Support American businesses with our guide to USA-made and owned BJJ gi brands.
It’s no secret that some of the most well known Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi brands are based in the US.
At the time of writing there are only two brands that still make gis in the USA: Origin and Vanguard. But there are also over 20 US-owned brands that design high quality BJJ gis and then get them made overseas.
BJJ gis made in the USA
Origin
Origin is one of the most well known brands still making BJJ gis in the USA and is based in Maine. It was co-founded by BJJ competitor Pete Roberts and the company has even been weaving their own fabric since 2014.
It’s known for its high quality range of BJJ gis, which start from around $159 with the Everest gi all the way up to over $300 for the Rift gi with Origin’s signature Dragon Weave jacket fabric.
Origin also produces limited edition gis, like The Path gi which features unique styling and Origin’s American Smart Pearl Gen 3 jacket fabric.
It also sells mens and womens clothing, boots and even veteran, podcaster and author Jocko Willink’s line of Mölk protein supplements and Go drinks.
Vanguard
Vanguard is not as well known as Origin, but sells a range of gis made in Los Angeles made from denim.
These gis have a unique appearance and are made from American-made selvedge, which is generally considered stronger and higher quality than regular denim. They are also trimmed with Japanese denim trim.
At the time of writing Vanguard’s denim gis were sold out, although the previously available Concrete Selvedge Denim Kimono was available for $475.00.
In addition to its denim gis, Vanguard also sells a non-denim line of gis which are not made in the USA including the Evolution and Competitore gis which come in colors such as white, royal blue, black and navy blue. It also sells a range of no gi and lifestyle gear.
BJJ gi brands based in the USA
Many American gi brands might not make their products in the USA but still make great gis and may employ US-based staff. Here’s a list below if you’d like to support them:
93 Brand
93 Brand is run by a small team in New York, and is named after the historic events of the 1993 UFC where Royce Gracie won the championship using Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Today 93 Brand sells a large range of BJJ gis and gear, including the Hooks V5 gi which comes with a 425 GSM pearl weave jacket and 8 oz twill cotton pants. 93 Brand also has a flexible no-strings-attached returns policy which allows you to return a gi within 60 days of purchase even if you’ve trained in it.
Century Martial Arts
Century Martial Arts is one of the world’s largest martial arts supply companies and is based in Oklahoma. It also owns the Gameness gi brand. Century’s own gi is called the Aluna and it has a 440 GSM pearl weave jacket and 270 GSM pants. Its Gameness gis come in various weights, with the Air Pro gi 2.0 being a superlight gi aimed at competitors and the Pearl gi 2.0 being a heavier and tougher gi built for regular training.
CRNR
CRNR or Combat Corner Professional was founded in Wisconsin in 2007 by professional MMA fighter Dan LaSavage. It sells not only BJJ gis but also a complete range of striking gear including gloves and gym equipment. It’s BJJ gi range includes the CompTrainer, a tough but lightweight gi, and the CompLite 2, a lightweight gi with a 350 GSM jacket and ripstop pants.
Day by Day Jiu Jitsu
This company was co-founded by AJ and Tim Mendoza, two black belts from Honolulu and San Diego respectively. Day by Day’s gis come in a variety of colors and weights. The Daily Gi 2022 for example has a jacket made from 350 GSM pearl weave fabric with 10 oz ripstop pants and is preshrunk and IBJJF and AJP legal. Day by Day also sells a range of no gi gear like shorts, spats and rashguards; bags; slippers and more.
É Nóis
É Nóis translates to ‘it’s us’ in Portuguese. This embodies the overall goal of inclusivity at É Nóis where its team works to enable anyone to train in BJJ regardless of who they are. É Nóis is based in Los Angeles and it sells a range of regular and limited edition style gis.
It’s Classic Medium Weight Gi is a great example of É Nóis’ subtle but tasteful styling, with attractive patches and embroidery. The Classic Medium Weight Gi has a jacket made from 450 GSM pearl weave and 8 oz pants and comes in royal blue, black and white.
