The current BJJ gi market has more companies with more offerings
than at any other time in recent history. When FUJI came out with the Sekai 1.0
offering, it managed to carve out a niche as one of the best values (I consider
it the best) for a high-end competition gi. To say FUJI coming out with a 2.0
version that improves on an already outstanding product is a tough task would
not be an overstatement. The people at FUJI were kind enough to send me a Sekai
2.0 to review! THAT’S RIGHT, FOLKS!!!! IT IS REVIEW TIME!!!
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| Let the throwdown begin!!!!! |
Typically I do not go into a lot of detail about companies when I
review gis. Honestly, most people I know do not really care where the gi comes
from as long as it is durable and fits well. However, in the rare event something
goes wrong with an order or you get a gi that is defective in some way, you
would hope that company would help a fellow BJJer out. FUJI has always been
good to Cedar Valley Jiu-Jitsu and me. They have a fast turn-around on orders, they
communicate well (even expediting shipping on one of my gis so I could have it
in time for a tourney), and Travis Freaking Stevens* is on staff! In short,
they understand gis as both a company and a group of competitors.
*If you don't know who Travis Stevens is you should be demoted to a 4 stripe white belt. But, I am an educator...watch this video.
The Quick Review:
Do you have attention problems? No worries, I put the important stuff in bullets:
Pros:
- Same great
quality on the gi
- The pants are
once again amazing
- They got rid
of the rubber map on jacket
- The gi has
some cool features, but is not overstated
Cons:
- If you were
looking for massive updates, they did not do an overhaul of the gi (I
don’t really consider that a con).
- The sleeves are still a little wide
for my taste.
The Essentials (All weights and measurements are for A2 gi size)
Sekai 2.0
- Cotton gi top,
pearl weave (2lbs & 7ish oz; 1103 g); My best estimate is a 450-500
gsm.
- Rip stop pants
(1lbs & 2.4oz; 524 g)
- Bungee cord
drawstring
- Total gi
weight: 3lbs & 9.4oz; 1627g).
Overview of Jacket
Overview of Pants
For Comparison:
Sekai 1.0:
- Cotton gi top,
pearl weave (2 lbs & 6 oz; 1088g); My best estimate is 450 -500 GSM
- Rip stop pants
(1 lbs & 2 oz; 501g)
- Bungee cord
drawstring
- Total gi weight: 3 lbs & 8 oz; 1589 g
2.0 vs 1.0
Suparaito:
- Cotton gi top,
pearl weave (1 lbs & 15 oz; 889 g); My best estimate 400 -425 GSM
- Collar
material is rip stop
- Rip stop pants
(1 lbs & 2.5 oz; 523 g)
- Bungee cord
drawstring
- Total gi
weight: 3 lbs & 1.5 oz; 1412 g
2.0 vs Suparaito
2.0 vs Estillo
Comparison on all 4 pants
Fit
Jacket
I have always had good luck with FUJI’s consistent sizing. Some gi
companies will put out an A2 in one model that fits true to size and then
another model that does not. I have now owned 4 different models of FUJI gis
and the A2 has fit just about the same in everyone. The Sekai 2.0 is no
different than previous FUJI gis; it is cut tight in the lats/back and has
lapels that lay flat (some gis have lapels that constantly fall open). The
skirt is long enough to stay tucked in the belt, but not overly long. Range of
motion is great, I could get my arms over my head, which can be an issue with
some cuts of gis. Essentially, the Sekai 2.0 jacket fits like a perfectly broken-in pair of jeans.
This is Blue Belt John, he is 5'8", 150 pounds of shredded muscle. The gi is an A2.
Pants
I have written about FUJI’s ripstop pants in numerous posts.
Honestly, I have no clue what material they use, but every company should just
pay FUJI to manufacture their pants and then slap their own label on them. They
fit great, are durable, and the ripstop material is comfortable without getting
water logged. One interesting change from the 1.0 is that the pants are now
listed as 50% cotton and 50% polyester, which is a change from 100% cotton. With
that being said, they feel and fit the same. I have washed them about
10 times and they have yet to pop a stitch. Also, I am a smaller guy and play
form open guard a lot. Essentially, this means my pants are constantly getting
mauled. The pants have held up really well.
Gi Dimensions
Sekai 2.0
|
Estillo 5.0
|
Suparaito
|
Sekai 1.0
|
|
Wrist
Sleeve (diameter)
|
6.5”
|
6.25”
|
6.75”
|
6.5”
|
Lapel
Width
|
2.0”
|
1.9”
|
1.75”
|
1.75”
|
Arm
Length
|
21.75”
|
20”
|
21”
|
22”
|
Nape
to Tail Length
|
29.5”
|
30.5”
|
30.5”
|
29.5”
|
Pant
Cuff (diameter)
|
9”
|
8”
|
9”
|
9”
|
Inseam
Length
|
29”
|
26.5”
|
28.5”
|
29”
|
*These are measurements made by hand, some
error is involved.
