YO! Because I’m feeling really good about life, there is an Easter egg hidden in this review. Find the Easter egg (hint: click around) and figure out out which brand of gi I am reviewing next, and you be entered in a drawing to win one of these epic ninja shirts. Send me an email with your answer before July 1!
It seems like UK companies are serving out quality BJJ gis like belts at a taekwondo school.
UK-based Black Eagle recently sent me their latest BJJ gi for review: the Predator MKII. I’ve had about a month to sink my teeth, sweat and blood into this uniform (in that order). I can honestly say the Predator MKII is the most unique-fitting gi
I own. This is unmistakably a BJJ uniform…not a modified judo uniform, not a stamped-out clone.
Black Eagle touts it as being “competition cut.” I asked what that means, and here’s the reply I got:
“We designed this Kimono to be as close to the legal limits under IBJJF rules as possible, and is also why we decided to make this Kimono a non-shrinkable one! Sleeve cuffs are right on the Gi checker limit, the jacket is slightly better tapered to hug the body, but still has the important shoulder room for easy mobility on the mat. A stiffer collar makes gripping by your opponent more difficult to achieve. Trousers are also tapered better, but again within the IBJJF limits, giving wearers a Kimono that takes advantage of the rules of BJJ and gives the opponent no extra opportunities against you!”
That’s a confident claim. I can’t verify that this gi will make the difference between winning and losing, but I have rolled in it enough to give you a solid opinion.
First Impressions
In a world of blingy gis, Black Eagle kimonos come across as rather plain. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, if you think gold filigree is overkill for a grappling uniform.
Good thing I really dig the embroidered Black Eagle logo. It’s simple, it’s effective, and it’s classy. I wouldn’t call the Predator MKII an “eye catcher,” but I think it’s a sharp-looking gi. I prefer embroidery over patches any day.
The pants fit great and felt great; they’re soft and light but still tough.
The jacket is comfortable, too…much softer out of the bag than I have come to expect from pearl weave uniforms. I was surprised at how comfortable it was, and at how different the cut felt on my frame.
Measurements and Weigh-In
At 3lbs 1.4oz (A3 and A4 mix), the Predator MKII is indeed one of the lightest gis on the market…on par with gis such as the Vulkan Ultra Light.
I have a confession. I lost the paper with all the original measurements during our move to a new house. Gone. Goodbye. I can’t just re-measure it…more on that later.
Arms are extended naturally, not with shoulders pulled back.
What I can tell you is this: I am 6’4″, 180 lbs and the gi fit me out of the bag.
It also did NOT shrink after hot washes, which I continue to verify. This claim by Black Eagle is legitimate.
This is probably a good place to say that “shrink-proof” only applies to hot water washes. If you dry this gi, it will still shrink, and you need to be VERY careful about shrinking it because you will probably end up with a gi that fits so amazingly close that it is no longer IBJJF-legal.
Of course, after I measured it, washed it and rolled in it a few times, I just had to test this theory. Sure enough…now I have a gi that hugs me beautifully…and is probably just barely shy of IBJJF regs.
Cut and Fit
As usual, I asked for an A4 trouser with an A3 jacket. This turned out to be the right choice once again. Steve at Black Eagle willingly mixed and matched for me; although it isn’t officially a policy at Black Eagle, he did say they have been considering offering mix and match service. My feeling is that they’re willing to work with their customers, so if you do need to cross sizes, just ask.
Trousers
The trousers were a great length for me.
This is my first experience with ripstop. I’ve heard opinions all across the board about this fabric; mostly that some gis made of this material don’t absorb the sweat and don’t breathe as well. I can honestly say that if this is the case, I haven’t noticed. It definitely does not wick the sweat the same way canvas or twill does, but the trade off is the fabric doesn’t get heavy & bogged down with sweat; it’s always light.
This here string aint goin' nowhere! (Utah speech)
The Predator MKII has a flat drawstring, which is not the popular option in gis these days. So I had to wonder…why the flat tie? According to Steve, the choice was influenced by athletes who complained that heavy draw cords bit into their skin too much when fighting from the back. I have noticed this occasionally with my Tatami Estilo Premier, which has a super beefy nylon cord. It hasn’t really bothered me that much, but the flat drawstring is definitely less obtrusive. I have had no problems with it coming untied, which surprises me. So…I guess I’ll be more open minded about flat drawstrings from now on.
Six belt loops do a great job at keeping the drawstring firmly in place. I like this better than the four loops that most gis have now. Any more than six and it would be annoying; any less than four and the drawstring slips up off the trousers.
Jacket
Here is where the Predator MKII really diverges from any other gi I own.
The jacket is a shorter cut than most, but still within IBJJF boundaries. It’s about two inches shorter than every other gi I own, with the exception of the next gi I will be reviewing. It’s still legal length, but it doesn’t cover your entire butt when you put it on.
The jacket on me
The jacket on my bro
Despite it being shorter, the jacket wraps around my torso more than 1.5 times. It definitely feels different because the lapels cross higher up on my chest than my other gis. I got used to it quickly and I like the way it fits now. My brother, who is shorter and stockier than me, loved it because because he felt like he could close the jacket easily. It sounds like a contradiction to say that it’s roomy but tapered, but that’s really how it is.
Gameness Pearl, Tatami Estilo Premier, Black Eagle
The other interesting factor is that the vents in the side of the jacket are extra long. The result is that the jacket lapel area is much more pliable and rope-like than my other gis, which is great when you use your own gi to attack.
