Check out the double gi review post, featuring the brand new Koral Light Gi 2010 model and the Tatami Fightwear Zero G Gi!
Over the past few months, we put the two lightweight kimonos to the test to an all-out battle until the end! Well, okay.. not really but we’ll weigh the pros and cons to both.
I got both kimonos in A1 size so please take that in mind when reading this review. I am 5’6 in height and weigh about 145lbs.
Koral vs. Tatami Fightwear
On one hand, you’ve got a very established company from Brazil and one very promising company from the United Kingdom. Research and development has been extensive from both parties and is apparent in both gis (we’ll get into more detail with that in just a second) and we were really excited comparing and contransting each one.
Price and Ordering
The Koral Light Gi retails on most websites for $150 + shipping, while the Tatami Fightwear Zero G Gi is priced at about £68 + shipping when ordered within the UK, which is about $102 + shipping and $127 shipped to anywhere in the world so there is quite a bit of the price difference. The Tatami Fightwear also comes in its customized Zero G bag which is always a plus, while the Koral Light only comes in plastic. Boo! One point for Tatami Fightwear for value and the bag!
Aesthetics
I’m not a very flashy guy and the Tatami Fightwear Zero G in black with the bright blue contrast definitely gives just the right amount of flash without it being too in your face. In my opinion, it’s definitely out there with the best-looking kimonos ever. I would definitely pick the black over the white Zero G just because the patches compliment the black better. On the other hand, the Koral Light offers a more classic kimono look in the blue (though also available in black and white) so aesthetics wise, it’s just whatever tickles your fancy really.
Weight
As we’re discussing lightweight kimonos, probably one of the most important things to talk about would be the weight. Tatami Fightwear claimed to be one of the lightest BJJ gis in the world. Surely enough, they were right. The Zero G weighed in at a surprising ~3.1lbs at A1.
The Koral Light Gi in A1 weighed in at about 3.16lbs so give or take, 3.2lbs.
Construction
Both gis were constructed pretty damn well though coming from different countries. Koral is made in Brazil while Tatami Fightwear is made in Pakistan.
The Koral features a rip-stop type of fabric and weave that I’ve never really seen before.
The Tatami Fightwear Zero G jacket is a pearl weave, and while initially having that “waxy” feeling, it does go overtime. There’s also a tad bit of detail on the gi pants, and they did feature a cord as the belt instead of canvas which I personally prefer.
Both gi pants featured reinforced knee pads as well.
Rolling
They do say kimonos make or break the way you roll, hence why people get so agitated when they don’t get the “perfect gi”, especially if they’re “competition gis” such as these two.
Both kimonos were excellent to roll with. The Koral Light just felt so fluid due to its softness — very comfortable on your person. On the sidenote, even though the collars of both gis are pretty much identical in thickness, I felt as if it was harder to break grips on the Koral. The softness does have its cons.
The Tatami Fightwear Zero G was definitely a perfect fit from the get-go, and didn’t really shrink that much overall. at 5’6 145lbs, the consistency of the sizing of the A1 was suited to my body type and frame and rolling in it was piss easy.
Conclusion
The Koral Light Gi and the Tatami Fightwear Zero G Gi are both very good light kimonos. Though when it comes down to sheer price and less issues, I would have to give this one to the Zero G. It’s lighter, doesn’t stretch, plus it just looks so bloody awesome.
You may purchase the Tatami Fightwear Zero G Gi at the Tatami Fightwear website, www.tatamifightwear.com
The Koral Light Gi is available in a lot of online retailers including my personal favorite, MMAWarehouse.
