Fuji Sekai, Suparaito and Tatami Estilo 5.0 - Throw down!

Hello All!

At our gym and online there are a lot of questions about a specific gi vs another gi. Usually the questions are specific (like which has the stiffer collar). Well, I had the good fortune of buying a new Sekai and Estilo 5.0 during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal period and my friend Cop John let me borrow his new Suparatio...and with that a plan was hatched. Below is my best attempt at an in-depth assessment of the Fuji Suparatio, Sekai, and Tatami Estilo.

Some things to know for the review below:

• I have taken my picture in each of the gis. Sorry, Chris Pratt was unavailable, so you will have to do with my less than stellar mug. 
• I am 5'8", 165 pounds. I have a 71" wingspan. My torso is longer than my legs. 
• All 3 of the gis are A2. 
• I am a 1 stripe purple belt. I have been training for about 6-8 years (a few of those were judo and sambo years). Currently, I try to train 5-6 times a week. This means I go through a lot of gis.
• An incomplete list of the gi brands I have owned:
• Fuji (superlight, double weave, Sekai)
• Howard Combat Kimonos
• Atama 
• Keiko Raca 
• Bad Boy
• 12NV
• Probably others I am forgetting

• I have linked to the companies' webpages, in each description. This should help you if you want to know more about the company. 

FUJI Suparaito

The super burrito (what we call it in our club and how I will refer to it for the rest of this blog) is Fuji's super light offering in their Summit collection. The main points:

• Amazing Ripstop pants 
• Pearl weave jacket, 350 gsm (couldn't find an official weight from Fuji, but his was cite several places)
• Ripstop collar 
• Contrast stitching

Fuji Sekai

The Sekai is Fuji's "light" gi. They do not suggest on their page that it is part of their Summit line, but they do suggest it is a competition Gi. 

• The jacket is thicker than the super burrito, but not by much. 
• Jacket is pearl weave and around 420 gsm...but that is my best guess.
• The collar does not appear to be ripstop like Suparaito
• Awesome ripstop pants (same as Suparatio)

Tatami Estilo 5.0

The Estilo is another competition gi. Tatami is based in Europe. They report that the gi is the culmination of years of R&D. 

• 550 gsm pearl weave jacket
• The collar is much stiffer than the Super burrito or Sekai. 
• Canvas pants, with a bungee cord string.

Below are videos of me breaking down each of the components of the gis. 

Fit:

     Sekai - Super Burrito

In general, the Sekai and Super Burrito have exceptionally similar fits. Obviously, the Super Burrito top is going to be a little lighter fabric/weave, but the cut is really similar. They both have great range of motion for me. The shoulders, lat and chest fit close with minimal additional fabric, but do not restrict motion. The sleeves on the Super Burrito are a little more narrow (in circumference) than the Sekai. That seems like a small advantage (for the Super Burrito over the Sekai) when people are gripping for sleeve control. The lapel is pretty pliable, which helps with the jacket laying flat, but also allows for easier choking and manipulation when using lapel based guards. 

The pants are amazing. They are super soft ripstop. I have had a Sekai for about a year and wear it 2-3 times a week. They show no sign of breaking down. Several guys at my gym have a Super Burrito and have not reported any issues with the ripstop tearing. The pants fit great and stay tied. Several people have said they really make my booty pop. 

     Estilo 5.0

The Estilo has a much different fit. The jacket has a much tighter cut through the lats. This leads to less fabric to grip, but also a little less range of motion. I have a feeling I will like the restricted fit once I get used to it. Right now, I feel like I can lift my arms as high as I can in the Super Burrito or Sekai. The collar is much stiffer than either of the Fuji gis. In the pictures above you can tell that the fit is far different in the way the gi lays on my body. Several training partners have said it is harder to manipulate the Estilo gi/collar. The down side of the stiffness, is that the Estilo comes out of the belt and has to be tucked in... a lot. I have washed 10-15 times now and the stiffness seems to remain. So, if you like a stiff collar, this is your jacket, if not....  The opening in the sleeves is closer to the Super Burrito, so a little more narrow than the Sekai. 

