Chicago Open Recap

Last weekend, I competed in the Chicago Open. This was my first tournament at featherweight, and pushed me out of my comfort zones for a few reasons:

- I went without a coach
- This was in a completely new city
- first time competing at featherweight
- I had spent the past week watching my weight, as I had been in Hawaii the week before that
- Saturday was gi and Sunday was nogi, meaning I had to watch my weight for 2 days

Thankfully, one of my old teammates from NJ goes to college in Missouri, so I had the support of him and his teammates. My old teammate, Marcus, drove me to and from the venue that weekend, so I didn't have to worry about renting a car. I'm not even old enough to rent one anyway!

After nearly missing my flight on Friday because of the bad weather, I got to the hotel at around 6pm. I had weighed myself that morning and had been 119.5, but was very wary of taking in too much sodium. I walked a mile and a half each way to get dinner, which was grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. It's pretty miraculous I found it, because the area had mainly fast food. I dodged the now fading black patches of snow and ice, but did get my dinner!

I started at 9am the next day, so Marcus, myself, and one of his teammates left for the venue around 8am. One of his teammates was in my division, but we're both pretty relaxed people and were friendly the entire time. We never had to face each other anyway, but even if we did, there was no tension.

I weighed myself on the test scale and weighed in at a whopping 125.5 pounds with my gi on (the upper limit for female featherweight is 129). I had ample time to warm up, and felt pretty confident. My first and only gi match was against a girl from Brazil-021, a team led by Hanette Staack and her husband, Andre Negao. The girl pulled guard, and I spent most of the time trying to pass and break her spider guard lasso and grips. She eventually swept me, and I was unable to get any half guard sweeps, although I was able to creep out just before the buzzer sounded. The final score was 2 points for her and 1 advantage for me. I was pretty bummed about losing my first match. I ended up "winning" a bronze medal because I first had a bye, and went on to compete in the absolute. Once again, my opponent pulled guard, and I spent what must have been about 3 minutes of a 6 minute match stuck in a triangle. She won on advantages I believe and was only one weight class above me. I was very upset after this match, because I had really wanted to redeem myself in the absolute.

The next day was nogi. I won my first match via rear naked choke about 2-3 minutes in to the match. I lost my finals match on points. She pulled guard, I somehow ended up with her in my guard, but was unable to get a submission or sweep. She ended up passing and winning on points. This won me second place, but I decided not to do the absolute, as I feel injuries are more likely in nogi than they are in gi.

On a somewhat related note, Hanette Staack came up to me and shook my hand a little while after I competed against her student. She was really friendly! I'm a huge fan of hers so it was really cool to meet her and even more awesome to see that she was willing to chat with me for a little. I also got to see Comprido and Carlson Gracie Jr. Comprido annihilated the masters black belt division by the way.

Despite the fact that I only won one match, I feel much more confident about competing than I did last year for the following reasons:

- I lost every match in every tournament I competed in in 2012. One win isn't what I'm gunning for, but it's a step in the right direction
- I didn't obsessively check the athlete list like I have in the past. I checked it occasionally just to make sure that a decent amount of girls that signed up, but I wasn't intimidated by any of the names or teams on the list.
- I realized that I need to work on imposing my game more and being less afraid of taking risks. I feel like I could have been more aggressive with implementing my passing game
- I definitely avoided some weaknesses that have stopped me from competing well in the past

I'm happy I spent the money and went to Chicago to compete. I have to give a huge thanks to Jesse from Killer Bee Gi for sponsoring me and for providing me with the best gis! In all seriousness, I really only reach for my Killer Bee gis now for training unless they're all in the wash. I'll post a review soon.

I'm now preparing for the New York Open, I can't wait to compete again!

Tatami Women's Zero G V2 Gi Review

This gi was given to me by BJJHQ for the purposes of review. In no way, shape, or form does this influence my opinion of this gi. BJJHQ offers a "deal of the day" on BJJ gear and apparel, ranging from tshirts, gis, rashguards, and more.

Tatami is a British BJJ company that has made waves in the United States in the past year thanks to distributors like BudoVideos and MMA Outlet who now carry the brand. Tatami has also come out with a women's line of gis, as the amount of women participating in the sport continues to rise and there is a continued demand for gis that fit a female body type.

