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BJJ For Women

~ Women's BJJ Blog: Interviews, Jiu- Jitsu Events and All Things Fenom

BJJ For Women

Category Archives: Gis for Women and Girls

New A3Short Size for Curvy Women

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's BJJ

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

A3Short, affordable, curvy pants, fenom kimonos, gis for large women, thick thighs save lives

We are happy to announce that our redesigned A3Short size women’s gi pants are now available. Based on customer feedback we felt there was a missing option between A2Curvy and A4. It was time to get rid of a slow seller A3 and make A3Short size for curvy, average height women. A3Short is a roomy pant with a shorter inseam and fits women who are in size 14 (US size) pants and about 5’5”-5’8” tall. First color in stock in A3S is navy, white and black to follow.

A3curvy front
A3curvy size back

 

Distant Klash and Fenom Kimonos Collaboration

22 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's BJJ

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Tags

bjj, champion, collaboration, cotton canvas, distant klash, DK, fenom kimonos, jiu-jitsu for women, pearl weave plus, women's gis, women's wrestling

Two women-owned apparel brands, Distant Klash and Fenom Kimonos, partnered up to bring you a limited edition women’s gi design for this holiday shopping season. Distant Klash was founded in 2016 by Kelly Kusumoto, a Bay area native, 2008 California HS Women’s Wrestling State Champion and an artist. We loved her wrestling inspired minimalist style designs so much that we approached her with the idea of designing a gi. Kelly was very happy to collaborate with us and the final product is outstanding.

The collaboration gi jacket is made of 550 gsm pearl weave plus fabric and has beautiful, blue and white embroidery on both sleeves, lapel, back and front. Pants are made of soft, brushed canvas and feature over-sized embroidery on the right thigh. The gi has blue contrast stitching, decorative tape inside the jacket and comes with a custom nylon drawstring cord. This is a limited edition gi: a perfect gift for someone special who loves neutral colors and cute, comic inspired design. We asked Distant Klash owner and creator Kelly Kusumoto to talk a little bit about her art, wrestling, and how her company came about. Read below and happy shopping!

Fenom Distant Klash Collaboration Gi
Fenom Distant Klash Collaboration Gi
Distant Klash Fenom Gi
Distant Klash Fenom Gi
Fenom DK Pearl Weave Plus Gi
Fenom DK Pearl Weave Plus Gi

Why wrestling? What attracted you to wrestling? Do you have any other athletes in your immediate family?

Growing up, my mom put me in a variety of sports such as tennis, soccer, basketball, gymnastics and swimming. But at the time I saw sports mainly as an activity and not so much as a passion. While I was in middle school I began training in a Japanese form of karate called Shorinji Kempo and quickly became excited by it. It was fun, but more importantly it felt like I could communicate with someone very directly without actually having to use words.

However, one issue that I had while doing Shorinji was finding sparring partners. Older members found me too forceful and kids my age would avoid me for the same reason. At the end of the year they would hold a ceremony where they gave awards and recognition to people who had improved and had done well throughout the year. As a little joke they gave a an award for “Most Aggressive Sparring”. I was super excited to be positively acknowledged for being strong. It was a very proud moment for me.

When I reached high school a friend who was on the wrestling team encouraged me to join. At first I wasn’t very receptive of the idea, but eventually I decided to do it. I saw it mostly as a way to expand upon the martial arts I knew at that time, like learning new words in a language.

My first practice was during the summer after freshman year and I found myself in a very new environment. There were a lot of things I had to adjust to. I was thrown into a world where I was pushing my conditioning and strength training to an extreme. I had to learn how to handle being in an environment where all my training partners were boys. Perhaps the most difficult part was just being around people who did not know me and did not want to wrestle a girl. I found myself feeling a bit isolated and lost. Despite those challenges I stayed focused on the training and I felt that this was the environment I could learn to thrive in. It gave me a chance to fully express my aggressive energy without any restrictions.

In terms of having athletes in the family, my dad’s side of the family practiced judo but I was never taught any. Instead, my dad loved to roughhouse with me as his way of interacting and playing with me. I feel that as a result of those play sessions I began to associate the idea of fun with activities that were very physical.

You became a state champion in California. How did you achieve it? What is life like for a wrestler?

As a student athlete my practices would go until early evening. I did not get home until 6 or 6:30. By the time I got home and washed up, there were only a few hours left to eat, do homework and prepare for the next day. Even simple things like staying awake during class was difficult because I was so exhausted from practice.