The pants are canvas. I don't like canvas pants, so I am a little biased. I sweat like a yeti in a sauna, which means they are heavy and soppy (is that a word) after 2 hours of rolling. That being said, the fit and durability is great. If you prefer canvas pants, this is your gi. If you sweat like it is your job, be prepared to waddle around like a pregnant hippo getting out of a marsh. 

Aesthetics:

All 3 gis are pretty great looking. I tend towards minimalism, so the Super Burrito and Estilo are really my speed. I don't love the embroidery on the Sekai shoulders, but I love everything else about it. Obviously, the Estilo also has embroidery on the shoulders, but the white on white gives it a clean look. The contrast stitching gives the Fujis a fun touch. The Sekai has a large rubber map on the inside (it is cool, but annoyed my skin when rolling without a rash guard), the Estilo has a silky neck yolk... it is fun to look at. 

Durability:

     Sekai

This is my second Sekai. I love it and it is impressively durable. Over the course of a year, my first Sekai has been through several comps, 2-3 days of training a week and washing after every use. There are a few pulled stitches, but it has held up better than a majority of the previous gis I have owned (Atama, light weight and double weave fuji, Howard Combat Kimono, etc.). Minimal shrinkage after all the washes (I line dry my gis), I would estimate less than 10%. 

    Super Burrito

Cop John is on his 2nd and 3rd (he bought to on Black Friday) SBs and reports similar durability to the Sekai. He has competed in several tournies with his gi, rolls in it 2ish times a week and washes/line dries after use. He reports minimal wear and tear. I actually took a picture in his new and old SB and couldn't not tell any shrinkage.

     Estilo

I do not have the durability experience/data on the Estilo that I do on the Fujis. That being said, I have worn the Estilo 10-ish times, it seems to be wearing really well. Some of the stitching on the nape of the neck embroidery is starting to pull out. This is really not a big deal, other than it is annoying on a really new gi.

Performance:

All 3 gis perform pretty similarly. As I mentioned above, the main differences:

• The collar is much stiffer on the Estilo 
• The ripstop pants are amazing on the Fuji gis
• The sleeve opening is bigger on the Sekai
• The heaviness of the fabric from lightest to heaviest goes - Super Burrito - Sekai - Estilo. 

Really, those are the only meaningful competition/performance differences.

Overall/Summary:

First off, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these gis. All 3 of these gis were purchased for between $80-$99 on Black Friday deals. So, if you can get any of these 3 gis between $80-$99, go for it. Honestly, if you have the money, buy two. The only deciding factor would be preference on the differences listed above. 

Normal prices for each gi are around:

• Super Burrito - $133
• Sekai - $169
• Estilo - $169

If you are basing your decision off of these prices, I think the Super Burrito is the way to go, with the near exact durability, construction, and look for $30 less. When I got my blue belt, I bought an Atama Mundial 7 for $189. It held up for a few year, but wore down pretty quick. I amazed at the quality you can get in a lighter gi, for less money. It would appear the adage "you get what you pay for" only rungs true up to a certain price.

Hope this helps. Please email me if there is info. left off you would like to know. 

Bill

Scrambling for a topic...

Hello All,

I came to a realization the other day that I have written just about all I know about beginning BJJ. Which is fine with me. I have now decided to transition to concepts we are covering in class and that I am interested in.

Last week at our tournament I noticed that we were losing a lot of points in scrambles. For those of you who are not sure what a scramble entails, it is a situation in grappling where neither competitor has the advantage and incident occurs where there is a jockeying (sometimes very fast) to establish dominance. In wrestling, scrambles are essential to many wrestlers' success (especially at the lower weights). Our head coach and I spoke about ways to improve our scrambling and I decided it would help to break down the components of what goes into a champion scrambler:

Cobrinha and Mendes scrambling in the gi, Gi scrambles are usually slower.