There was a delay in me posting this review because I've lost some weight from the time I initially received the gi, so it fits a little differently than it did when I first bought it.

First Impressions

This is a really sharp looking gi. The teal color really stands out against the white fabric. There are rectangular patches on the top side of the pants leg and the top of the shoulders with "Zero G" written on the patch. There is an embroidered "G" on the bottom of the right leg.

Direct from Tatami's website, the specs are as such:
- jacket made from 475gsm pearl weave reinforced gi material
- rubberized collar to stop moisture absorption during training and competition
- single piece jacket for reinforced strength, durability, and comfort
- 10oz heavy cotton stitching on all areas of the jacket and pants
- tapered fit for maximum competitive advantage
- 8oz double reinforced lightweight competition pants
- NEW Zero G V2 brand embroidery is strategically placed on the jacket shoulder, back of the neck and the bottom of the right leg

This gi is INSANELY light, under 3lbs! I received the F3 size, which is for someone who is 5'3-5'6" and from 52kg (about 115lbs) to 65kg (about 143lbs). When I initially received the gi, I was about 138lbs, but now I'm only 122lbs.


Fit

I've only washed this gi on cold and hung it to dry, and didn't notice any shrinkage.

The pants were a little tight on me when I was in the high 130s, but are a great fit now that I'm in the low 120s. I'm 5'5" so the length is just right, as the bottom of the pants fall just above the top of my feet without touching my feet. The pant material is almost like my old karate pants, very thin and light. I'm wondering how durable these pants will be over time, but as of now I don't see any fraying or tears. They're quite comfortable and I expect this is how the pants of most really lightweight gis will be unless the manufacturer opts for ripstop pants.

The sleeve length is good as well, definitely IBJJF legal and the width of the cuff is a good size; not too big that it's easy to grab and not too narrow to not pass a gi checker. The collar on this gi is reasonably thick- not quite as thick and stiff as a Keiko or KF gi, but definitely study, especially since this is such a lightweight gi.

However, the top of this gi is far too long. The skirt comes well below my bottom, which is a bit bothersome to me. I also find that the gi top comes out of my belt and undone too frequently during training. The actual material of the top is a nice pearl weave, very lightweight and breathable.

Overall

Overall, this is a great competition gi if making weight is an issue for you, but there are some sizing issues that Tatami should take in to account. The length was bothersome to me, but perhaps there are some people that prefer a longer skirt. I am wondering if this is a true women's cut or simply a men's gi that was made a little smaller. On their website, Tatami does say that they did a lot of research for this gi, but I'm wondering if most Tatami gis are known for having a longer skirt or if it was simply a mishap on Tatami's part. It's a solid gi, but the fit isn't right for me. Given the chance, I wouldn't get another one of these gis, but I'd recommend it to someone who might be a bit taller than me.

You can buy the gi through the website "Martial Arts Supplies". They offer hassle-free returns as well as free shipping on all items. The complete line of Tatami gis can be found by clicking here. 

Gi Review: Manto 3.0 Gi (in black)

I received this gi from BJJHQ. In no way does this influence my opinion on this gi. BJJHQ.com is a website that does a "deal of the day" for BJJ gear, which ranges from gis, to rashguards to earguards and everything in between. It's always $5 flat rate shipping in the US, and as long as it's in stock, you can grab it! Check out www.bjjhq.com every day for a new deal.

I was excited to get my hands on this gi because I had not seen a great deal of reviews done on it, and it looked like a quality gi for the price. I'm happy to say I was right! I've received a lot of compliments on how sharp this gi looks. However, sizing was an issue for me.

General Overview

This is a single weave gi, meaning it's one of the lightest kinds of gis you can get. There are two rectangular Manto patches on the shoulders as well as the emrbroidered Manto logo on the arms. There is also a Manto rectangular patch on the lapel. The pants have the Manto rectangular patch on the outside of the left and right thigh. There is the Manto logo embroidered on the upper back. The drawstring is a cord as opposed to a flat gi material tie.

