skirts on my jackets.  The length of the pants is also just how I like it.  There is plenty of room in the pants without leaving me with an overly baggy feeling.  My only complaint about the fit/feel of this gi is the seam taping in the cuffs of both the jacket and pants has a bit of a scratchy, unpolished feel to it.  It’s not a deal breaker but worth noting. 

Sturdy lapel

Reinforcement in the knees

Cuff of pant sleeve

Rolling Impressions

My first few rolling impressions were average due to getting the gi dialed in for size.  Initially the sleeves were a bit long which was problematic during rolling sessions but it has dramatically improved since shrinking the gi down in size to where I like it.  The gi would pass even the most, strict IBJJF inspectors with flying colors and I would not hesitate to compete in this gi…and I am very picky about what gi’s I will use for competition.  I own far more gi’s I will only train in than I’m willing to compete in.  The gi feels very durable after many training sessions.  The sleeves have little to no stretch in them.  The lightweight feel of the gi definitely stands out while training.  During the hot Texas summer I tend to shy away from the heavier gi’s in my collection and this one is welcomed during this time of year. 

Measurements

The sizing available for the Mania gi has a very broad range for the smallest to biggest of grapplers.  Based on my experience I would say that the gi’s both A-1 & A-2 are pretty accurate to the sizing chart below.  Of course this also allows for intentional shrinking if needed so keep that in mind when reading the gi is “pre-shrunk.”  Clearly there is some give in this area. 

Size Chart

Height                                   Weight (lbs)                                       Size

4’10”-5’2”                            90-110                                                  A-0
5’2”-5’5”                              110-145                                                A-1
5’5”-5’9”                              145-175                                                A-2
5’9”-6’0”                              175-210                                                A-3
6’0”-6’4”                              210-260                                                A-4
6’3”-6’6”                              260-290                                                A-5

*Note that all measurements were taken after shrinking the gi down for my review.

Closing Thoughts

This was my first time working with a Submission Fight Co. product so I didn’t have a lot of expectations good or bad going in.  The biggest concerns I had going into this review was where I fell on the sizing chart.  Clearly the A-1 was way too small and the A-2 was also too big.  Luckily with some patience and careful trips through the washer and dryer I was able to customize this gi and it turned out to be an excellent fit.  On top of being a great fitting gi, the color contrast, quality construction, overall look and feel of this gi makes this a very excellent choice for $140-150 whether it’s used for everyday training or competition.   If you’re in the market for a new gi I would definitely give Submission FC some consideration.

Link:
http://submissionfc.com/