Athleticism

Athleticism can make up for a lot of ills when it comes to grappling. Look at Cobrihan… he was a break dancer before BJJ, he is exceptionally flexible, explosive, and the list goes on and on. Ben Askern’s work as a college wrestler is the type of "funk" a person just watches in awe. Remember, athleticism is not just being able to run fast or deadlift a billion pounds. It is the ability to combine flexibility, speed, strength and functional movements together. Obviously, PA (see below) can make up for a lack of athleticism and athleticism can make up for a lack of PA. But don’t you want both?

Ben Askren everybody. 

                How do we train athleticism?

As someone who has a pretty decent amount of flexibility and middling speed and power, I am probably not the best to ask. But, I will say I have identified that I am slowish and weakish. As a result, I have began a lifting program. I am also trying to make time to train with our kickboxing team to improve my movement. You can always ask someone at your club who is a phenomenal athlete to give you some tips. People love to be the expert, it is a good way to make friends.

Ricky Lundell is an OK athlete...

Positional Awareness (PA):

It is easy to assume that a scramble is a frantic flailing for a dominate position. This assumption is probably true for many white belts and beginning grapplers. However, as a competitor increases in their knowledge of grappling, scrambles become much more about understanding the positions involved in any single scramble, and how to achieve dominance from these positions. Watch a collegiate level wrestler defend a single-leg. They will often go into the splits, somersault, etc. To the un-trained eye, this exchange looks like absolute chaos, but to an experienced grappler the exchange is hundreds of little positional advantages employed to end the scramble. It is beautiful to watch and takes years to master.

Remember how good Ben was at scrambling? Now watch him against Marcelo.,.PA and athleticism at it's finest.

                How do we build positional awareness?

Obviously, the first way to build PA is through learning and drilling moves. It is possible that a naturally gifted grappler might pick up PA from live rolls and no instruction, but that grappler would be few and far between. Situational live drills are phenomenal in building PA. We have recently reinstated guard drills in our club (we got away from them for awhile). When you put to athletes in a scenario where they have one goal (pass guard/sweep) they are able to work on focusing solely on one goal. This often leads to situations where scrambles occur, where people may give up position in a 6 minute go. In this respect, they are forced to scramble when they start to lose the position. It is a great idea to combine teaching specific moves, then using situational live drills to reinforce those positions. For example, teaching finishes from a single leg where the attacker has their knees on the ground. Then, pairing students up and having them work from that position. We do not put a clock on our situational live drills, as I think it gives students more time to work through the position. Though, I think it would be a good idea to utilize a clock closer to competition.

Mentality

I grew up as a wrestler and I often benefit from my time wrestling in my grappling. One of the biggest reasons that wrestling gives a grappler an advantage is the mental toughness it trains. Doug Schwab (head coach of the Northern Iowa wrestling team) has spoken extensively about how big of a role mental toughness plays in winning. When I was a kid, I went to a camp that he coached and my biggest takeaway was the amount of matches you can win almost solely on being more mentally tough than your opponent. This mental toughness plays a large role in scrambling. It is easy to feel good about yourself when you have the dominate position, it is easy to know you need to get out when you are  in an inferior position. But, that uncertainty a competitor feels in a 30, 40, or 50 second scramble starts to play with their mind. It is easy to give up a position because you want to “save a little of the gas tank.” Outstanding scramblers do not give up positions, they take their opponents to uncharted waters of cardio and then drag them under. Watch Tony Ramos’s matches sometime. He has beaten a ridiculous amount of opponents by breaking their will.

Tony Ramos breaking people...

                How do we train mentality?

Really the only way I know to improve mental toughness is to force yourself to push beyond your limits. If you feel like you will barf at sprint 3, run 3 more. When you are rolling with someone and you start to feel tired, don’t pull guard. Push the pace, maybe you will pass out. That would be awesome, you will be a legend in your club for training that hard. It is like that scene from GATTACA.

 Obviously, there is a time and place for this type of intensity. When you are drilling moves, don’t be the guy that is breaking arms because you are putting on moves so hard. But, when you are rolling live, you raise the level of competition for everyone when you roll with intensity. 

