Tradesman Opportunity. Can a Mud Runner Get Some Wheels?

If you have been reading you may already know that Jiu Jitsu isn't my only hobby. I'm also a pretty avid runner, with a focus on Adventure Racing. Having competed in several events in 2011, I have double that number scheduled in 2012. I'll be starting with the January (Brrr) TX Coast Tough Mudder next week. You may not know that the world of cycling has an equivalent to these runs, and that is a sport called Cyclocross. Cyclocross or "Cross" as it is known is run on a mixed media style course, made up of combinations of paved of road, grass, snow and mud with obstacles that require rider skill to negotiate. The courses include climbs, and descents on loose and most times muddy surfaces. There are also hurdles that require dismount, and remount of the bicycle while on the run. The course is typically a  closed loop over a fixed distance, and the object is to lap the course as many times as possible in a fixed time period. It requires a combination of bike handling skill, endurance, and speed not found in other bicycle mounted sports. I've been fascinated by 'Cross since the first time I witnessed a race. The riders were hardy, tough people with considerable control, and skill. The observers in the crowd were rowdy cowbell ringing types who love to watch the riders test their medal, and drink beer. Everyone loves drinking beer (me too). Since my first experience I have wanted to ride 'Cross to be a part of the action. Riding requires equipment, and that is where I fall short. I just don't have the dough to drop on a good steed for this purpose. I have saved money to buy a bike, but every time I get close something seems to come up- a new transmission or tires for the truck, repairs to the house, or medical bills for my wife. Each time this happens I say "next year is the year" and I start saving again. Now I've figured out a way that I may be able to make this happen in the near-er future. Foundry Cycles is offering a "Tradesman" position, this position comes with a Foundry Brand bicycle. Foundry builds the Auger which looks to be a first class 'cross tool well beyond my means as a consumer. It's an exchange. I'd have to earn the bike by spreading the word about the brand all around Colorado, and here on my blog as well as other social medias. Foundry is a brand new bicycle brand, building carbon bikes that have a work-horse ethos about them. It appears they are looking for people like me who will not only torture test their equipment, but also evangelize for the new brand in environments where their market cross section would flock- places like oh say- Mud Runs. I honestly think events like Snow-Dash, Warrior Dash, Rugged Maniac, Spartan Challenge and Tough Mudder are like gateway drugs into a more rugged cross section of the population.  These are people who push themselves, and their gear to the outer limits of durability. These are the kind of people Foundry is looking for to consume their products. Why would I be a good Tradesman? I'm outgoing, and technically knowledgeable since I worked in a bike shop in High school and continue to follow trends in cycle technology. I'm "in the know" enough about the industry to have been following Foundry's brand development for well over a year. As has been proven with my experiences with other brands I have supported, I know how to do rep a product without being phoney. I'm already at the center of a market cross section. I have no less than 5 events scheduled for 2012, and if provided the means (an Auger) I'd enter regional 'Cross races as a means to demo the bike, meet with like minded individuals, and film for the planned upcoming web series "Phil Vs." which will be broadcast on YouTube. Think Man vs. Food without the calorie count. We actually plan to have me undertake a variety of challenges (cycling from Denver to Vail for instance) and film them under the auspices of "Here is an average guy doing things you wouldn't try- but maybe you could or should" The Auger would be prominently featured in the cycling episodes of the web show, as well as the Rocky style training montage we plan to include in every webisode.  I have already secured an editor to put together the episodes from raw footage to be shot via GoPro, and hand held cam. 2012 aims to be a big year for getting out amongst my fellow mud enthusiasts. I hope Foundry chooses to be a part of it.

Sick

So I'm not feeling well at all- definitely don't want to spread this to the school, so I'm staying off the mats for now. Still training for Tough Mudder at the end of the month though- running seems to suppress my symptoms, and a good sweat afterwards in the sauna clears my congestion.

Saturday we got started on the Jiu Jitsu room at my friends place. We have been talking about this ever since he closed on his new house, and now it is coming to reality. We will be using the Gracie Garage Mat Making Method that I linked here last year. Saturday was primer day and we got the room sufficiently coated. In the mean time, the closed cell foam, and vinyl mat cover are on order.
Here are some progress pics. The closets will have a place to hang Gis, and there will be an entertainment system housed in the cubbies so that we can film, and also stream tutorials to a wall mounted flatscreen.

It really should be an ultimate man-cave layout. The idea will be to use the space to work on drills, flow rolling, and also some comp rolling. Looking forward to having this available for training in the weeks to come.

