2005 Update After testing most of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu Gis on the market for the best gi to offer our customers at JIU-JITSU.NET, we decided on Kagi Kimonos. Kagi makes the most durable jiu-jitsu gi for under $100 on the market! Gene Simco receiving his Black Belt in his Kagi Kimono 3 years after the 2002 review - worn in his Essential Techniques DVD Series and regularly in training without a single tear!

Kagi Kimonos September, 2002 Review by Aranha

Kagi Kimonos is a company based out of Nashville, TN. Each Kimono is designed by Chris with the greatest attention to detail and fantastic follow through/customer service.

Bob Burlingame, one of my top students who appears as my partner in The Master Text, came to class with a new gi one day. What first caught my attention were the skull and crossbones on each shoulder and the pant leg. Before I could ask about this new gi and where he got it, he started telling me about this cool guy he spoke with on the phone while ordering the gi. Bob was most impressed with the customer service and time Chris was willing to take to make sure Bob was happy and satisfied with the product. Through their conversation, Bob had mentioned that he trained with me and Chris told him to contact me about wearing his Kimonos.

A few days went by and I finally found the time to email Chris, who responded promptly with a return email address and some contact numbers. We had a great talk and I was impressed with the amount of time he took to explain his product to me. He sent the Kimono out and within a few days, I was tearing the box open like a four-year-old on Christmas morning.

The first thing I noticed about Chris' Kimono was the Howard-Like collar. For those of you who own Howard Liu's gi's, you know all about the super wide 'cheater' collars. This feature is very popular among Jiu-jitsu players who do not like the feel of a collar choke tightening around their arteries. This was good and bad for me at first glance, because although I like the stiff collar, sometimes it can cause the gi to have a stiff feel that leads me to realize that it's better to work o a little bit more technique than it is to be that uncomfortable in a gi. Another problem plaguing Howard's gis is the stiffness in the armpit of the jacket. I found his kimonos very hard to wear due to the discomfort and lack of mobility. With a tinge of skepticism, I adorned my new Kagi Kimono and proceeded to the mirrors of NYMAG to try my Arnold Schwarzennager pose- down (to test how roomy the gi was in the back, of course …). I was shocked that I could move in this stiff collared jacket! The mobility was fantastic; it seems as if Kagi Kimonos has found the perfect balance of Jiu-jitsu armor and mobility. I tried on the rest of the Kimono and moved around a bit to get a better assessment of this fine product. Some of the details about the Kimono that caught my attention were the shortness of the jacket, which I like very much and the length of the sleeves - this is not your father's Judo gi. I was hesitant about washing the gi and putting it in the dryer as Chris instructed, but after I did, it shrunk to my size and fit like a glove.

I would highly recommend this Kimono to both avid competitors and weekend warriors of Jiu-jitsu alike. Chris has a very good product that he should be proud to put his name on!