Remember that mentality, athleticism and positional awareness work in tandem. When you are in a scramble, maintain intensity, while creating positional advantages. We have a word for people who are incredibly intense with no PA or athleticism, "spazz." If you have ever tried to out athletic a black belt (I tried this once with Jeff Curran, it didn’t work), you know they will get a dominate positions and just crush your will. However, if you are in a scramble with an opponent and you are keeping up intensity and PA, I promise they will eventually break.

Click to see a video of Doug Schwab talking about mental toughness

How do you all train to win scrambles?

Bill

Combat Corner Tournament Recap - Milwaukee, WI

Last weekend we took 8 fellars up to the Combat Corner tournament in Milwaukee, WI. 

A special thanks to Dan Knipp for loaning us his van, probably not the most ideal vehicle for the blizzard we drove through (in April, yeah Midwest). However, Mike D conquered the inclement weather with the steely nerves of a Green Beret taking enemy fire.

We arrived in Milwaukee around 7:30, were approached by a pastor looking to tell us about the good Lord and all the guys made weight. We jumped back in the van, Mike drove through another blizzard, we made it to Dostal’s parents’ house and we ate ourselves sick (I was just coaching, so I was sympathy eating).

 

The next morning we rolled to the tourney around 9:30. I was under the impression there was a seeding meeting, turns out I was wrong (the first of many poor coaching moments for me). The tournament got underway relatively on time (major victory for a BJJ tourney). They were pretty organized and efficient on running the whole shindig.

The Positives

We took our coach’s son, Gabby (not his real name, he just talks a lot) to compete for the first time. I think he is like 14 or 16, or something like that. Anyway, I have been coaching him since he was 9ish. He lost his first match due to an issue we have been trying to help him correct for a few years. It would have been easy for him to pack it in and get beat in his next 3 matches. However, he corrected the error and went 3-0 to win silver and gold. Really cool to see him put it all together.

Cael with his Gold

Trav, another one of our white belts won bronze and silver. He has been training BJJ for less than a year. To have success at a fairly large tournament was a really good start for him. He also corrected mistakes in each one of his successive matches, which is really promising to see.

Trav thinks looking at the camera is for losers....

Our two brown belts had the unfortunate draw in the absolute division of facing off against Dante Leon and Gutemberg Pereira, look them up (spoiler alert, they are pretty good). They both had good matches but ended up losing. Really two ways we can look at those losses; 1). real bummer to lose your first match in any division, 2). if you are going to lose, lose to the two best guys in the division and learn from the rolls. I think our guys will view the matches through the lens of the latter option.

Other than that, everyone else had good showing, the matches just didn’t go their way. I came away with a few things we can work on to help our guys that want to compete.

 

The Negatives

I try not to criticize the refs at tournaments, it is a crap job that ends with the ref being yelled at. That being said, we had one of our guys get DDT’d (see head first slam) into the concrete near the mat. In addition, we had several matches where action was continued when one or both of the competitors’ heads were on the concrete boarding the mat. I realize that no one wants their match to be stopped while the action is still going. But, when it comes to the hierarchy of a ref’s responsibilities, competitors’ safety has to be number one. Letting action continue into dangerous areas was borderline habitual and needs to be addressed for the next tournament. One of our guys ended up with probable concussion from an easily avoidable situation.

Something like this. 

One of our white belts got his arm broken in a bicep slicer. It was a real freak incident that I am not sure was avoidable. To his opponent’s credit, there was a loud crack and he let off the sub immediately. Robocop (our competitor) had never seen a bicep slicer before, so this was a great way to learn the move. Unfortunately, he has 6-8 weeks to watch videos of bicep slicer escapes.

 Watch this one at your own risk...

I certainly could have studied the rules more in-depth. There was more than once I was getting the modified rules they use and standard IBJFF rules confused. This is totally my fault and I should have prepared better.

Could have used something like this.

Misc.

