Update: Since I originally wrote my review for the Hemp Ecstasy gi, it has been widely publicized in the BJJ community that the fabric used in this gi is actually a polyester and cotton mix. For more information, please visit Submission Fight Company’s Internal Investigation on Our Hemp Products post. Another company in the industry also sent the fabric to be tested and the results confirmed a 53.58/46.42 poly/cotton mix.
As a martial artist, training takes up a lot of my time. But all that time spent on the mat is worth it when you obtain the ultimate goal of any fight: submission. This is what Submission Fight Co. is all about.
We train countless hours a week and when it’s our time to go into any fight we have one goal in mind: submission. It’s the name of our brand. It’s that moment where all your hard work comes into play, the moment your opponent lifts his hand and taps out. It is this moment that you suddenly get a rush of bliss throughout your body and mind. Live for this moment – Submission! -From the Submission Fight Co. website
Submission Fight Co. has contributed an exciting new women’s gi to the market to wear during those countless hours of training. The Hemp Ecstasy gi is made with hemp, a fabric reported to be stronger, naturally antimicrobial, environmentally-friendly, and softer than cotton. I was sent the Hemp Ecstasy to review and overall, I’m very pleased with the gi and enjoy rolling in it.
Features
- 70% hemp, 30% cotton gi top
- White with pink contrast stitching
- Pre-shrunk
- Light 10oz, 70% hemp, 30% cotton twill pants
- Custom embroidery
- Heavily-reinforced stress points
- Pink stretchy rope drawstring
- Five belt loops
- IBJJF approved
Quality and Style
My first impression of the Hemp Ecstasy gi was that it was the prettiest gi I’d ever seen. The pink and green accents look amazing together and the embroidery is in the perfect shade of pink, just a tad darker than bubble gum. Wearing this gi definitely made me feel feminine on the mats, and it is exponentially prettier in real life than it is in some of the photos I’ve seen.
As soon as the gi arrived at my door, I tried it on, got sour because it was so baggy, and took it off to put in a hot wash. This was a mistake with the Hemp Ecstasy. Dye from the pink contrast stitching on the jacket ran and gave the whole jacket a slightly pink tint. My teammate has the men’s version and had the same issue with the green contrast stitching after washing it in warm water. The pants, however, did not have the same issue and remain a gleaming white. If I could go back in time, I would read the washing instructions on the label, which clearly stated I shouldn’t have done that.
Another thing I noticed when the gi arrived was a strong smell, which I thought was moth balls. I’ve heard of similar issues with other brands who stated that the smell is a result of the dying process and fades away with washing. I found it took approximately ten to twelve washes to disappear and lingered the longest on the pink drawstring.
Fit and Comfort
The hemp jacket was very soft and remains so when washed and dried in the dryer. Unfortunately the dryer caused a lot of shrinkage in the sleeves, but didn’t affect the jacket length. Once I had learned the hard way not to use the dryer again, I began to hang dry the jacket. I found the hang dry method made the hemp slightly rough on the skin though, so there was yet another dilemma. My solution was to dry the jacket in the dryer for about fifteen minutes, take it out, put the jacket on, grasp the sleeves with my hands to stretch them to the proper length, and then hang dry. Over-complicated for sure, but hemp reportedly becomes softer over time so I assume the hang dry won’t be an issue for long. Unfortunately, I don’t believe my gi would be competition legal with the shrinkage in the sleeves, even with my stretching routine. Aside from the sleeve issue, though, the fit in the shoulders and torso is perfect, as is the jacket length.
I’ve always dried the pants in the dryer and found them to be quite comfortable against my skin. The crotch depth of the pants is shallower than other brands and although they look nice in photos, they felt a little too low-cut during rolling. In certain positions I felt I would be exposing my plumber’s butt if I hadn’t been wearing shorts under the pants, but otherwise they were a perfect fit. Initially I was surprised at how wide the pants were and thought they would be too baggy, but I didn’t notice an issue with that at all. One feature that stood out was the fifth belt loop at the center of the pants, which can be used to anchor the drawstring as it is tied. (And by the way, also featured in the photo above is the Gawakoto x David Mack “Kabuki” Ladies Rashguard. Review coming soon!)
The features listed on the site stated the gi was pre-shrunk, but I did note shrinkage due to my own idiocy, as you can clearly see in the measurements below.
Customer Service
I was sent the gi for review so I didn’t experience typical customer service. Submission Fight Co. offers tracking on its shipments and it costs about $31 to ship to Canada. Any questions I had about the gi were answered quickly by email and Shakib helped me find the correct size gi for my height and weight.
Follow Submission Fight Co. on Facebook and Twitter and visit their website to see everything they have to offer all the submission hunters out there.
The Submission Fight Co. Women’s Hemp Ecstasy Gi is available for $159.95 at SubmissionFC.com.
