A review by
Mata Leon Kimonos is a brand based in Turkey. It was created by a couple of friends who met through Jiu Jitsu, and they decided to put up a brand that represents great designs and functional gis. Most of us must’ve heard of Mata Leon because of their commercial. Who else can pull something like that? Origin probably?
I had the chance to meet Emre, one of the owners, and he told me a bit
about how he they came up with the gi. According to him, simplicity and clean designs were keys to how they made The Gentleman.
They used a lion for their logo. For those who don’t know, Mata Leon is another name for rear naked choke.
The thing with Mata Leon is that they are still young, and not as big as Atama, Shoyoroll, Storm and other big brands out there. They still produce by small batches.
Using a 350gsm
pearl weave fabric for the jacket, this is a very light gi perfect for
summer time which also works well on colder days.
The first detail I laid my eyes on were the labels on the inner jacket and pants.
I find it funny how they announce that you can really choke someone, so you better use it with extreme caution. In my book, it was a subtle, but awesome detail.
In terms of overall design, they managed to minimize the noise by making it a clean white gi with accent of red contrast stitching. They also added some nice grey and gold embroidery on the chest, while having taping on both sleeves and pants.
Made of eva foam and covered in rip stop fabric, they made the lapel thick. I personally love thicker lapels since it is harder to grip on.
The pants were made of rip stop material. They provided decent reinforcement, and throughout the months that I used the gi, there was no sign of wear and tear or shrinkage to the pants.
Personally, there are only a few things to improve on the pants. For the loops, I´d prefer to have it at least four instead of just two. Also, they made use of drawstring. I´d prefer to have a bungee rope for that one also.
And finally, I would prefer that they change the reinforcement in the groin part with a single weave fabric.
I´ve been using this gi two hours a day, three days a week, for three months. The rolling sensation is awesome because the gi offers total movement capability, especially for guard players.
I live in a
place where 32 degree Celsius is something common when you are rolling.
This made the gi perfect for this climate. Also, the gi may look very
light and breathable, but it was also durable, at least during the
months that I’ve used it. On colder days, I pair it up with a rashguard.
As
I´ve mentioned before, pants suffered minimal shrinkage. I noticed the
jacket shrunk more after a couple of months. However, in terms of the
top’s texture, it´s nice how the gi maintains its softness after every
single washing.
Alejandro
Molina
Blue Belt at
Cia Paulista Team. Spain.
Mata Leon Kimonos is a brand based in Turkey. It was created by a couple of friends who met through Jiu Jitsu, and they decided to put up a brand that represents great designs and functional gis. Most of us must’ve heard of Mata Leon because of their commercial. Who else can pull something like that? Origin probably?
They used a lion for their logo. For those who don’t know, Mata Leon is another name for rear naked choke.
The thing with Mata Leon is that they are still young, and not as big as Atama, Shoyoroll, Storm and other big brands out there. They still produce by small batches.
First Impression
I am currently 5´9 and 165lbs. Though I use an A2, Emre sent me an A3 because they ran out of A2s. Because of its size, I had to wash it more than I normally do with other gis in rotation. Normally, I usually wash them in a 30 min cold water program and let them dry under the Spanish sun, the best natural dryer.The first detail I laid my eyes on were the labels on the inner jacket and pants.
I find it funny how they announce that you can really choke someone, so you better use it with extreme caution. In my book, it was a subtle, but awesome detail.
 |
| This gi can be used as a choking device? Oh really? |
In terms of overall design, they managed to minimize the noise by making it a clean white gi with accent of red contrast stitching. They also added some nice grey and gold embroidery on the chest, while having taping on both sleeves and pants.
Made of eva foam and covered in rip stop fabric, they made the lapel thick. I personally love thicker lapels since it is harder to grip on.
The pants were made of rip stop material. They provided decent reinforcement, and throughout the months that I used the gi, there was no sign of wear and tear or shrinkage to the pants.
ROLLING IMPRESSIONS
The great thing about the pants is that it comes with knee pads to support and to make you feel comfy sprawling or being on your knees when playing top etc.Personally, there are only a few things to improve on the pants. For the loops, I´d prefer to have it at least four instead of just two. Also, they made use of drawstring. I´d prefer to have a bungee rope for that one also.
And finally, I would prefer that they change the reinforcement in the groin part with a single weave fabric.
I´ve been using this gi two hours a day, three days a week, for three months. The rolling sensation is awesome because the gi offers total movement capability, especially for guard players.
AFTER ROLL IMPRESSIONS
CONCLUSIONS & WHERE TO BUY
This is a high quality gi, that I recommend for any one. This gi is perfect for those living in a country with a warm climate. For the price of the gi, you can check them out here or you can like them on their Facebook Page. They are selling the gi for €125 (173$) including world wide shipping. Also there is a black version of this gi which I truly recommend even though I will always prefer white.Labels: gentleman, gi critic, guest blogger, mata leon
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