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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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
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/
Link:
http://submissionfc.com/
