Reviews: K2 Fight Gear Gold Weave Review

K2 FightGear Goldweave

K2 FightGear Goldweave with snazzy Gi bag

First off I'd like to apologize to Omar and K2 for the wait. Thanksgiving and a 2-disc special of the North American ADCC 2004 edition took up a lot of my time 0_O But today I will finally be reviewing my K2 Fight Gear goldweave gi that I won via "BJJ Weekly's Gi Giveaway" sponsored by K2 Fight Gear. Before I start though I'd like to thank K2 Fight Gear and BJJ Weekly for making the contest possible, thus in turn making it possible for me to come across such a fine product. I'm honored to say that I am one of the only people in North America to have the pleasure of owning this gi as it has not yet been released to the public. But due to the contest I was able to acquire it..lucky me!

And now without further adieu..My K2 review!

The Joyzee Grapplah

K2 Fight Gear is a company located in Leeds West Yorkshire, England. They are a BJJ/MMA company but specialize in kimono's. They design and manufacture all of there own products so you're guaranteed to have a uniquely made product. There base is in gi production and are designed using a high performance 100% cotton. As far as I know they have a gold-weave and a pearl-weave (mine being the goldweave). Like most gi's of today it's made using a single piece of fabric so there's no seam in the back, the gi is triple stitched for durability and longevity. It's said that there gi's are treated with a special softening and color treatment. So far this is the softest gold-weave I have ever felt, though it's in white so I really can't tell you if the color treatment is working. We'll just have to take there word on that one. Oh and did I forget to mention that It comes with a free designer K2 Fight Gear cotton Gi bag?

I'll start with the cut, fit, and fabric of the gi

Built like a sexy tank

When I originally ordered the kimono I was aiming for an A3, but at the time they were out of stock for the A3 top, though they had the pants. So after discussing it with Omar at K2 we decided to go with the A4 top and A3 bottom. The wait was a bit grueling, but in no way was it K2's fault. They fumigated my house on the day my package arrived 0_0 But the very next day it arrived (thanks to some great advice from Omar). On arrival I was surprised with the lightness of the gi, I'm not sure of the exact weight of it but it's lighter than my single weave GTMA(golden tiger martial arts).

Right out of the bag the chest area fit great (FYI I enjoy a snug fit in the chest area). It wrapped around my waist pretty nicely and hugged my torso like a glove, which was surprising since I had to go a size up in the A4. The arms were a bit too long at first, as the cuffs reached my knuckles and the armpit/shoulder area were too roomy for my liking. All these attributes were expected so I was still very happy with the overall fit of the gi. After a wash and tumble dry it shrunk considerably and no longer need to be shrunk as it fit my body very well. The length ended up being perfect,and the body managed not to shrink too much. Though the shoulder area did not shrink I ended up loving this fact as it left the gi feeling form fitting (because of the snug body and tapered arms) but still managed to leave my room for comfort and mobility. My one and only complaint is in the sleeves. I've noticed that while I'm rolling the sleeves tend to stretch as people get grips on them, but other than that I've got nothing negative to say. As for the fabric of the gi itself, it is a goldweave and a soft one at that. I can only expect it to get softer as the washes and wear and tear continue. The jacket was a bit stiff, and still is which some people like but for me I'm hoping that it will loosen up over time. I was very impressed with the quality of the fabric, especially the reinforcements. It's heavily reinforced in all areas, it looks and feels like it can take a beating and seems like it'll withstand the test of time.

Next I'll talk about the gi as a whole


The Amazing Disappearing Man

The top is a stark white with a few K2 patches decorating it. The patch placement includes one on each shoulder, a lapel patch, and a back patch. I'm not really a big fan of gi's that overdue it on the patches, but I'm happy to say that the K2 gets it just right. With the patches being small and tasteful. The lapel patch is pretty snazzy and the back patch is small and works well with the look of the gi (I don't like over sized back patches). Overall the gi has a very clean, and sleek look.

And now on to the collar!

Apply Choke Here

This thing is heavy duty thick, and stiff but not uncomfortable. The lapel is about 2 inches wide and a tiny bit thicker than my GTMA, though it is considerably stiffer than the GTMA (who's collar is built like a noodle). The K2 is quadruple stitched in the lapel area and looks like it can take abuse from a gorilla's grip.

Los Pantalones!

To me my favorite part of my K2 has to be the pants. They are wonderful! The fit, the look, the feel, it's all perfect in my opinion. The pants are made from 100% preshrunk cotton canvas, and stitched with reinforced seams. The pants feel pretty heavy duty, they are considerably thicker than my GTMA pants (which is great). There built to last is all I have to say. Just like the top you can tell they were made with great care and diligence. The pants are reinforced with an extra layer of padding from the upper thigh to the ankle only making the pants that much tougher. But I've gotta say that the best part of these pants are the belt loops. There are six, I repeat 6 belt loopies!! I'm used to being spoon fed 2 all my life lol So it's safe to say that having 6 is a huge blessing. All the loops really allow my to cinch my pants up nice and tight. To my great relief K2 opted to avoid the flat cotton drawstring, instead going for the much more practical rope cord in a contrasting black. They also have matching patches running down the left and right thighs giving it a sleek and professional look.

For the love of all that is good and holy!! 6 Belt loops!!

I am very high on this gi and K2 itself. This is the best kimono I own and probably will own for a long, long time. The customer service was superb, and the quality is beyond what I'm used to. I don't know the exact price for this gi, but whatever it is I recommend you look past the money and recognize the quality of the product. Great fit, great look, and an overall great product. I hope this review will convince some people to give this company a chance. I'm confident that anyone willing to take the leap will greatly benefit from a great, up and coming company, with a superior product.Thank you for reading, and please know that this is my opinion and mine alone.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE SEXY POSE!!