The greatest impact wrestling left on me was how to control my diet. Growing up I knew that junk food was bad, but I did not really care about my health. With wrestling I began to refrain from eating junk food. I quickly learned that it was not practical to eat before practice unless I was okay feeling sick and sluggish during practice. I just started to be more careful about what I ate and how frequently. Often times I struggled to eat enough calories because it felt like I was burning more than what I could actually consume.

On a weekly basis practice was after school for three hours, five days a week. Once the season got going there would be a tournament every Saturday. In my first few years of wrestling I was so bad that I would try to do extra drills at night. I was quite desperate to improve so I also practiced visualizing to try to perfect the moves I had learned.

I think what added to my desperation was being the only girl on the team. I wrestled with boys exclusively so I did not have a sense of how my skill level measured against girls. In my first year I went to a few tournaments at the JV level with boys and barely won any matches. I decided that during off season I would hit the gym to become physically stronger.

By junior and senior year I was beginning to feel more even with the boys and I was slowly gaining some confidence. During my senior year I decided to go to more girl tournament and after having wrestled with boys for so long I found myself doing very well in the girls’ division. I placed 1st in almost all of them.

At the girls’ state tournament I was very nervous and did not perform as well as I usually did. I could not pin anyone and was feeling really anxious. By the time I made it to the finals I was really getting nervous. I got caught in a head and arm throw and was very close to getting pinned. The realization that I might lose snapped me back into a better head space and I ended up winning the finals.

Do you still go to your old high school to coach kids?

I used to coach only at my high school but I have expanded my reach to go to any high school with female wrestlers. If they ask me to come and help, I will do anything I can to make time for them. I feel like I can relate to the struggles that these girls are going through because of my experience as a girl wrestler. I understand their frustrations and do my best to lead by example. I know that it is also very comforting for them because sometimes it is difficult to discuss gender specific issues with a male coach.

In college you decided to quit wrestling and focus on graphic design. What prompted that decision?

During my childhood I drew a lot and wanted to purse art in college. However, I was also excited about wrestling and wanted to see how far I could take it. I finally landed on the decision to go wrestle on a woman’s team at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky and pursue an Arts degree there.

However, within a few months I was starting to feel very unsatisfied with both the wrestling and the art program. The wrestling program had a lot of problems but simply put, I did not like the coaching. I did not feel challenged and was starting to get very homesick. To make matters worse, the art program was also very weak. It felt like a high school program and I could see that this was not the right path for me.

I wanted to get out of Kentucky as soon as possible so I left after my first semester. I came back completely broken. I felt like I had disappointed a lot of people and did not know where to go next. I ended up going to a community college where my coach was teaching at. I was able to wrestle under him for one more season. Once again I was wrestling among all boys. Wrestling in college was even more difficult than high school but it was a great experience that washed away all the bad memories from the Cumberlands. I decided to let wrestling go and just focus on art. I got my associates degree and transferred to an art college in San Francisco.

Talk a little bit about your brand. How did you develop such a cool minimalist style? Where did the name come from?

During my time in school I learned how to design logos. Logo design is really different from traditional illustration in that everything is purely symbolic. The goal is to create a design that conveys a lot of information using as few lines and shapes as possible. I got the hang of this pretty quickly and really loved the impact and strength of a clean minimalist design.

I made the first DK design of the two boys in a wrestling stance several years after I graduated college. It actually took me a while to figure out how to draw it because it is very difficult to simplify human movements. As I was drawing it, I began to realize why there were so few wrestling designs that were available. It is really hard because it requires making a lot of design choices for the size and placement of each body part.

However once I was done I was very excited and so relieved. I felt like I was able to accurately depict who I was. All this time I had been going back and forth between my identity as an artist who likes cute things, and as a wrestler who loved to be tough. It almost felt like I was living a double life but now the two worlds could merge together

At this point in my life I had graduated college and I was no longer a part of any wrestling team. I still had a lot of nostalgia lingering from my wrestling days. I think many alumni wrestlers like myself struggle with a lack of identity when they no longer have the time or place to wrestle. The wrestler inside of us never really goes away, so the name Distant Klash was born as a reflection of what wrestling means to me now: a fight from the past, a “distant clash”.

I want it also to represent the younger generation who work hard and train for their next fight. I always feel honored when I am allowed to be a part of their journey to becoming the best wrestler they can be. For them, their wrestling career is still alive and strong and their future is a soon to be “distant clash”.

What are you plans for DK future?