Fire Team Fit
Fire Team Fit is a veteran-run gi company based in Albuquerque, NM. It’s mostly an overall fitness equipment company selling weight belts, sandbags and liquid chalk, but it also sells boxing gloves and BJJ gis. It’s gi has a budget friendly price (under $50 at the time of writing) and has a 450 GSM jacket to last through tough training sessions.
Flow Kimonos
Flow Kimonos is a Boston-based gi company with a full line of regular gis and also hemp gis. It’s Hemp Series gis come in natural white and black colors and are sourced from 100% high quality hemp, so they’re only produced once per year. In addition, Flow Kimonos also has a full range of cotton gis such as the Pro Series, it’s flagship gi which includes various pieces of Coolmax fabric to keep your gi dryer during training.
Gold BJJ
Gold BJJ is a San Diego based company selling a number of innovative jiu jitsu products including training bags, no gi gear, pre and post-training supplements and even an online training platform.
In addition to this, Gold also sells three BJJ gis: the Aeroweave Ultralight Gi, the Foundation Gi and the Calavera Gold Weave Gi. The Aeroweave comes with a superlight 275 GSM jacket and 10 oz ripstop pants and is aimed at competitors. The Calavera gi comes with a tough gold weave fabric jacket and ripstop pants to last through tough training sessions. The Foundation Gi is an everyday gi with a 450 GSM jacket and 10 oz ripstop pants.
Gracie Store
The Gracie family pioneered the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and settled in California after immigrating from Brazil. Today in addition to its network of schools across the globe it also has a lineup of gis available. One interesting example is the Hex Green Gi, which features hexagonal Gracie patches, and has a 350 GSM jacket and lightweight twill cotton pants.
Habrok
Habrok is a combat sports company which makes protective equipment like shin guards and gloves, nutrition products and also BJJ gis. Its BJJ gi range includes the Tatica 3.,0 gi, which has an ergonomic fit and a CoolPearl lining to make the inside of your jacket more comfortable. Many of Habrok’s gis also feature embroidery and artworks that celebrate real and mythical warriors.
Half Sumo
Half Sumo is a New York based jiu jitsu and combat sports company selling uniquely designed gis, muay thai shorts and clothing. Many of its gis have intricate Japanese-style embroidery or artworks throughout them and come with extras like a heavy duty gi bag with detachable nylon pouch for valuables.
Killer Bee Gi
Killer Bee is a custom gi company founded in 2010 and based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Using it’s website you can build your own custom gi from the ground up, selecting the colors of the fabric, collars, stitching, drawstring and logo. You can also customize the sizing of the gi and even add text embroidery to your gi.
Kingz
Kingz is another San Diego based gi brand. It sells a number of popular high quality gis, such as its flagship Balistico 3.0 gi. The Balistico 3.0 has a 480 GSM pearl weave jacket and 8 oz polyester ripstop pants, but it also comes with extra features like Coolmax lining to help with moisture wicking, and “no grip” sleeve technology to help in competitions. Kingz also sells no gi clothing, training bags and other accessories.
Oss Clothing
Oss Clothing is a brand based in Oahu that sells gis and no gi gear as well as jiu jitsu themed t-shirts and hoodies. It’s gis are well designed with attractive styling and patches.
The Oni Gi for example features tasteful patches and is a light gi with a 450 GSM pearl weave jacket and ripstop pants and draws visual inspiration from the Japanese blue and red oni.
Ouano
Ouano is based in Los Angeles and sells gis, rashguards, belts and t-shirts. Its gi range includes the Ouano 350 which is a lightweight pearl weave gi, and the Ouano 450, which is a heavier gold weave gi.
Rolljunkie
Rolljunkie was founded in 2012 by two brothers from New Jersey. It sells a full range of no gi gear including fight shorts and rashguards, but also a large range of gis. Standouts include the Cipher, which is a navy pearl weave gi with orange accents and embroidered logos. Rolljunkie also has free shipping to the USA and Canada for orders of $50 or more.