Wednesday Morning No Gi training with Coach John Boyle- No Gi Gear review

No Gi training this week is still drilling the pendulum sweep, but rather than transitioning to the armbar we transitioned to the omoplata with a under-roll where I ended up in mount. This was pretty slick, but risky unless it happens very quickly, and the omoplata is pretty secure- in other words- not for a novice like me. At least not yet.

The Tux from The BJJ Life $39.95
In the spirit of sharing, I also added another piece of gear to my Gi Bag a few months back. Its about time i posted a review of my Tuxedo Shirt Rash Guard which I purchased from The BJJ Life. I like it for the good time reaction it gets from my training partners. Everyone gets a laugh when I come out of the locker room ready to party, but still be formal. Style wise, it is exactly what it sounds like it is- a tuxedo print on a rash guard. It is well constructed with heavy stitching at the seams, and the print has been washed several times without cracking or coming loose from the fabric. I never dry it, but just leave it to air dry, this could be the reason the print is holding up so well. It is a screened on vinyl material, and I imagine dryer heat would damage it pretty quickly. I like the thing, but it isn't all sunshine- the collar is a little too restrictive. I really wish it had the more t-shirt like lay-flat collar of my other new rash guard which I'll review below. The collar feels a bit like a very weak midget is trying to put a rear naked choke on me, and the reinforces seams don't seem to be allowing any stretch to cure it.

Nike iD Pro Combat Core Compression T-shirt $40.00

I picked this up as sort of an afterthought. a buddy of mine was having his birthday, and very generously gave me a ticket to UFC 135 here in Denver. I wanted to thank him so I ordered up one of these customized Nike iD rash guards for him as a birthday gift. While I was creating his shirt I decided:Why the hell not get one of my own? So I designed one using a nickname / forum username, and some other little easter eggs from my life. What I got is what you see to the left. I chose white as the primary color, with blue details signifying my rank. I initially went with white as I also wear it under my Gi, and I didn't want the color to rub off on the inside of my Gi. After use and abuse I see now that there was no need for concern. The shirt is a Nike- and as much as I claim not to be a fan boi of labels, I still trust big names. Nike hasn't let me down here. Stitched together in Mexico, the shirt is well put together and tough. I've been wearing it for about 2 months now and just took the photos for the blog today. The prints are sublimated into the fabric- which is like they dye the design into the fabric instead of sticking the design onto the fabric. This is pretty nice considering how much wear and tear a rashguard gets- friction against the inside of my gi, or against the mats in no gi class. The designs are completely unaffected, and the shirt itself is standing up to my abuse very well. there are a few pills around the shoulders, but i think that is from that metallic liner in my Shoyoroll ComPadre rubbing against it.
I wear a large, and the fit is great. The collar is pretty much t-shirt perfect, while still laying comfortably flat. The material feels very light, and breaths, and wicks away moisture really well allowing me to sweat without becoming all soggy and gross feeling. I do regret not going for the long sleeved version, but that is easily remedied in my next order. The price seemed quite reasonable considering that the garment is a custom one off. I am a bit curious how they turn these orders around so quickly- I had my shirt within 10 days of placing the order which was pretty impressive to me, but then this IS Nike, it's not like they don't have the cash-flow to pick up some advanced manufacturing techniques. So I'm pretty impressed with the shirt as a rashguard, and I will definitely be ordering another in the not to distant future.
Next on my wish list are some actual grappling shorts- possibly Forty Thieves, or Jaco. I'm also interested in Scramble grappling tights for No Gi training. I've seen the size of the new gym, and it's gonna be nippy training in the mornings in winter.

Tuesday night training- Pendulum sweeps with Prof. Junior

Tuesday afternoon I hit the Rec center gym. I ran 2 miles, then took a 15 minute steam. This si part of my training for the TX Tough Mudder coming up at the end of January. Later that night I trained in the Gi with Professor Junior. We practiced seoi-nage (shoulder throws) and then moved to the ground where we worked, pendulum sweeps, then pendulum to armbar, and then back to the sweep with an armbar finish. We rolled to finish out the class. I hung in there pretty well with Jason, I went for a few submissions, but he defended well. I was able to regain the guard afterwards which was a good thing.

I also want to take a moment in the blog to thank Jason Scully of BJJ for Life! on Facebook. Professor Scully sent me his "Super Solo Grappling Drills" for free after I won a contest on his page. ALL HAIL FREE SHIT! These look really good, and I can definitely use them here at home. I'll go through the DVDs (there are 3) and try out all 330 drills, then post a review soon. Thanks again BJJ for Life!