Fit

The first time I put on this gi it was HUGE and I mean HUGE. I was swimming in the darn thing! I am 5'5" and 138lbs and ordered an A1. The sizing chart says the A1 is for up to 5'8". I washed the gi in hot water and dried it twice before I wore it to class. To put the shrinkage into perspective, I took some measurements. These measurements are based on Fushida's (Canadian gi company) sizing chart, which is quite detailed and can be found here

Pre Wash

A. 63.5"

B. 30.5"

C. 21.75"

D. 15"

E. 6.5"

F. 11"

G. 22"

H. 38.5"

I. 9.75"

J. 8.5"

K. 11.5"

L. 14.25"

Post Wash

A. 61.5"

B. 29"

C. 20.5"

D. 14.5"

E. 6.5"

F. 10.25"

G. 22"

H. 36.5"

I. 9"

J. 8"

K. 11"

L. 14.25"

Needless to say, it's still kind of big after the hot washes and dryer sessions. I've worn it to class at least 5 times now, and have hot washed it about 3-4 times and cold dried it the other times (remember I washed it a couple of times before I even wore it). I put it in the dryer every time on the highest setting.

This gi is very soft and dries pretty quickly. The collar is reasonably thick. It's not as stiff as my Keiko or Sirius, but it's certainly not flimsy. The sleeves are a little baggy- not as baggy as my Keiko, but not as slim as my women's Atama Mundial 9 or Sirius Ultra-Lite Gold Weave. When my arms are stretched out to my sides and parallel to the ground, the sleeve comes to my middle knuckles. The bottom of the gi top comes about 2-3 inches below my butt.

One gripe I have is the drawstring. The cord is made of a very smooth material that keeps coming undone. The pants are really baggy and before I tighten the drawstring it looks pretty comical! I do like that the pants are lightweight but are NOT ripstop. To me, ripstop becomes too see through when you're sweaty and my ripstop pants are the only ones that have ripped on me. Even though they're a little big, I think they are comfortable.

Conclusion

This is a good lightweight gi that is durable enough for everyday training. It's not as light as some of the competition gis on the market (Vulkan Ultra Light/Pro Light, Gameness Air, etc.), but certainly good enough to wear in the summer. The pricing on this is pretty reasonable- according to mantousa.com, it's only 149.95 for this in black, and the one in white is 139.95. There are cheaper gis out there, but I still think this is pretty good bang for the buck. If this gi was just a size smaller and had a different drawstring it would be PERFECT for me, as I love that it's lightweight and durable. I will continue to wear this gi to class and it will be in my regular rotation.

First Blue Belt Tournament

Today I had my first blue belt tournament. This was by far the most difficult tournament I've competed in. As I've previously stated, there is a bigger range of blue belts in terms of experience compared to white belts, which makes it that much more challenging.

I barely squeaked out a win in my first gi match. She was in my guard most of the time, and I won on advantages through submission attempts. My legs were DEAD after that match. I had to sit down, drink some water and recover. I've never felt that tired after a match before, and I think it definitely played into the my next match, but I don't think it was the reason I lost. My second match I lost via Americana and lost my third place match on points. When nogi came around, I won my first match in a very back and forth exchange. After 6 minutes, the score was 10-10 with one advantage for each of us. They added 3 minutes on the clock and we went again. The girl who I was going against had a very obnoxious coach, who at one point told my opponent "don't worry, you can let her take your back!" Well, I did exactly that and won by rear naked choke! My next and final nogi match was against the same girl who beat me by Americana in gi. This time she won on points. So that means I didn't place in gi but won 2nd in nogi. I found out that the girl who got the Americana on me and won first in nogi trains at Lloyd Irvin's main school in Camp Springs and is only 15! Perhaps another one of Lloyd's prodigies? (not because she beat me, but because she is 15 and going against blue belts who I am almost certain outweighed her!)

One thing that surprised me was that I was not nearly as upset as I was when I lost at Pan Ams. I don't know if it's maturity in competition or just understanding that there are more experienced blue belts than me (I've only been a blue belt for a month), but it was nice to not get too worked up and sad over a loss. Additionally, my coach pointed out (and I recognized) some aspects of my game I need to work on. I feel as though I don't really have a gameplan when I compete, and I think that's important to figure out. My coach has asked me what I like to play, and quite honestly I often work with what happens. I think it's important to be aggressive and set the tone for the match so they are at your mercy and you can execute your strengths.

Overall, I think this was a very important learning experience for me. I'm excited to work on the weaker aspects of my game and figure out a gameplan. But my elbow is in pain from that Americana (which is strange because I am very flexible) and I rolled over my big toe! So I think a few days off are in order.