•  Trav is impressive in his ability to eat. He order a Fire House sub for dinner and one for the road, but ate the second one while we were still at dinner.
• Clarence (a converted wrestler) has really started to integrate BJJ into his game, it is fun to watch.
•  Calley and RoboCop are tough dudes! One got a concussion and one broke his arm. Both stayed for the whole tourney and neither went to the hospital. It is a fine line between tough and stubborn, they walk it well.
• Dostal’s Mom and Dad are great hosts. I would suggest invading their house to anyone in the area.

Sans the freak injuries and WWE style rules regarding competitor safety, we had a great time. I got to spend time/get to know several of my teammates that I had not interacted with much. I would suggest the tournament to both beginners and advanced BJJers.

That one person in your club....

I will start with a disclaimer: This post is not about anyone currently at my current gym.

With that being taken care of, there will probably that one person that chaps your ass at whatever gym you go to (specifically when you first start). I imagine I have been that person (I like to talk a lot, I know this about myself). When I trained in Denver, I showed up to a gym and tried to observe all the proper etiquette. I introduced myself to the instructor, I told them how long I had trained, etc. My hope was that they would see I was trying to fit in and welcome me with open arms.

When it came time to roll live, I saw a glance between the instructor and a rather large guy that was one of their better grapplers. The instructor said, "Bill, why don't you role with Clancy." I was cool with that, introduced myself and told him "thanks" for welcoming me to the gym. The whistle went off and he went balls to the wall on me. I ended up putting him in "x-guard", he bench pressed me off of him (after I got the sweep), got on top and ground his forearm in my face.

After about 3 minutes of stellar "forearm to face" technique, I tried a sweep, he got "Thor's hammer" on me, I tapped. It was not the first time I have tapped, certainly will not be the last. He smiled at me and said, "Now you're officially welcomed to class."

Sub was something like this.

Looked over at the instructor and they gave a nod and a smirk. As if to say, "Good job bro! Let's do Cross-fit later and compare tribal tattoos!"

I am a pretty chill guy, but I would be lying if I didn't say this whole incidence pissed me off. At that moment I said to myself, "Game on f*cker, I am going to choke you out at some point." For the next 5 months my goal was to beat him. Anytime that mat was open, I was there. Anytime we had live rolls, I called him out. After the first couple rolls we would end up in stalemates for the duration of the roll (he really didn't have great technique). Around the 4 month mark, I was putting him in really bad positions. Then, one day it happened! I got him in an omoplata, he summersaulted, I kept his arm, stepped into a mounted triangle, he tapped (kind of quick). Victory!

I don't think he was experienced at being tapped. He punched the mat, yelled, stomped around a bit. When we started rolling again, he really increased the dick moves (e.g., digging finger nails into my hands, bending fingers around to break my grip). My immediate response was to return fire. That would have been the easy response. It happens a lot in gyms. Guys start going hard, one gets a little cheap, the other one pays him back, next thing you know everyone is looking at everyone else with the look that says, "should we stop this?" At that moment I decided no amount of aggression on my part would change his attitude. I simple had to worry about getting better. I still rolled with him, but I ignored him and his dick moves when I could. Also, if you live for beating that one person, what do you do once you beat them? Quit, find another person, join Crossfit?

I feel like there are two types of "that person" at a gym. One is the person I describe above. The other one is the club-mate who beats you all the time, you train hard, and you finally beat them (maybe there is something about them you don't like as well). In that moment, they could get dirty and mad, and maul you. But, they high-five you, say "great job" and let you have your moment. To have someone excited about tapping you really is a huge sign of respect. Maybe you still don't like them, That fine, you don't have to like everyone, but there will probably be a good amount of respect between the two of you.

As you progress from new "Bambi" like white belt, to experienced BJJ practitioner, remember that new guys look up to you. They emulate your style. And once they get a sub on you, it is a big deal. They may even point out it is the first time they subbed you (I remember the first time I subbed our instructor, I floated out of the gym). Give them their moment, high-five them. It is OK to roll hard with them on the next go, but don't be that person who is going to make them pay for a tap by beating the crap out of them. Get better, not bitter.