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!!

Happy Gi Time Pose

The Single Leg: Volume 1 Review

By: Emmanuel "Macaco" Silva

Alright guys and gals, I come today to talk about and review the instructional video "The Single Leg: Volume1" brought to us by Takedowns101 and by Bjj Blackbelt Ken Primola. In this volume instructor Ken Primola will go over the single leg, set ups for the single leg, and finishes from multiple positions. The DVD itself is plain nothing flashy, the menu is also the same there are no intricate options, and if im correct there are about 45minutes of instructional material in this volume.

STANCES & SINGLE LEG

Starting off the first two things Instructor Ken shows us are the the 1) "square stance" and 2) "penetration stance" he quickly and clearly defines them, what they are used for and how to properly position your body for each respective stance. Afterwards he goes over the regular Single leg take-down he smoothly transitions between steps, explaining how to move and position your body.

SET-UPs

Primola also goes over different set-ups to the single leg like the more common (1-4)push-pull method and other basic set-ups. Since I started bjj with no prior wrestling background this DVD gave me the perfect chance to try out the different set-ups to the single leg, I tried it out while training and since my single is still kinda choppy, I could notice some improvement after taking some tips from the set up section. I got the take-down at least twice on different opponents.

FINISHES

*Example of finish with leg inside*

*example of finish with leg in between*

*example of finish with leg outside*

The next sections go over multiple finishes from different positions like when the leg ends up on the inside outside, in between the leg , and even when they end up sprawling on you while going for the single leg. Through every move/finish professor Primola goes through and clearly, efficiently, and thoroughly explain each finish repeatedly going through and showing the finishes/set-ups in different angles if necessary. He even goes through some other common mistakes done by people when trying to do a certain finishes and set ups.

Now maybe the only thing that I see wrong was that Instructor Ken did not go over on how to "get to" or obtain the leg inside, in between, and outside positions. Baring in mind that there are gonna be people who are completely new to take-downs might want to know how to get to those specific positions if they want try hitting them while training, I was once oblivious to the fact of take-downs and how to work them so if i were to come across this i would have been a little lost when instructor Ken began showing finishes from those positions.


CONCLUSION

Overall, this is a really great instructional disc for those who are new , for those who are looking to improve , and for those who are taking off the rust from one off BJJ's & wrestling's most basic (yet sometimes hard to get) take-down The Single Leg.


 Get your copy from the   I Love Bjj shop also check out their Facebook fanpage @ I Love BJJ

******Quick reminder for us the viewers that even if it is an "instructional" video, i.e. whether you found it on the web or through a DVD, we have to remember there is a danger in practicing what is shown on the screen. This sport , as in any sport, has its risks and that the people who put the video together ,in this case Takedowns101 and Ken Primola, are NOT LIABLE , I repeat, NOT LIABLE for any injuries the viewer causes to themselves or any training partners. So remember people while practicing any techniques on this DVD be careful and make sure you take the necessary precautions to avoid any injuries.*****