Although DK currently focuses on martial arts, I would love to expand out to other sports. Wrestling is my favorite sport but I have a deep appreciation for all types of movement whether it be in dance, sports or any other physical endeavor. Movement is one of many ways people express themselves and I want to create art that allows people to see that.

Even personally speaking, the wrestling designs I made have allowed me to share my passion for wrestling in a way that overrides any preconceived ideas they may hold. When I tell them that I wrestle, I can tell them what it is really like and how it has positively impacted me. It may seem like a small change but I definitely feel much more confident when I can openly express who I am. I want to be able to extend this feeling to other athletes who may also be in the same predicament.

Farewell A3 size!

03 Sunday Nov 2019

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's BJJ

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Tags

curvy fit, curvy pants, fenom kimonos, gis for women, innovation, support women's bjj, women's gis

When we started making women’s gis in 2009, the production was limited to only three sizes: A1, A2 and A3. Over the years we have added more options including curvy and tall sizes. The addition of A2Tall, A2Curvy and A4 have made A3 practically obsolete. With great sadness we are discontinuing our current A3 size. However, A3 is not completely disappearing; we are replacing it with a brand new A3Short size. Based on customer feedback, there is a need for a size A3 width but not so much for the length. A3Short is made for someone in A2Curvy and A4 height bracket (5’6”-5’8”) but A3 weight bracket (175-195 lbs). If A2Curvy pants are a little too snug but A4 are a tad baggy then A3Short will be the perfect size for you. Happy shopping!

New Premium Pearl Weave Women’s BJJ Gi

15 Sunday Sep 2019

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's BJJ

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

affordable, bjj, fenom kimonos, Gis for Women and Girls, pretty colors, support women's bjj, women's bjj

We are excited to give you sneak peek of the new premium cotton pearl weave women’s jiu-jitsu gi that is in production. Pre-production sample arrived this week and exceeded our expectation by a mile! Take a look at this gorgeous, detailed embroidery on the pants and gi jacket. We are also making royal blue version of the same design and both colors will be available at the end of November. As always mix and match, regular, tall and curvy sizes will be available. We are giving away this A2 sample to one lucky Fenom lady. Happy training!

fenom women's bjj gi
fenom womens bjj gi white
fenom womens bjj gi white yellow

Unicorn and Donuts Gi in White Pearl Weave Plus

25 Thursday Apr 2019

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's BJJ

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

anniversary, bjj, cotton drill, donuts, gis for girls, gis for women, pearl weave plus, unicorn, women's bjj

We are excited to announce the release of our 10-year anniversary gi! Unicorns and donuts? YES! We have survived in a very masculine sport and industry for a decade making women’s gis exclusively and feel like a true unicorn. And who doesn’t like a good donut on their birthday? We hope you like the fun, colorful gi and celebrate with us. Jacket is made of 550 gr white pearl weave plus fabric and pants are made of traditional light weight cotton drill fabric. Gi comes in all regular, tall and curvy sizes from A0-A4 and also in kids sizes M00-M2. Adult sizes retail at a very affordable $115.00 and kids sizes are $80.00. Happy shopping!

fenom donut unicorn gi
fenom donut gi pearl
dav
fenom unicorn gi

http://www.fenomkimonos.com

Nine Years of Fenom Women’s Gi Designs

08 Sunday Jul 2018

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's Gis

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Tags

crystal weave, fenom kimonos, flowers, girls' gis, gis for women, gold weave, pearl weave, pearl weave plus, women's gis

Here is the collection of womens and girls jiu-jitsu gis we have produced over the past nine years. Every year some designs retire and new ones are added; some stay in production for years, others stay for a few months. Which one is our favorite? We like them all for different reasons but the very first batch from 2009 is a wee bit more special than all others. Which designs do you like the best and how many Fenoms do you own?

chess weave gi fenom
white pearl weave gi mandala fenom
pink pearl weave gi girls fenom
pearl weave gi white pbs fenom
pearl weave gi white purple swirl fenom
white pearl weave gi butterfly fenom
navy blue pearl weave fenom
navy blue pearl weave pink accent fenom
white pearl weave hibiscus fenom
gold weave gi white fenom
black crystal weave gi fenom og
hannette staack signature gi fenom
royal blue crystal weave gi fenom
pearl weave plus gi white red F fenom
pink pearl weave gi fenom
navy blue bamboo gi fenom
crystal weave gi white cornflower fenom girls
pearl weave plus gi black fenom
crystal weave gi white og lotus fenom
gray pearl weave gi salmon Fenom
pearl weave plus white feather fenom
pearl weave white lily gi fenom
white crystal weave gi gray lotus fenom
royal blue pearl weave gi fenom
crystal weave gi white Lotus fenom
pearl weave gi black red tulip lily fenom
gray pearl weave gi fenom
pearl weave gi black purple swirl fenom
black pearl weave gi black F fenom
pearl weave gi white rose fenom
black crystal weave red F Fenom gi
white crystal weave gi lotus girls fenom
royal blue girls gi fenom

