The Scramble 1chiban gi is coming on Friday 11th November, at 11:11a.m.

That was an opportunity too good to miss… 11/11/11, at 11:11a.m., our first gi (1chiban means “number 1″ in Japanese), and the best gi!

The Scramble 1chiban gi!

Here are the full specs of the gi, followed by the size chart and guide.

550GSM Pearl Weave Jacket in Navy Blue colour

Cotton / Poly Blend trousers

Contrast yellow stitching throughout

Flat drawstring supplied with pants, stretchy rope drawstring will also be included

Mediumweight gi – not ultra light, nor heavyweight

Approx A2 weight: 1900grams

Made in Pakistan, designed in the UK

Other standard features – EVA foam collar, one piece back construction, etc.

IBJJF rules currently state “White, black or blue gi”. The exact status on navy is still unclear. All other aspects of the gi are competition legal

Design

The flow of the design was inspired by a traditional Japanese men’s kimono. These elegant garments were decorated with kamon, or family crest. Crests would usually appear on each side of the chest, and the top of the back of the neck.

In our gi, they also appear on the leg, in IBJJF legal position. They are a Sakura, or cherry blossom flower. There is a reason we chose this flower. From Wikipedia:

In Japan cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life,^[4] an aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhistic influence,^[5] and which is embodied in the concept of mono no aware.^[6] The association of the cherry blossom with mono no aware dates back to 18th-century scholar Motoori Norinaga.^[6] The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality;^[4] for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect.

A beautiful life and a quick death – both things befitting of a warrior!

On the left thigh is a bold red print that stamps “ICHIBAN” onto the gi, signifying the name of the gi and the fact that this is our first gi.

The other major feature are the characters 鍛錬 (TANREN) which means “forging”. It conjures up images of forging iron to make swords. Tempering steel. In other words, training. The hardship you go through in order to improve yourself.

We have added something that is unique to our gi – the drawstring is fully housed. It was an experiment that I wanted to try, and I really liked it in all the samples, so we went ahead with it. There is a knack to tying it but once tied, it stays on, and won’t ride up around your waist or get tangled.

Size Guide

Here is the size guide. Please check the measurements closely, compare with a current gi you have, and make your choice accordingly. We recommend using the numbers on the right, the actual measurements, rather than the guide on the left, if you want to find the best size for you. The left hand size guide is only a rough estimate – it doesn’t take into account different body types, limb lengths, body size, etc.

If you fall between sizes then you can try a larger size and attempt to shrink it down with hotter washes or tumble drying but this is not highly recommended due to the stress it places on the gi in general.

Click on the image for full size.

Purchasing details

This gi will be a limited pre-order. Due to the custom colour of the fabric, if we were to order the gis after you the customer had placed your order, you would have a wait of over 2 months to account for fabric dyring. So, we have already prepared for a set number of gis to be made. Estimated delivery time will be around 4 weeks after you place the order. We really hope to get it to you even earlier, but there is a small chance it may be later. You will be kept informed.

You have two choices for purchase.

UK / Europe / Rest of World – from 11:11a.m., British Time. 

Scramble

USA – from 11:11a.m. Pacific Time (a few hours later than the UK release.)

Budo Videos

The cost is £99 / $160 plus shipping.

We have put so much time and effort and thought into this gi, and we are so excited to see you Scramblers wearing it.

Yoroshiku!

Working on the video of Enson Inoue now. I think it is gonna be a good one!

Hi all, this blog has been sorely neglected but it will be back very soon. The author (um, me) is now pursuing a full time career in the making of the most awesome jiu jitsu and grappling/MMA apparel in the world at Scramble.

I also just got back from Japan and have an interview with Enson Inoue to edit and show to you. Wait about a week for that!

Yoroshiku!

What an amazing competition! Not only some cool free stuff but the original artworks for the Scrambleman ad that runs in Fighters Only, by talented artist Bong Abad at design studio Gawakoto.

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