The sleeve width is just slightly thinner than my Gameness and Tatami.
So, in summary: slightly shorter jacket, slightly longer vents, athletic taper in the sides, room for movement in the chest and shoulders. Pretty much as described by Black Eagle.
Lapel
Lapels are an average thickness and covered with ripstop cotton. I couldn’t discern any difference in thickness between these lapels and my Gameness Pearl or Tatami Fightwear gis.
Black Eagle, Tatami Estilo, Gameness Pearl
It’s a foam collar that is definitely stiffer than a cloth lapel, and therefore technically harder to grip. But we’re not talking about a huge difference, here. It’s a lightweight gi; gripping it is easy compared to, say, an HCK. I think those guys use rebar to reinforce their lapels.
Customer Service
Steve Turner at Black Eagle is an attentive, customer-oriented individual, and I have nothing but high praise for his response time and communication. Big thumbs up. Shipping from the UK to the U.S. took about eight business days.
Construction
This gi is well put together with double, triple and 6-rows of stitching in the joint reinforcements. One difference I noticed was that the armpit reinforcements are surged around the edges instead of the usual fold. I don’t think this is good or bad, just different.
The jacket sleeves are reinforced with ripstop taping and 3 rows of stitching. The trouser cuffs are simply folded and double stitched. I can understand the need to conserve weight, but I would personally like to see taping added to the trouser cuffs. One could argue the usefulness of this; don’t know anyone that really grabs the trouser cuffs…so I’m sure this is a weight-conserving choice.
Sleeve reinforcements
My only complaint is that I found what I would consider a higher than average number of remnant threads hanging from the jacket and pants, including the lapel. This is not a defect, per say…just a bit of an annoyance, since I had to scan the gi and clip all the leftover threads. I think it’s fair to expect most hanging threads to be cleaned up before shipping.
Durability
I have been wearing this gi almost exclusively for over a month. I specifically asked my rolling partners to be harsh on it. So far, no signs of tearing, broken stitching or fraying. It’s gotten more and more comfortable over time.
Conclusion
The Predator MKII has been a fun gi for me to test and wear. It is the first gi I’ve owned that really deviates from the standard square cut that most uniforms have. It took a while to get used to, but I quickly realized that I feel very nimble in this gi. Even my favorite gi, the Padilla & Sons, is admittedly a little prohibitive comparatively. I wish my Predator was still IBJJF-legal, because after shrinking it it’s so close-fitting (without losing mobility) that I hardly notice it there.
Thankfully, I have another Predator MKII on the way. This second one will stay far away from the dryer (and the dyer) so I can use it for comps.
At £55.99 GBP (around $90 USD) plus shipping, this is a great deal and worth picking up especially if you’re looking for a lightweight competition-oriented kimono.
Recommendation: Buy
P.S.
Since this gi came into my possession, I have been trying to decide which color to dye it. And it finally came to me. What better color for a Predator than the color of rage, power and BLOOD?
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Good job on the review! Best I’ve seen this side of Meerkatsu. Plenty of detail, empirical testing, and like Seymour steers clear of gushing praise (which is the problem I have with a lot of gi reviews: they seem to be doing little more than trying to come up with new ways of saying “this gi is awesome! I love this gi! Buy it now from this amazing company!”)
I like the sound of the super-tight fit. Still, I wouldn’t buy it as despite being fairly plain, I would want plainer: I really dislike patches and/or embroidery on the shoulders (though at least it doesn’t have taping, which is even uglier). Of course, most people don’t share that view, hence why bling has been in for the few years (as far as I can tell).
Hopefully they’ll come out with a super-plain version of this. Ideally, it would be the same level of bling as this.
Since Black Eagle sponsors me, I feel like any review I write would be somewhat suspect. I’m glad, then, that someone else out there loves it and explains why so thoroughly! I’m just bummed that Steve ran out of A1s on the first batch; I’m going to be getting mine soon and sounds like I’ll love them too. I especially like the deeper vents on the sides of the jacket, since I’m doing more and more gi-wrapping lately. I just hope the pants are not too slim on my woops-slipped-off-the-Paleo-diet behind
Thanks guys!
Here’s the weird thing…like I say in the review, it’s a tapered fit but it still feels roomy. Hard to explain. I make it sound like a “skinny” gi but it is within IBJJF limits, so you shouldn’t have to worry about it being too tight-fitting. The one I shrunk int he dryer fits like a glove now and is still maneuverable, but I doubt it is IBJJF-legal anymore. Great to wear in training though; like an extra-thick rashguard with lapels
Breakpoint is one of the few that may be shorter in the torso than this one.
Good review. One minor quibble: the lapel width comparison photo would be better if it was vertical, rather than horizontal. Meerkatsu does a good job of providing scale by putting his fingers alongside the lapels too.
@Tree Frog – Thanks for the feedback, that is an excellent point and I’ll do that in the future. I am planning a complete overhaul on the way I do reviews so that it is totally unique, so I hope you’ll come back and read future posts!
I love the short, tight cut of this Gi.
Also, when I first got it I accidentaly washed it with another Gi which ran – I then washed it with a stain remover which caused the writing on the shoulders to turn a light brown…..lots of people comment how much they like the “unusual colour” of the shoulders… i don’t tell them it is not supposed to be like that haha.
Matt at BreakingGuard.com bjj gi and judo gi outlet
Brown is really an under-used color in gi designs
As it turns out, a Predator came into my possession recently (review here), but fortunately the embroidery does come off. Just takes a lot of time and patience.