Gi Weaves 102: Single Weave Gi and Double Weave Gi Mystery

17 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Products, Women's Gis

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

bjj gi, brushed baby canvas, chess weave, cotton canvas, diamond weave, double weave, fenom kimonos, judo gi, plain weave, sashiko weave, single weave, single weave vs double weave gis, women's bjj

Our article, Gi Weaves 101, has become one of the most viewed blog post and continues to be a great resource for anyone in the market for a new women’s BJJ gi. Since we get a lot of questions about single weave and double weave gis, we decided  to do a write-up about new fabrics we are using; what single weave and double weave fabrics are, and how to tell the difference between those two.

SASHIKO WEAVE or RICE GRAIN WEAVE is the most commonly misnamed fabric by jiu-jitsu bloggers and gi reviewers. A great deal of sources call it a single weave. Sashiko weave can be single or double weave. As a matter of fact, any fabric can be single or double weave, depending on if there is only one layer of fabric or if there are two layers of fabric that are interconnected. In a single weave fabric a set of weft (horizontal yarn) and a set of warp (vertical yarn) are interlaced together in different patterns. The pattern of the warp and weft is called the weave of the fabric. In a double weave, a fabric should contain two detectable weave structures, two layers, which are connected to one another in some way. Below are some photos to illustrate the difference between single and double weave.

Single weave on top, double weave on bottom.
Single weave on top, double weave on bottom.
Single weave vs double weave thickness.
Single weave vs double weave thickness.

 

Single weave fabric on top, double weave on the bottom.
Single weave fabric on top, double weave on the bottom.
Single weave fabric has one layer, double weave fabric can be pulled apart to show two layers.
Single weave fabric has one layer, double weave fabric can be pulled apart to show two layers.

Sashiko weave has been used for judo gis for decades, it’s readily available and much more reasonably priced than pearl weave. It can be light weight 350-550 gsm single weave to 750-950 gsm double weave,  the options are endless. A lot of jiu-jitsu gis in sashiko weave are in light weight category, very affordable and considered a good starter gi. However, cheaper gis shrink quite a bit, so sizing can be tricky.

More expensive double weave gis have controlled shrinkage due to extensive pre-treatment but those are not common in BJJ scene. Double weave gi sleeves are very difficult to grab, they are thick and rigid. The whole gi set weighs twice as much as a single weave gi. Most BJJ hobbyists don’t ever experience a double weave gi unless they cross train at a judo dojo and get their grips on an International Judo Federation approved competition gi. So, if you are buying a jiu-jitsu gi and the description is 350-550 gsm weave (pearl or any others), you are getting a single weave gi. 

CHESS WEAVE combines plain weave with Sashiko weave to form a chess board look. Plain weave is the most common and basic weave where weft yarn passes over and under warp yarn alternately. Chess weave fabric feels softer than pearl weave but not as soft as crystal weave. It feels light-weight and does not stretch out excessively. It is a great addition to any gi collection if you are getting bored with pearl weave. Colored gis in chess weave will look more textured and dramatic after a while as the raised squares fade at a different rate than the flat squares. This is not better than any other fabric; it simply has a captivating look.

DIAMOND WEAVE or diamond pattern Sashiko weave fabric is widely used in judo and is not new in the market. It is mostly used for the skirt part of the judo gi but can be made into a BJJ gi. The lightweight but sturdy plain weave or twill weave is combined with diamond pattern in Sashiko weave. Sashiko yarn direction is horizontal which makes the fabric stronger to withstand the stretching and pulling. The fabric feels light and airy, does not shrink excessively and is comfortable on skin. It has a unique textured look that should become popular in jiu-jitsu because of its affordability and availability.

