Ground Force Basic BJJ Gi Review
I had the pleasure of trying out the first ever gi by the brand Ground Force. For their first gi they made a very solid beginners’ model. What you will notice first when putting the gi on is that it has a very nice tailored slim fit. What I liked a lot is that even though the gi is slim fit, it’s also really comfortable to roll in it. But let’s take a look at what this gi has to offer.
Specifications:
The gi is made from a strong poly/ cotton blend. The pants are made of 8oz drill fabric and the jacket is 350GSM and made in a pearl weave. Overall, this makes for a very lightweight beginners gi. The weight for a size A2 is 1.4 kg. This is without the belt.
The jacket has double fabric on the inside to reinforce all the stress points and make sure this lightweight jacket is durable and won’t break easy.
To make it convenient for beginners, Ground Force includes a free white belt with the gi. As well as a free waterproof gi bag. Not sure if people actually use these small gi bags, I never did, but it’s always nice to get some extra’s.
IBBJF legal:
The Ground Force Basic gi comes in IBJJF legal colors only. They are only available in white, black and blue. All branding on there is placed in a way that you will be able to compete in all tournaments.
Even though it’s a beginners gi and mainly made for the beginning jiu jitsu athlete; the fact that the gi is also really light makes it interesting to use for competitions as well.
Fabric:
Let’s take a deeper look into the fabric. The pants are made out of 8oz drill fabric. They used a mix of polyester and cotton. I actually really like this mix. Your able to make a light fabric that’s still really strong. What’s also a big plus, is that it shrinks a lot less than 100% cotton. With 100% cotton it is more difficult to determine how much it will shrink exactly. I’ve had 100% cotton gis that fit me perfectly in the beginning and over time became a full size to small. And no, I did not move up in weight.
The jacket also has this poly/ cotton mix and is made with a pearl weave. The pearl weave is the most commonly used weave at the moment, I think. It’s perfect because with this weave you can create a very light jacket that at the same time is still very durable. A big advantage about this weave and that it’s so light is that air passes through easier than with a heavier type of weave. This keeps you nice and cool during a tough training session.
Fit and feel:
The gi has a modern slim fit. You feel this right away when you put the gi on. The crotch area of the pants even fits a bit high. That’s maybe something you have to get used too. When rolling in the gi you will notice that the slim fit is not in the way at all though. Training in this gi actually felt really nice, the slim fit did not hinder my movement at all. I must admit that I like training in the lighter, more slim fit type gis so I might be a bit biased.
The fabric of the jacket feels very natural and strong. The pants felt a bit sturdy and not that soft at the beginning. The fabric of the pants feels a bit artificial even. This goes away after washing the gi a couple of times though. So, in the long run I didn’t see it as a problem. But it does make me wonder, this is something that can be improved for a version 2.0 in the future maybe.
What would be a good addition to this gi is probably the Husky sizes. This would make the gi more accessible for everyone. I’m 176 cm tall and 83 kg and wear an A2 for example. I personally really like an A2 for my weight and height but the way it fits me might not be competition legal. At the moment the Husky sizes are not available yet. I feel it would be awesome for all the guys that don’t really like this modern slim fit to have these sizes available as well.
Overall, I do really like how this gi feels. It’s very comfortable for training and even competition.
Design:
Compared to other beginner gis out there the Ground Force Basic gi has very little branding on it. There are no big flashy patches on the shoulders or on the pants for example. Instead they chose to keep all the logos small. What is interesting is that all branding on the gi is embroidered. This is exceptional for a beginners gi and makes it look more high end right away. But as the name suggests it is a basic gi. The only branding on it is a Ground Force logo on the left sleeve, the brand name is embroidered on the right sleeve and there is a small Ground Force logo on the back at the neck. There’s no extra branded tapering on the jacket or in sleeves and no contrast stitching etc.
If you are looking for something fancier and you like the Ground Force design, you might want to check out their competition gi.
Conclusion:
The Ground Force Basic gi is the first gi by this relatively new brand. The low price, basic design and free white belt make this one perfect for beginners. The weight of the gi is kept low, this makes it a nice gi for training and even competition.
The jacket and pants are both made of a strong poly/ cotton mix. This makes for a strong gi that doesn’t shrink much and won’t break easy. The gi has a slim but comfortable fit. For all guys that don’t like a slim fit it would be awesome to see some Husky sizes in the future as well.
The gi has a nice clean design. There’s not much branding on there. This is a bit different from most beginner gis out there. I personally really like this. To me a clean design like this looks more professional.
In short, I really like the gi and for the price of 59 euros this is a really good option, especially for the beginners out there.
Quick Gi Review
Watch the Gi Experts review of the Ground Force Basic BJJ Gi here!