The gear conversation in BJJ is loaded with bad advice. Most of it comes from people selling something. This is the list of what we actually buy, what we pack on a training trip, and what we won’t compromise on. All brands listed are real, all are field-tested, and none of this is sponsored.
The gi.
You need two gis to train four times a week. Three is better. One in the wash, one drying, one ready. The gi market has matured to the point where the differences between brands are real but specific — different cuts, different weaves, different durability profiles. Here is how the serious rooms stock up.
Shoyoroll — the most aesthetic gi in the sport, by a wide margin. Limited drops, collector mentality, and a fit that runs slim through the chest and shoulders. The construction quality is excellent. If you care about how your gi looks and you don’t mind paying $200–$300 for a kimono, this is the brand the room will recognize when you walk in. Best for athletes with athletic builds.
Origin BJJ — made in the United States, with the most consistent cut in the sport. The gi fits exactly the same way every time, which sounds trivial until you’ve owned three Shoyorolls in three different sizes that all wear differently. Origin uses a tighter weave and the kimonos last for years of hard training. Best for athletes who want a gi that will outlast the rest of their kit. Pearl weave, 450gsm — the standard cut.
Hyperfly — built for durability. The Hyperfly gis are heavier, the stitching is doubled in the high-wear areas, and they survive 200+ washes without falling apart. Less aesthetic, more workhorse. Best for athletes training six or seven sessions a week who burn through gis faster than the average practitioner.
Tatami — the budget tier that doesn’t feel like a budget tier. Tatami gis run $80–$140, the fit is honest, and the kimonos hold up well for a year or two of consistent training. A blue belt’s first gi should probably be a Tatami. Save the Shoyoroll for purple.
Kingz and Manto are both legitimate mid-tier options as well. Kingz leans toward competition-style cuts. Manto is European-built, slightly slimmer fit, popular in the European competition scene.
No-gi kit.
No-gi is a smaller kit but the gear matters more — the rashguard contacts your skin for the entire session, and the shorts have to survive folded-over guards, scrambles, and leg entanglements without tearing.
Origin no-gi — same construction quality as the gis. Heavier-weight rashguards that don’t pill, shorts with reinforced seams. The default for athletes who already train in Origin gis.
BJJ Globetrotters — the brand’s apparel line is well-made, with neutral aesthetics that work in any room. Their no-gi shorts are particularly good for travel because they pack flat and don’t take on smell as quickly as some competitors.
Vulkan — Brazilian brand, well-respected in São Paulo and Rio. Their rashguards are competition-cut, the no-gi line is built for the heavier rolling style common in Brazilian rooms.
Rashguards.
The rashguard is the single most-worn piece of BJJ gear. Buy two long-sleeve, two short-sleeve. Cycle them.
Hayabusa — the standard. The fit is athletic without being compressive, the seams are flat-locked so they don’t chafe in the armpit during scrambles, and the fabric holds up to constant washing. The brand also makes the best MMA-style equipment in the sport.
Kingz — rashguards in the same family as their gi line. Slightly more aesthetic, slightly more competition-cut. Good for athletes who care about the team patch matching.
Mouthguard.
SISU. Boil-and-bite mouthguards are inadequate for BJJ — they’re too bulky, they limit breathing during high-output rolls, and they break down within months. SISU is a flexible, thin, custom-fit guard that lets you talk and breathe normally while protecting your teeth. The 1.6mm guard is the right thickness for BJJ. Replace it every six months.
Ear protection.
Cauliflower ear is a permanent injury that most athletes will eventually develop if they train BJJ for years without ear protection. It is not aesthetic damage — it is calcified scar tissue that fills the cartilage and is essentially irreversible without surgery.
Hayabusa MMA headgear is the standard. The current generation is lower-profile than the older wrestling-style headgear, fits under a gi top, and doesn’t catch in collar grips. Wear it during open mat. Wear it any session where you’re rolling more than three rounds. The athletes who don’t end up with cauliflower ears by purple belt are the ones who started wearing headgear at white belt.
Hygiene. Non-negotiable.
This is the part of the gear conversation that beginners under-prioritize and that the people sharing a mat with them silently judge them for.
Wash your gi after every single session. Not “most sessions.” Every session. The fabric of a gi that has been on the mat for two hours is a culture for staph, ringworm, and various fungal infections that spread room-wide if one athlete is sloppy. If you train four times a week, that’s four gi washes a week. Plan your kit accordingly.
Anti-fungal soap after every session. The standard recommendation is tea-tree-based or chlorhexidine-based soap. Defense Soap is the brand most BJJ academies stock in their pro shops, and it works. Shower within an hour of leaving the gym. Don’t wait until you get home and then sit on the couch in your training clothes — that’s how skin infections start.
Clip nails. Fingers and toes. Long fingernails tear cornea, scratch faces, and cut training partners. Long toenails do all of that plus they catch in gi pants during guard passes and rip off mid-roll, which is as bad as it sounds. Once a week, clip both. This is the cheapest piece of mat etiquette in the sport.
What to pack for a training trip.
Three gis (one heavy, two standard weight if traveling to a hot climate). Two long-sleeve rashguards. Two short-sleeve. Two pairs of no-gi shorts. One pair of headgear. Three mouthguards (one in use, two backup — they get lost). One bottle of Defense Soap. Nail clippers. A laundry bag that breathes — wet gis in a sealed plastic bag for 24 hours grow things you don’t want.
Pack it all in one bag. Train, wash, repeat. That’s the kit.
— Specific brand sourcing, kit consultations, training-trip packing: hello@thebespoketraveler.co.