Here is tonights lesson taught by Professor Scully

O.G vs. ComPadre: The Prana / Shoyoroll new pre-order Gi shootout

Ok, so I have had both my Shoyoroll ComPadre and my Prana O.G. for a few weeks now and have put some mileage on both. I'm going to post this as if it were a comparison, but really it isn't. Although the designs are similar they are each very different due in part to the fact that they each utilize different weaves, and fabrics throughout.

Shoyoroll
I purchased the Shoyoroll because at the time I really needed to- my faithful Atama was nearing the end of it's useful life. The collar was getting frayed to a level where a training partner could get a finger caught in it and be injured. It was time to replace it, and in the year since I had bought my Atama, Shoyoroll had surfaced as a brand with "the perfect fit" A3S. I'm 6'1 180lbs, so while a bit short for the A3S by sizing chart standards, I have been able to shrink them to an excellent fit. I ordered the Yank in A3S and the sizing has proved to be perfect. For this last batch- the ComPadre, and Americana it was the lesser of two evils as neither color combo really appealed to me. I like white Gis so I went with the ComPadre. I watched Facebook, and when the opportunity came to place my order I moved on it and sent $168.00 to BudoVideos.com. Then I waited.

Prana
I have seen some interesting web postings calling Prana "Shoyoroll Knockoffs" and then some other posts generally disparaging the brand- even mocking Prana's brand mark FloGo and calling them "Spermyoroll" (I admit I laughed)

Even though I knew this mockery was out there I went forward with an order of Prana's first Gi "The O.G." because I liked their Facebook postings, and I had a good experience ordering a T-Shirt. at $139.00 with free shipping the Gi was significantly cheaper than the Shoyoroll I ordered for $168.00 (inc. shipping) in May, and the wait was set to be much shorter. It also bears mentioning that while I like my Shoyoroll gis alot, the whole process of ordering, then waiting for several months for the Gi to turn up is generally annoying, and I was, and still am looking at alternatives to avoid it.

Hype
The thing for me about Shoyoroll is the fit. It is a matter of fact that the A3S is the right size for my body type. This is why I buy them. Sure, they are somewhat exclusive, but really I'm going to put this thing on and then roll around on the ground in it. Lets just keep that in perspective. It seems like there is a marketing coup here where BJJ players are coveting these things the way some ladies covet shoes or handbags to the point where aged SYR gis are going on Ebay for $400.00+ dollars. That is ridiculous. Equally ridiculous is laying out my cash in May to receive a Gi in October. It's tiresome. When Prana advertised a Shoyorollesque sizing chart featuring A3S sizing I figured this might be the alternative to that obnoxious process. I laid out my $139.00 and waited.

Review
Shoyoroll ComPadre $168.00 USD Shipped, wait time 5 months

The Shoyoroll is pretty much more of the same you would expect- A3S is a perfect fit, and the goldweave is light, yet very soft and comfortable. This was exactly what I was hoping for as my old Atama Goldweave is now retired, and all my other gis are pearl weave. I like having a goldweave kimono on the rack as it is the most comfortable material IMO. Given the 5 month wait, I was surprised that the Rebels seem to have fallen off on the details- for instance there is a silver lining on the inside of the lapels/collar just like there is on my SYR Yank, but on the ComPadre the stitching isn't as good, so the edges of that silver material were pretty scratchy for the first few washes.
here is a shot of the offending lining

It seems to be getting better now, but the quality lapse was disturbing.
The pants on the Shoyoroll are heavier twill material and they are absolutely perfect- these are the best Gi pants I own. The padding in the knees is great, and they feel incredibly durable- like rolling in blue jeans. they also improved their drawstring by using a narrower gauge cordage. It's a little easier to tie, and seems to stay tied better. All in all I really like the Gi, and sincerely hope the pants Shoyoroll offers moving forward are identical to these. The pants for my Yank are just too thin and feel too fragile.

