Our regular blogger Mr A-Z is going to review The Origin Comp 550 (A2) that he bought from the US.

Origin is one of the best US based brands that have come up with some amazing innovations in the gi business. They have schemed a rashguard plus gi set up. For those asking, is this worth it? Mr. A-Z managed to use this gi for several months now. Aside from having a shit load of gi collections, he has a refined taste in his gi! 

Read on!

Initial impression

The color scheme was very appealing.  The details such as the embroidery and stitching were well made. No loose threads. Cloth used felt soft on the inside and a little rough on the outside.
Value for the gi was good. The Origin Comp 550 comes with 2 bags; one for the gi itself and the other for the rashguard that came along with it. When I first tried on the rashguard it was rather loose on me and was definitely not the fit that I was looking for on the rashguard so I have no thoughts about it other than it felt smooth and silky on my skin. All in all the gi cost me $180.

Pre-roll Review

The gi fit great. Sleeves were somewhat long although that has to do more with my body type than the gi itself. (I used to weigh 185 lbs. at 5’6 when I bought the gi.) The pants felt a little heavier than the usual ripstop even though it did seem like ripstop. The pants provided excellent knee reinforcement and you could really feel the pads when you kneel for a takedown or throw. The extra long drawstring annoyed me however. It was long enough to wrap it around your waist again. The crotch/gusset area also featured a cloth made of gi material. It was a very nice touch considering that was the same spot where I accidentally ripped through my Koral pants. That is a different story, however.























During the Roll Review

The jacket was good. I definitely felt that jacket was light yet sturdy as I went through the motions of our warm-ups, drills, and rolls. The pants were indeed heavier than the normal ripstop. They were difficult to grab come sparring time. The extra knee padding, which made up a huge part of the pants made it difficult to grip properly. The pants had 6 rope loops, which kept the pants from falling down. The pants fit great. They were tight on my quadriceps and hamstrings but not tight enough to hamper your movement. The gi’s overall feel and performance was well worth the price indeed.

Post Roll Review

The gi was still performing great. It had very minimal shrinkage. It was almost the same as when I first bought it except for the fact that the color faded. I hand wash my gis all the time. I have never put them in a washer, dryer, nor have I ever applied bleach to any of my gis. As months rolled by, I noticed that the gi’s color was fading. I am aware that most gis are subject to fading but this one was a little bit faster than the usual. In a span of 7 months, my black/purple gi was turning into a brown/lavender gi.

Gi Critic Verdict

The Comp 550 2011 was good overall in terms of sizing, fit, and performance. The drawbacks though were the very long drawstring and possibly the heavier than usual ripstop pants. The main qualm I have with the gi though was how quickly the color deteriorated. I would have scored the gi highly had it not bled and faded.