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BJJ Eastern Europe Gi Review: MKimonos Hybrid Gi (Black)

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MKimonos Hybrid gi  is the latest in MKimono’s line of premium Jiu Jitsu gis. From the very start when I started to train Jiu-Jitsu I had always been fascinated by this legendary brand coming straight from the source: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil! I remember watching videos and reading old Gracie mags where I would see my heroes Royler Gracie, Saulo Ribeiro or Marcio Feitosa wearing the famous kimono with the M logo. The fact was that not many guys in Europe had Mkimonos aka Machado Kimonos, so it made into somewhat of a novelty. I like lightweight gis with simple design (not too bling), but also that are very solid. I contacted Luciana Machado at Mkimono and she provided me with ultra friendly service and I really felt that Brazilian warmth. Luciana is famous in the industry for her first class customer service.

MKimonos was established in 1995 by Luciana & brother Marcelo Machado after Marcelo received his black belt from Master Royler Gracie. MKimonos started in a small factory in Ilha do Governador in Rio. Luciana & Marcelo began selling kimonos to Marcelo’s students at Gracie Tijuca & Gracie Humaita which was run by Royler Gracie. MKimonos are the originators of many of the new weaves we see today from the hybrid weave & summer weave, and also the first company to use the gold weave. They have sponsored such athletes as Royler Gracie, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, Samir Chantre, Shaolin Ribeiro etc..

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This new Hybrid is enhancement on the legendary MKimonos Hybrid Weave kimono. MKimonos created the Hybrid weave in 2000 and it quickly became their most popular gi. They have made small enhancements on the original design that will continue to make this the one of the most sought after designs in the industry. The new black model design features a the classic M JIU-JITSU logo in grey. The top contains proprietary revisions to two reinforcement points while maintaining the traditional, clean MKimonos lines. The pants feature three enhancements to the reinforcements, new quadruple stitching on the cuffs and a new, corded drawstring.

Here are the specs:

1. Durable cotton double thick pants with reinforced knees
2.The jacket made from highest quality cotton, tough, light, and very durable. Hybrid weave is made from one piece of material.
3. Extra thick lapel.
4. Loaded with reinforcements at the key stress areas
5. Nice Grey M Jiu-Jitsu embroided logo on sleeves.
6. Minimal shrinkage. Will shrink a bit.
7. 2 loops on pants
8. Fully IBJJF legal

SIZE INFO

OUR SIZETRADITIONAL SIZEHEIGHT (ft)HEIGHT (m)WEIGHT (lbs)WEIGHT (kg)
A1                           4                          5’1″-5’6″        1.55-1.67           110-136    50-62
A2                           5                          5’6″-5’9″        1.67-1.76           136-161    62-73
A3                           6                          5’9″-6’1″        1.76-1.86           161-187    73-85
A4                           7                          6’1″-6’5″        1.86-1.95           187-209    85-95

Weight for the A3: 1,9 kgs

Sizing and shrinking:

I told Luciana that I preferred my gis to be a tighter fit so she recommended that I get a A3. I’m 1m85, 86 kilos. When the gi arrived and I tried it on it was already at the right size so I had to wash it cold (30 degrees) to keep it at that size. Shrinkage is minimal if you follow the directions. After about 3 weeks of training everyday in the gi, it hasn’t shrank and perfectly fits me.

Material and durability:

hybridblackback.jpgThe jacket is made from the highest quality cotton. MKimonos hybrid weave is made from one piece of material which eliminates a seam across the back which can make it uncomfortable to train in. The lapel is extra thick . I have to say that this hybrid weave kimono jacket is tough, light, and very durable.
Pants are your standard cotton double thick pants with reinforced knees, which makes them perfect for everyday training.
This gi is loaded with reinforcements at the key stress areas. The sleeve cuffs & pant cuff s areas are reinforced with quadruple stitching. Other high stress areas like the inner crotch & armpit are reinforced with a stronger material to minimize any material defects. The black color doesn’t bleed and after 1 month and a half of wearing this gi everyday, the black colour is intact (of course I was washing it at 30 degrees and hang drying).

Look:
The design features the return to the classic M and straight JIU-JISTU logo. In my opinion, this is one of the nicest embroidery combinations in Jiu-jItsu kimonos nowadays.
The great thing about this gi  is how simple and understated it looks. I decorated mine with my academy patch and two BJJ Eastern Europe patches. It really is a nice classy low key gi but with some details which make it stick out.

Feeling when rolling:
Training: I wore the kimono every day for 6 weeks, The gi is very comfortable to roll in. The heavy duty reinforced knees on the pants are great. The most important thing is that it fits me like a glove and it is just the right balance between a light weight gi and a durable gold weave. A perfect combination. truly a hybrid.

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In Conclusion
The Mkimono hybrid will last a very long time and is fantastic quality. It retails at 180 dollars which is about 142 euros. This places it in the mid price range for gis. The fact is not as widespread as other gis like Koral or Keiko Raca so you will have the added benefit of having a authentic gi with tradition and coming straight from the source.

I will give the Mkimono hybrid a mark of 9,5/10

Pros
-Great brand tradition and prestige
-High quality material, the Hybrid weave is perfect
-Strong yet light pants.
-Very solid and will last a long time
-High quality strong fabric
-Strong stitching
– Classy embroidery
– Durable and light

Cons
-None in my opinion