Prana O.G. $139.00 USD shipped, wait time 2.5 months.

the Prana O.G. is a white gi with gray stitching, and grey/black badging
I am pretty impressed with the Prana Kimono. They got all the details right on this first attempt. It's a bit heavy compared to my SYR pearlweaves, but that is acceptable for a training Gi. All of the stitching is well done with nothing loose or scratchy like with the ComPadre, and it has something my Shoyorolls do not- it has fabric tape that covers the interior seams. This makes the kimono very comfortable to wear without a rashguard- and you need to wear it that way, because it traps bodyheat. I sweated like a beast wearing this Gi.
Here is the taping

No tape on the Shoyoroll


I bought the OG in A3S, and the pearlweave kimono sized out exactly like my pearlweave Shoyorolls- a few washes and drys and it fits like a glove.
The pants however seem a bit wide across the ass for an A3S sizing- they cinch up fine, but tend to bunch up across the back which goes to show they aren't cut from the same pattern as the SYR pants.
Here is a pic of my old ripped Shoyoroll A3S pants on top of the Prana A3S pants- the Prana Pants are a lot wider.

The pants are very well made though, they are a heavier rip-stop material. These pants have great padding in the knees, and the crotch gusset is well reinforced. I prefer the twill pants from my Shoyoroll, but since Shoyoroll doesn't offer additional pants I decided to go ahead and order a second pair of these Prana pants which I intend to use with my Shoyoroll Yank for training, this way I can save the fragile navy blue Yank ripstops for comps or whatever.

Overall I am extremely impressed with the Prana, I think I'm going to get a lot of life out of this gi as it is built to last using heavy materials, and superior manufacturing- every seam is reinforced.

So there you have it, I have 2 brand new Gis to go roll around on the ground in. I like both of them quite well. If I have to pick on value, I'd go with the Prana. It is a well made Gi, that is built to last. The fit is very good, and no corners were cut in it's manufacture. If I were choosing based on materials, then I'd say the Shoyoroll is the more comfortable of the 2. The scratching from the lining went away after the 4th wash or so, and i just love the gold weave. Also- the SYR pants are exceptional for this batch.

Knockoff?
Let me say this- if you had never seen a Jiu Jitsu Gi you might think the Prana is just a knock off of a Shoyoroll, but since I own both I'll put that to bed right now. They aren't the same. Similar in the basic design, but materials and manufacture are quite different. Trust me on that.

Asthetics, and Exclusivity
Since a lot of people are buying these things based on exclusivity / vanity- I will also say the Prana wins for aesthetics. White with the grey stitching looks great, and the badging is all stitched in rather than a patch that is sewn on. The first time I wore it one of my coaches commented how nice it looked- so if you are into that sort of thing, Prana has it goin on.
Word is out, and SYR isn't nearly that exclusive anymore. When I first wore the new SYR I walked into the academy and saw 3 ComPadres and 2 Americanas during black belt class. At another lesson at the Boulder school I saw 4 people wearing SYR gis of various batches. As far as I know I am the only student at my academy rolling in a Prana. Doesn't get much more exclusive than that since we are a big school with 5 branches. Not like that matters, but if it does to you, then there it is...

Who knows, maybe Prana will take off and the prices and wait times will go up like they did with Shoyoroll- for right now I'll enjoy the fact that I have found another manufacturer of gis that has my fit right. I look forward to their future offerings, and hope for a Prana Goldweave sometime in the future. For what it is worth, Prana has already acknowledged that their pants run bit big. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see that remedied in the next batch.
  
Additional Questions
A reader requested some additional info on the Gis, as is specific to the A3S sizing. The conversation is in the comments, but i am reposting here for anyone who is curious. Reader request a measurement from cuff to cuff.

I spread each of the Gis out and measured from cuff to cuff across the chest. My measurements were taken in inches

Please bear in mind that all my Gi's have been shrunk intentionally using warm water and hot cycles in the dryer

Shoyoroll Yank (Pearlweave) 71"

Shoyoroll Compadre (goldweave) 68.5"

Prana O.G. (pearlweave) 69.25"

What have you got on your feet?

I posted an opinion on The Tangled Triangle about Vibram Five Fingers shoes and a possible application to BJJ and mat sports as a more supportive alternative to being barefoot. The catch to that was that I had never worn a pair of VFFs on the mats, so i was kinda talking out of my ass. I decided it was only logical that I put my theory to the test since I have a few pairs of VFF shoes, and I am big on standing behind my opinion. I washed my VFF KSOs (to avoid bringing contaminants onto the mats) and then brought them along to a wrestling seminar being held at Easton's South School in Highlands Ranch CO. There were 2 reasons- 1. I wanted to test my theory, and 2. The mats at south school feel like sandpaper to me, and I knew my feet would get shredded otherwise. I came back with the following findings-
Conclusion 1- It was no big deal to the grappling coach that I wore VFFs on the mats. This was a relief to me.
Conclusion 2- I did not feel restricted in any way during the activities because of my footgear. These activities involved a lot of intensive drilling of movements like popping up from ref's position directly to the feet, pivots, shooting for take downs, sprawling, popping up from the sprawl, and getting back to ref's position after being flattened.
Conclusion 3- My feet took zero damage during the 3 hour seminar. My fellow students were not as fortunate- mostly the tops of toes were rubbed raw against the mats. My feet were covered and suffered no damage- also, the VFFs suffered no damage.

