Like many who venture down this path, I thought that being a "reviewer" of BJJ gis and gear would be fun and I would end up with a ton of new gear coming in on a regular basis. Well, while I am happy that I gave it a try and I learned quite a bit in my short venture down this path, I quickly discovered that I was not cut out for this in the long term.
For me, I was reminded of when I was a kid and would see my father mowing the lawn every other week. Sitting on the riding lawnmower and cruising around for hours on a Saturday afternoon seemed like a lot of fun at the time (never having done it myself). Then I turned 12 and it became my turn to mow the lawn twice a month. The first month or two were fun, then it became a JOB and was no longer any fun. The same cycle happened for me in reviewing kimonos; it quickly went from fun to WORK.
But let us start with the process of reviewing kimonos. At least how I believe it should be done.
Once the package arrives it's like Christmas. There is no denying that, at least at first. But as soon as you open the bag or box containing your new goodies, the work begins. You have been given this kimono with the expectation that you will review it. You can't just break it out and wear it to class that night. There are prerequisites that must be fulfilled while the gi is still BNIB (Brand New, In Bag).
First, you need to make note as to how it was packaged and shipped. Did it arrive in good order or was it simply stuffed into a box? Does it smell like mothballs or other chemical (as is common with a new gi). Were there unexpected goodies included, such as stickers, patches, CD's, etc.?
Now it is time to perform a few tasks that can only be done when the kimono is BNIB.
Take Initial Measurements
Ten measurements need to be taken, five for the jacket and five (or six actually) for the pants. The purpose of this is to determine shrinkage once you have washed and dried the kimono at least once (twice or thrice is better).
And it's best to get the help of someone to do this, because at a minimum the wingspan of the jacket (measurement "A") is difficult to do alone. To get this particular measurement right you should position the measuring tape underneath the jacket so that the collar does not get in the way. And with each person grabbing the sleeve cuffs, make sure that it is pulled tight and flat.
Once you've recorded all ten (or eleven) measurements you can move onto taking photographs. (Note, the 11th measurement that I often take is "A" on the pants. With many gi's today being cut lower in the front than in the back, the measurement from the pant cuff to the waist of the pants has two measurements, usually 1 to 1.5 inches different).
Take Photographs
I learned early on that before moving from the front of the jacket to the back, and then to the pants, that it was best to upload all the pictures taken up to that point to my computer in order to make sure the lighting was right and there were no shadows in the way on the closeups. So between positioning the garment, going up and down the step-stool to get a good birds-eye view/angle, then closeups and uploading to see how each photo looked, this proved to be a time consuming task to say the least.
- Missed stitches
- Reinforcements
- Seam tape
- Embroidery and patch application
- Construction
- Feel
- And more...
Just to name a few. And of course, you'll need to take photographs of any areas that you are referencing.
After that is all done, the initial measurements, thorough inspection, draft the written review, and taking and proofing of the photographs, then it is time to wash the kimono. For me, I like to wash in cold water and then hang dry for 3 full days before taking the second set of measurements. That way you can calculate the shrinkage. Here is an example of one that I did recently:
Once the gi is dry, you need to again take a full set of measurements for comparison and calculation on shrinkage.
Then you can finally USE the kimono! Or, like in my case I would give the kimono away to a deserving grappler who will (a) use it at least once a week if not twice, and (b) report back on the shrinkage, fit, feel and durability after months 3, 6 & 12. Because once you get past the look and design of a kimono, it is really a tool of our trade. And no matter how it looks and feels right out of the bag, what really matters is how it fits, feels and lasts over time. And that cannot be determined over the span of one or two weeks. The kimono has got to be put to use on a regular basis for a considerable period of time to make that determination.
In addition to having a full review available on the internet (view one that I did here), I also liked having a PDF file to send to people. So the formatting and construction of that 3-page document was also a time consuming effort. Here is one that I did.
As far as why I no longer formally review kimonos...quite frankly it's just too time consuming. And when the boxes would show up instead of feeling like Christmas it was depressing because I know how much work goes into a review and as soon as they arrive at my door I felt obligated to drop everything and get the review started. And because I didn't start a few of them right away, they piled up and then the handwriting was on the wall. I could not continue to process the reviews and surely didn't want to let the people down who were sending the gear to me.
So if you are considering venturing down this path, do yourself a favor and decide beforehand whether or not you realistically have the time to conduct a review that you can be proud of. If you are only doing it for the free gear, then you'll either stress out over the workload or let the people down who are sending the gear to you. Neither of those alternatives is a recipe for success.
I have assembled a list of the BJJ gear reviewers that I know of. You can find that list and a link to their websites &/or Facebook page here.
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