Vulkan Gis Rock!
One of the perks of being a Budovideos employee is having access to the newest products. A couple weeks ago the brand new 2008 Vulkan gis arrived and I was first in line to get one.
Even though I have 6 gis already, a 2 of them have shrunk down so much that they aren’t very comfortable to wear. I try to hang dry my gis but sometimes my wife forgets and tosses them in the dryer. When a gi shrinks down the sleeves become shorter (sometimes to the point of being illegal in competition), the pants shrink up (again, maybe illegal in competition) and the jacket sometimes shrinks up to wear it’s almost hard to close. When you spend $100 or more on a gi the last thing you want is for it to become unwearable due to shrinking.
I was told that the 2008 Vulkan gis are PRESHRUNK but I didn’t believe it. I said “yeah but it will still shrink up a little bit right?” “No,” I was told “It won’t shrink at all because the fabric has already been washed in hot water and dried hot.” I still didn’t believe it so I took one home to test for myself. Before washing it I put it on and took pictures. The fit was perfect. I would be really upset if it shrank up! So I tossed it in the washer and then in the dryer. After dinner I went to the dryer and slowly took it out. To my surprise the gi did not shrink at all - not even a millimeter! The fit was still perfect! Why would I want to mess around with hang drying gis anymore?
I also should mention the fit. Right out of the bag the gi felt like a bath robe. Very soft and completely different than some other gis that feel like cardboard right out of the bag. The feel is the same before washing and after drying. It was soft, but would it hold up in training?
The next day I took the gi to the gym to train. I felt like I was wearing summer pyjamas. Very light weight (the lightest gi around, says Vulkan) but strong enough for daily training. After a 2 hour class it still felt great - albeit a little heavier as it was now soaked with sweat.
I’ve worn almost all of the different brands of gis over the years and when you consider the fact that the Vulkan gi is 100% PRESHRUNK, LIGHTWEIGHT (approx 2.8lbs), and COMFORTABLE, it’s at the top of my list for now. I really don’t know what else I would want in a gi.
Kurt Weber
Tags: Training Gear