As far as support is concerned, I didn't really notice anything, but that could be considered a plus since I also didn't notice any difference in my performance- the shoes offered protection, but were not restrictive. I also didn't notice them giving me a traction advantage- the rubber soles on the bottoms of the KSOs look smooth when you glance at them, but to flex them reveals razor sipes- or tiny slits in the rubber which replicate the traction of a human foot brilliantly. Notice i used the word "replicate" I would not say "improved upon". It was basically the same as being barefoot.

As a result of this trial I am keeping the KSOs in my BJJ bag, and washing them with my Gi if I use them on the mats at South School. I want to keep them sanitary. I don't really feel the need for them on mats at Denver which have the traditional vinyl covers, but that rough stuff at the South School needs to be accounted for.

Soap

There is an inextricable link between combat and soap. This is not only because author Chuck Palahniuk wrote the "Paper Street Soap Company" into the book Fight Club. the link has to do with the extreme hygiene needs of combat athletes, especially grapplers who spend a lot of time in direct contact with one another, and with the mats. Because of the nature of what we do there is a lot of potential for germ transfer, and infection. Anyone who has seen, or experienced a bout with ringworm or staph knows that the resulting infection can be disgusting, and potentially deadly.

For this reason I have decided to undertake the task of reviewing various anti-bacterial / anti-microbal soaps on the market. This includes, but is not limited to products marketed directly to people who train in combat sports. I am uniquely positioned to undertake this task since I am not only committed to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but I am also committed by way of marriage to a bonafide soap junkie. Having formerly managed the flagship store for an all natural cosmetics company, as well as having been the general manager of a boutique soap company that operated locally here in Denver, Shannon is well qualified to speak regarding the active ingredients in the products. As such she has agreed to assist me with the reviews I will write under the "soap" label. We will also be founding a new stand alone blog aimed directly at this subject where we will actually host the reviews which I will then link back here. Hope you enjoy the new subject matter!

The Complete Gracie Mat Making Process - with Rener Gracie

Making your own Mats... NICE!!!

Shoyoroll A3S standalone Gi pants (ripstop)

I got lucky a few weeks back and scored a pair of Shoyoroll standalone Gi pants in blue- size A3S on Ebay. The A3S size was one that I have been curious about since I fall into a weird size range where the A3 pants seem to be a bit young (short), but I swim in the A4 sized britches. A3S is supposed to be a happy medium for skinny tall guys- 6'2" to6'5" weight 170lbs-205lbs. I am 6'1" usually weighing in between 190-200lbs so technically I should be an A3 (5'11"-6'3" 195lbs-225lbs)but like I said the pants seem short. I guess I am just leggy. either way, the A3S pants I got seem to fit great.
In my opinion the pants are the best thing about the Shoyoroll product line. The stretchy drawstring ties very well, and it does not get all tangled like the pulls on my Atama and Solid pants do. This is key, because when the drawstrings get tangled up inside the waistband of the pants they become very difficult to pull tight and that leads to plumbers ass on the mat. Plumbers ass on the mat sucks. Also, the stretchy stuff ties nice and tight, so I don't have to constantly re-tie my pants during class which is nice.
As with my Comp 450 pants, these Gi pants are nicely padded at the knee, and are stretchy and flexible in the crotch area. Shrinkage has been pretty standard. I'd like them to shrink up maybe just a touch more- but in order to accomplishe that i may just have my wife alter them slightly. The pants overall have been a good fit and are good to roll in. having these pants paired up with my Atama, and Solid kimonos will help me be more patient as I wait for the delivery on my new Yank Gis, and the Mamba Gi pants I currently have on pre-order.

I will be interested to see how the A3S kimono I ordered will fit. I ordered the Yank in both A3, and A3S sizes so if I need to hybrid I can. The White Mamba pants I ordered in A3S only.