Aesthetics
FUJI sent me a blue gi with black contrast stitching. I dig it. FUJI tends towards the "less is more" look. I prefer the understated
look…I mean, when I was 16, clothes with skulls and cobras that had
sayings like, “Heart should be shown not talked about” were cool. Now that I
pay a mortgage and I have passed that stage (well, my wife does the logistics…as far I know our money grows on a money bush in the backyard). I will point out
that the rubberized map inside the jacket is gone and replaced with a silk cowl
that has a map of the world. This is a big improvement. The rubber map
could get irritating on your skin. The new cowl is smooth silk. In fact, I
would wear a Hugh Heffner-like robe made out of it.
My only gripe on the
aesthetics is that the embroidered “Sekai “ on the 1.0’s shoulders have been
replaced with a chest patch. Patches eventually come off; embroidery is
forever. Just my opinion.
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| Lapels compared (left -> right - 2.0, Estillo 5.0, Suparaito, 1.0) |
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| Pant cuffs compared (left -> right - 2.0, Estillo 5.0, Suparaito, 1.0) |
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| Sleeves compared (left -> right - 2.0, Estillo 5.0, Suparaito, 1.0) |
P.S. FUJI has made a whole line of Sekai gear (rashguard, shorts, t-shirts). FUJI was nice enough to send me a rashguard and t-shirt. I plan to write a review on the rashguard. My review on the t-shirt goes like this – I look badass when I wear it and people ask (with their Midwestern accents), “Is this the Saki you drink?”
Durability
The gi has been rolled in about 9ish times and washed 10. The
collar was super stiff to start out but has broken in rather nicely. The pants
are amazing. Honestly, if the gi was on-sale for $99 (which happens a lot) and
I just wanted the pants for tournaments, I would pay the $99. I would be
getting competition pants and a jacket to train in. However, the jacket is
top 1-2 on the market…so that is a useless hypothetical. As I have mentioned
above, the 2.0 is not a huge overhaul of the 1.0. That is great, because I have
2 – 1.0s, each about 4 years old. The pants and jackets on my Sekai 1.0s have
no rips, tears, or popped stitches. They are pretty rock solid. As a final note,
I applied 200lbs of pressure at the seams (measured using a luggage scale) and
didn’t tear the jacket or pants. If you view the videos above, you will see a lot of
attention has been paid to reinforced stitching.
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| Dramatic reenactment of tensile strength test... |
Performance
The gi is cut for competition but the jacket is thicker material
than a Suparaito or Elemental, which lends itself to long lasting durability.
The collar is a bit stiffer than the 1.0's, which is appreciated for competition
(makes it harder to get choked). The gi is IBJJF legal, which means you do not
have to worry about getting told to find a different gi if you wear it at a
tournament. The sleeve width at the wrist tends to be a little wide for my
taste (see chart), but that is a personal preference. The 2.0 comes in at
basically the same weight as the 1.0 (38 grams heavier). That is 38 - $1 bills
(for those of you who frequent the strip club) or see the picture below for the
weight in rice grains. It should be noted that a colored gi tends to be a
little heavier than a white gi (I assume that is due to the dye weight, but have not had a textile sciences person confirm that)and the weight I took on the 1.0 was a white gi.
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| Uncooked...of course |
Cop John also gave the 2.0 a spin and here is what he said:
Positives:
- Pants are
amazing and felt a bit lighter than his Suparaito (data does not support)
- He liked it
(he is very verbose…)
- Jacket felt
lighter than the 1.0
- Collar was stiffer than the 1.0
Negatives:
- John pointed out that his Suparaito is about $40 cheaper, so he
would have a hard time justifying spending money on the 2.0, unless they
were closer in price during a sale.*
*John is a self-described cheap
ass.
Overall
The Sekai 1.0 was probably the best value gi on the market for 3-4 years. It was lighter and had a better fit than most of the gis in the $120-$200 price range. It was as durable and performed as well as any gi north $200. When I heard the model was being improved on, I was skeptical/concerned that FUJI was going to change something that worked so well. To my relief, the changes have almost all been improvements and the best components of the 1.0 have been saved. The Sekai 2.0 holds its place as the best value for high-end competition gis on the market. If you are looking to replace your competition gi right now, buy a Sekai 2.0. If you are going to get a new gi in the near future, I would suggest waiting until FUJI cuts prices for a holiday (i.e., Father’s day, Christmas, Boxing Day, World Braille Day, Yuri’s Night…). In general, $169 is a great price, and if you find it on sale at $99-$119, it is an absolute steal at that price.
The Sekai 1.0 was probably the best value gi on the market for 3-4 years. It was lighter and had a better fit than most of the gis in the $120-$200 price range. It was as durable and performed as well as any gi north $200. When I heard the model was being improved on, I was skeptical/concerned that FUJI was going to change something that worked so well. To my relief, the changes have almost all been improvements and the best components of the 1.0 have been saved. The Sekai 2.0 holds its place as the best value for high-end competition gis on the market. If you are looking to replace your competition gi right now, buy a Sekai 2.0. If you are going to get a new gi in the near future, I would suggest waiting until FUJI cuts prices for a holiday (i.e., Father’s day, Christmas, Boxing Day, World Braille Day, Yuri’s Night…). In general, $169 is a great price, and if you find it on sale at $99-$119, it is an absolute steal at that price.