Ronin
Ronin is a company that sells gis for BJJ, judo and karate and is based in Brooklyn, New York. Its Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gis come in a variety of styles, with some of its double weave gis even being made in Japan. Many of its gis feature Japanese designs, such as the Kurosawa gi which has samurai-themed patches and an artwork inside the jacket. Ronin also sells no gi rashguards with some great designs.
Senso
Senso is a gi company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s also one of the few companies that makes hemp and bamboo gis. Its Dynamo V2 gi for example is made from a blend of cotton and bamboo. Its Hempo gi is made from 100% hemp and features a coolmax lining to help wick away moisture. Senso also sells a range of other interesting gis using unique colors, like the Aizome and Ama gis, and also rashguards, no gi shorts and apparel. Senso also offers free shipping throughout the US.
VHTS
Very Hard To Submit (VHTS) is a Brooklyn, New York based jiu jitsu gear company. Its gis feature beautiful and simple designs in keeping with VHTS’ minimalistic design philosophy. Stand out gis include the G 2022 which has a 550 GSM pearl weave jacket and 10 oz ripstop pants, and some simple yet tasteful shoulder embroidery. VHTS also sells a range of well designed no gi gear including rashguards and shorts.
Viking Gear MMA
Viking Gear MMA is an MMA gear brand based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s jiu jitsu gi line is themed around norse mythology, with many of its gis featuring patches and jacket artworks of norse beasts and symbols. Viking Gear also firmly stands behind the quality of its gear by offering a 12 month warranty for manufacturer defects for any gear bought from its website. Viking Gear also offers free express shipping for orders over $99.
War Tribe Gear
War Tribe Gear is based in Bend, Oregon and has a large range of gis for sale. Popular gis include the Alpha, which is War Tribe’s entry level gi. The Alpha is light gi with a 350 GSM pearl weave jacket and 10 oz ripstop/cotton pants, and some simple but great looking embroidered logos. Many of War Tribe’s premium gis feature incredible artworks inside the gi jacket, such as the Samurai Dynasty and Immortal Warrior gis, which feature artworks of a samurai warrior and skeleton warrior respectively.
We Defy Foundation
The We Defy Foundation is a Texas-based organization which helps veterans with military connected disabilities to overcome their challenges by learning and training jiu jitsu. We Defy also sells BJJ gis and other gear including its Standard gi, which has a 450 GSM jacket.
Which US gi brands offer free shipping?
Brand | Free shipping? |
93 Brand | Yes |
CRNR | Yes, on all retail orders over $135. |
Fire Team Fit | Yes, on orders over $50. |
Gold BJJ | Yes, on orders over $75. |
Half Sumo | Yes, on orders over $100 (contiguous states only). |
Kingz | Yes, on orders over $100. |
Rolljunkie | Yes on orders over $50 |
Ronin | Yes, free shipping to the continental US. |
Senso | Yes |
Viking Gear MMA | Yes, free express shipping on all orders over $99. |
Note that free shipping policies may only ship within the contiguous US only. Check policies for details before making a purchase.
Are gis made outside the USA still good quality?
Today high quality gis are made by many different brands across the globe in countries like Pakistan, China, Brazil, Japan and more.
We spoke to Cole, the co-founder of Gold BJJ, about making gis and other BJJ gear outside the USA.
“Pakistan is the martial arts manufacturing capital of the world, but not all suppliers are the same (even though they all claim to “make Shoyoroll” ). We worked with several gi manufacturers before finding a good fit with our long term partner. The key to consistent quality is being intentional about developing a three-way partnership between our brand, our manufacturer, and our customers.
“Our supplier knows that cutting corners on quality is not in anyone’s long term best interests.”
He also gave us his thoughts about the brands still making gis in the USA.
“I have a ton of respect for Origin’s commitment to creating a truly made-in-the-USA gi. Their product quality is outstanding, and they are an inspirational company. Developing a domestic gi manufacturing operation is a massive undertaking, and hats off to them for pulling it off.”
Did we miss a brand that’s based in the USA? Let us know below.