Wednesday with Amal / Enter the Shoyoroll Comp 450

We had a pleasent surprise Wednesday in Arvada. The school's founding Black Belt joined the class to instruct. We worked Osotogari foot sweep takedowns from standup, and then we worked open guard passes. It was a pretty intense workout, but not highly technical. We worked a lot of Up/Down/Out cycles, but no free rolling or randori during class.

I am really liking my new Shoyoroll Comp 450 Gi. The pants are unbeatable with their stretchy waist ties, and padded knees it is easy to become spoiled. The kimono is quite nice as well. It seems to breath a lot better than my Solid, or my Atama, and it feels much lighter, although the construction is very solid.

It isn't the easiest thing to obtain a Shoyoroll. They only import about 300 of each size for each limited run. The fact that I had set my heart on a Comp 450 didn't help much either since it was well past the initial run/ pre-order dates. I first went to Ebay, and found a Comp 450 in A3 available "lightly rolled" according to the description. I sat on it, watching, and stewing for 5 days before entering the bidding. In the last minute of the auction the bidding skyrocketed from $125 to $182. I had $200 to spend, but missed the auctions end as I was entering my final bid. I was heartsick to lose that one. Perhaps it was the heat of battle... I then decided to pursue a new Batch 7 Golden State Gi, but the pre-orders on the mainstream sites were all sold out. I grew frustrated as here I was with money to spend, but I couldn't find a Gi to purchase.
On a fluke I was browsing the Shoyoroll Brand Facebook page and spotted a reference to a website where they supposedly had Shoyorolls for sale brand new. I checked it out, and low and behold he had a brand new Comp 450 in A3 available. I bought the Comp 450 for myself, and a 7th Son for my best friend. I got the Comp about a week later but the 7th Son is still on pre-order and per Shoyoroll hasn't shipped from Pakistan yet. We will have to see what that is like when it gets here.

Thus far i know my comp 450 is a "stripper" model Gi, it doesn't have the heavy taping inside, nor does it have a liner- this keeps it cool, and light for competition, but i worry it may affect durability. Regardless, there will be more shoyoroll products in my future. It is just that good.

I guess I understand the demand, and the shortness of supply now.

Round Timer

I picked up a Taylor TruTimer digital egg timer at Target this evening. As I intend to get more serious about randori, this will allow me to time rounds 3min, 5min ect.

Just another useful gadget to have in the bag.

Equipment

Essentials for the Study of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

1. Gi. Most schools will sell you an entry level Gi, and some (like the school I go to) will give you a basic Gi when you sign on with the school. A Gi can range in price and quality like any other article of clothing. Materials and finishes vary, and sometimes limited availability can lead to exclusivity. Most of the professors roll in the school Gi, and I can tell you that as a new student most of the benefits of an expensive Gi will be lost on you. I am a firm believer that each student should have at least 2 Gi to alternate between. A GI MUST BE CLEANED after each session. Hygiene is a huge focus in schools, so there are no exceptions- WASH YOUR FUCKING GI. After washing, it is proper to hang-dry your Gi as you will not want to have it shrink too much and get young. As hang drying takes time, you will want to have that second Gi as the alternate while the other is drying. Again- WASH YOUR FUCKING GI- I cannot stress this enough. I purchased an Atama Gold Weave Gi as my alternate. It is a very nice Gi, but it has yet to turn me into a Jiu Jitsu super hero, so you should realize- the clothes don't make the man. Unless you have dirty clothes, in which case you are a pig, and you apparently can't read all caps- WASH YOUR FUCKING GI.

A gear bag: I use a duffle that has a top load, and also features a nice side load into an attached laundry bag. This means I can put my dirty gi into the side port and it won't touch my clean gear. This is key, because if you don't want ring-worm you will want to keep that dirty Gi separate until such time as you can WASH YOUR FUCKING GI

Mouthguard: as you get into rolling you will notice that you get kicked in the face sometimes. Its a good idea to have a mouthguard. I am using a shock doctor that i bought at Dicks Sporting goods for $9.95- it is a boil and bite fit, and it seems to work well.

A cup: I have 2, a hard cup, and a "spider" flex cup. The spider cup has more give. It protects less, but then no one should be trying to punch you in the jimmy anyway. The spider offers plenty of protection against incidental contact.

base layer: I am using Nike Dri Fit shirts as a base layer under the Gi- Some guys go bare chested, but I have found that the Gi jacket is rough, and tends to tear up my skin so the Dri Fit provides protection. You should also wash your base layer when you WASH YOUR FUCKING GI.


Why am I so militant about Hygiene? Because Ring-Worm is fucking gross that's why...