Vulkan Pro Light Gi Review

The Vulkan Pro Light Gi seems to be a very popular BJJ Gi, so I wanted to check it out for myself. I went ahead and purchased a white one in size A3. After a couple months of usage I must say that I am impressed. The Vulkan Pro Light is very light (go figure) and breathable, but it also feels very durable. A few of my sparring buddies have noted how the collar is difficult to grab – complements of the rubber-filled collar that Vulkan uses in their jiu jitsu gis. I do wish that the material (weave) of the Gi was as thick and hard to grab as my Koral MKM Competition Gi, but I don’t think that is possible without sacrificing the light weight and breathability.

Another (completely subjective) observation is that the Pro Light Gi fits like a glove! I feel very comfortable wearing it, and the sleeves and jacket are perfect length (I have a 35-36″ arm on dress shirts, and the A3 was perfect). And by comfort I also mean how maneuverable I am inside this gi – it does not feel like it is restricting my movements at all. To me this is more important than having a super thick gi that makes it difficult for both you and your opponent. My game is focused on not letting my opponent get good grabs or using technique to loosen their grab, rather than relying on thick material to aid me. In fact, maneuverability is important to me in terms of applying the correct technique.

If you are on the fence in terms of size, go with the larger one! Based on the Vulkan Gi size chart I could have gone for an A2 or A3, but the A2 was very tight on me. Also, the gi is truly pre-shrunk – I wash it after every use (at least 25 times so far) and it hasn’t shrunk a bit. The stitching around the seams and the badges are fully in tact. Note that I have not dried this Gi in the dryer – you can try that at your own risk

The only problem (and it is a minor one) I have about this Gi are the pants. They are too lightweight, which I like because it is breathable but it makes it very easy for your opponent to grab and manipulate. I know there is a balance between lightness and thickness, but I feel that these pants could have gone a little more in the way of thickness. Also, I fear that the gi pants will not last very long given how thin they are, but they have held well up so far. The reason this is only a minor problem for me is that the jacket is much more important. You can always purchase gi pants separately. Further, gi pants never last as long as the jacket, no matter how solid they are.

So here is the summary of my Vulkan Pro Light BJJ Gi Review:
Pros:

• Very lightweight and durable
• Fits very nicely – comfortable and maneuverable
• Does not shrink in the washer (although it may in the dryer – try at your own risk!)
• Rubber-filled collar makes it hard for opponent to grab. Also makes it dry faster and resists bacteria more than cotton.

Cons:

• Pants are very thin
• You may want a thicker gi for competition (depends on your preference of thickness vs. maneuverability)

Notes:

• If you are on the fence in terms of size (or even near the fence), I would go with the larger size.

Check this out for more on the Vulkan Pro Light Jiu Jitsu Gi