Canvas or Cotton Duck is a popular fabric choise for workwear, tote bags, beach umbrellas, awnings and is the base for the best oil paintings. It is a plain woven fabric that is sturdy, dense and extremely durable. Cotton duck or duck is the correct name for the fabric but people outside of textile industry call it canvas. Canvas, especially heavy-duty canvas, is not a popular choice for gi pants. The fabric is very stiff and full length, double layer reinforcement makes the pants twice as heavy as rip stop pants. The pants will last for years if you have the patience to wear them and put up with the stiff, slightly uncomfortable fabric. Canvas will soften up a little over time but it will never be as comfortable as cotton drill. Customers have very strong feelings about these pants; they are serious nail rippers, you cannot get a grip without hurting your hands.

Brushed canvas looks just like canvas but feels like cotton drill. The  fabric has been treated and brushed on both sides so the stiffness you experience with canvas has been eliminated. The best way to describe the feel of this fabric is to think of a flannel shirt, it’s that comfy. Of all the fabric choices for pants, this has to be our new favorite. Brushed canvas is comfortable but does not stretch out as much as cotton drill, very soft yet sturdy and there is no unexpected shrinkage. So far it has been very well received by customers and we hope to add more brushed canvas pants in different colors to our product line.

No matter what fabric you prefer, it is important to take good care of your gi . Read more about gi care and stain removal here.

Blank White Gis

14 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's Gis

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

affordable, blank white gi, cotton drill, crystal weave, fenom kimonos, mix and match gi, starter gi

We have great news! Traditional white, blank gis are now in stock in our most popular sizes. No embroidery, no patches, no contrast stitching. A very affordable price of $80.00 makes it a perfect starter gi. Blank gis are also an ideal canvas for adventurous BJJ women who want to dye their gis in vibrant colors that are not in mass production or for ladies who just prefer classic, non-embellished gis. Jackets are made of our favorite soft crystal weave and pants are medium weight cotton drill. Mix and match options are available upon request. The most popular sizes, A1 and A4, are already running low due to preorders.

Separate pants are also available in sizes A0-A4, including tall and curvy options. Drill pants are remarkably soft yet durable and feature Fenom standard double reinforcement from the upper thigh all the way down to the bottom of the pant leg, eight loops and a flat drawstring. Happy shopping and happy training!

Gray Pearl Weave Gis

18 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Women's Gis

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Tags

bjj kimonos, fenom kimonos, gis for girls, gis for women, gray pearl weave, women's bjj

Ladies asked for gray gis and our first batch is ready! Gi jackets are made of 550 gr pearl weave and pants are cotton ripstop with flat drawstring. Fenom signature F on the sleeves and a minimalistic flower design on the pants and jacket make a gorgeous, feminine gi. The color combination of gray fabric and dark purple embroidery is unexpectedly bright and striking. Gray gis are not IBJJF approved for competition but we expect to see them at women’s jiu-jitsu seminars and open mats everywhere. If you are one of the first customers who have received their gis in the mail, let us know what you think. Happy shopping, happy training!

fenom gray gi
fenom gray gi1
fenom gray gi2
fenom gray gi3

Gold Weave Gi Comeback

11 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Gis for Women and Girls, Products, Women's BJJ

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fenom kimonos, gis for women, gold weave, heavy duty cotton canvas pants, women's gis

A few months ago we tested out gold weave gi samples; liked them a lot, and decided to make a good, heavy-duty, old school training gi for women. We took away all the fancy add-ons, and made a gi for ladies who like a clean, simple, and classic look. There is no nylon tape; there is no rash guard lining, and there is no oversized, fire-breathing dragon embroidery on the back.

This gi top is made of 550 gsm gold weave cotton that gets softer, and softer over time. The trim, and collar are 14 ounce canvas pants material. The pants have 4 loops, a flat drawstring, and are fully reinforced from the upper thigh to the bottom of the pant leg just like our standard pants. A pair of canvas A1s weighs 24 ounces compared to 16 ounces for the same size in ripstop. Try grabbing those without ripping your nails out! These are the heaviest pants on the women’s bjj gi market right now, and will last you for years.

gold weave gi
gold weave gi 1
Fenom Gold Weave 1

Gold weave, and canvas do require stretching out after every wash when the gi is wet in order to maintain the size. The best way is to grab one sleeve, step on the other one and pull up; think of a kettlebell high-pull. Do the same with the pants; step on the pant legs, and pull up from the waist. It sounds rough but be assured, it works! You may want to go with the tall size if you are at the very top of your size bracket or go size up if you plan on drying the gi in the dryer. If someone bleeds on your brand new gi (which always happens), use a dab of soap and hydrogen peroxide to clean it. It works!

Happy training!

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