I'm a bit late to the Shoyoroll party but I'm here now. Over the last couple of years I've seen the unorthodox marketing style that SYR has employed. Truth be told I was not a fan of the limited releases and having to wait around three months to get a gi from them. So I sat by and watched release after release and much of the time I'd regret not getting on the bandwagon and snatching up a couple of their gi's after everyone had received them...and I wasn't about to buy one from eBay! I told myself, "If they would just make them more available and not make me wait a long time I would give one a shot." As their popularity has increased it seems that SYR has gone that way to a degree. SYR has increased the number of batches they release of gi's and made the turn around time much shorter. I came very close to pulling the trigger on the the Gold Star (Batch #14) but opted to wait as I didn't want a black gi and figured they might offer something a bit more my style this year. As luck would have it the announcement of Batch #17 was made and I was very excited to get one. The hard decision was which color would I get...white or blue?
Design
The Competitor gi design is somewhat borrowed from the SYR sponsored athlete gi of 2012. There are some obvious differences with respect to patches and placement but the general concept is quite similar. I am a big fan of patches that are well thought out with regard to design and placement. Many gi companies utilize a pretty traditional and predictable approach to patches and location. SYR has shown over the years that they aren't afraid to try something different and that is something that has always attracted me to the brand. The large SYR patch on the back left shoulder looks great. I like that they placed this here providing ample room for an affiliation patch to go along side it. The red patch along the bottom of the skirt is tastefully done and different than most setting it apart in a good way. The white gi features grey contrast stitching throughout which is subtle and executed well. The classic red embroidery gives this gi some pop along with the traditional SYR yellow patches.
Sticking with the concept of a "Competitor" gi SYR has done just that with the public release of batch #17. The jacket itself is a lightweight pearl weave. The A1 used in this test weighed in at exactly 3lbs which is great for someone that needs a light gi for competitions.
The jacket sports traditional red SYR embroidered patches on the sleeves and classic yellow SYR patches adorning the front right/upper portion of the jacket and a very large one over the opposite shoulder on the back. This patch makes sure everyone in the gym knows you are wearing a Shoyoroll gi. One thing that will please most is that the patches throughout this gi are all sewn on and can easily be removed with a seam ripper should you want to go with a lower profile look. The jacket and pants feature the typical Rasta taping (red/yellow/green) throughout the inside of the jacket and pants. Despite the jacket being ultra lightweight the collar is anything but that. It is quite thick and seems to have a rubberized material inside. I think it is very comparable to my Tatami Estilio 3.0. There were so minor flaws in the stitching which will always show up when contrast stitching is used but nothing too concerning.
Fit
SYR has made efforts to accommodate various sized grapplers by offering a good variety of sizes and you don't see that with all the other gi companies so that is a nice bonus. For this review I opted for an A1 sized gi: 5'4" - 5'8" & 130-160lbs in white. My initial impressions of the jacket were pretty good. The sleeve length is just a hair longer than I'd like. The skirt is a bit longer than my Koral MKM but not excessively like the Storm Typhoon gi. I'd say it is very adequate in length but not so much that it feels bothersome to keep tucked away. I find both the jacket and pants to be very comfortable. Provided I don't shrink this gi any further I should have no problems with the gi passing IBJJF inspections unless someone takes issue with the patches. I have read someone ran into an issue with the large SYR patch on the back shoulder of the gi but personally did not experience this.
The pants are really nice and fit very well. One of my biggest pet peeves are pants that are too baggy and these are anything but that. There is ample room in the legs and crotch but don't feel like I'm wearing pants that I'm swimming around in. The length is perfect and had no problems passing the IBJJF inspectors. I'm a big fan of the 6 loop enclosure system. This seems to be the best that I've experienced with all the gi pants I've owned.
The honest truth is the first time I got to work in the Competitor gi was at the IBJJF Houston Open just days after I received it. As I suspected this gi didn't disappoint in the rolling department. The Competitor gi is light and a real pleasure to train or roll in. The gi never feels excessively heavy after an hour of training and breathes very well. After a couple washes and trips through the dryer on low heat the sleeves feel much more acceptable in length. One thing I love about this gi is that even though it is very lightweight, the fabric doesn't seem to be compromised in terms of durability. I have had lightweight gi's that seem to stretch when pulled on and become problematic in situations where the sleeves are being manipulated. There don't seem to be any problems like that with this gi. I'm very impressed with the durable feel of the jacket and pants. For being so light one might suspect that it can't take a beating but so far I've had no issues.
Measurements
Take note that the measurements I took below were post-washing a couple times on warm water and medium heat through the dryer. I did intentionally shrink this gi a little bit but nothing extreme. For reference: I am 5'7" and 150lbs.
After waiting a long time to get a SYR gi I am really glad that I picked this one. The fit and overall look is exactly what I look for in a gi. A lot of people not familiar with SYR at the gym are asking a lot of questions and want one after seeing this one in person. The fit and look of the gi really sets it apart from the standard fare. Since Shoyoroll allowed buyers to buy two of each color I think there will be a pretty big market for them new and probably not far from the retail price since it wasn't such a limited release. For those that aren't aware of how to keep up when the pre-releases are announced be sure to "LIKE" Shoyoroll's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/shoyorollbrand?fref=ts in order to keep up with their announcements. This gi also looks pretty good on the podium too!
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Awesome review. The measurements you posted are those pre or post wash? I'm planning to buy from a seller same size A1 I just dont know if it would fit me the same way (5'6/145lbs). The fit on you looks perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sidney! The measurements are post-washing/drying. I ran it through my washer on warm and medium heat a couple times. Nothing to extreme but did intentionally shrink it a little. I appreciate you pointing that out and will update the review to note that.
ReplyDeleteNo worries Matt, by the way do you think if you still wash it in warm and high heat it would shrink some more? I'm 5'6 and roughly 143-145lbs bit shorter and lighter than you, do you think I would fit in A1 as well?
DeleteI think you shouldn't have any problems being able to shrink it down a bit to fit you perfectly. I'm 5'7" and 148lbs so you don't have far to go. I'd pull the gi out every 15-20 minutes or so on high heat and check to see how it fits. It took a couple trips through my dryer to get it where I wanted it. Let me know how it works out for you.
DeleteSo you can shrink the gi to your own fit type right?
ReplyDeleteYes you can shrink the gi to a degree. I wouldn't go as far as to buy one that is too big but the sleeve length of the pants and jacket can be shrunk down a reasonable amount.
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