If you’ve been training a while, you’ll know the difference between the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gear, and that which is cheap and mass-produced.
When you get in a top of the line gi, you immediately notice the comfort and fit is on another level. After some time, you’ll also notice the durability is much better; where cheap gis wear out pretty quickly, high-end gis last years and years of everyday training.
When it comes to high-end BJJ Gis, the Origin gi is as good as it gets.
Origin BJJ is a company located in Maine, USA, producing high-quality, handmade BJJ gear. Their gis, as well as their No-Gi gear, is truly extraordinary, in terms of both look and performance.
The quality of Origin gear does come with a premium price tag. For some, this might be a little much, especially if you’re just starting BJJ and aren’t ready to pump hundreds of dollars into it. But if you’re after a premium BJJ Gi brand, Origin USA is the first place you should look.
Read on as we share all you need to know about the Origin BJJ brand.
Want more help finding the hottest BJJ gear at the best prices? Check out our other buying guides.
The Origin USA Story
Headquartered in Farmington, Maine, Origin is all about American-made, high-quality gear, built with care and built to last.
The brand was launched in 2011, by bjjweekly.com co-creator Pete Roberts. A former college football player and BJJ black belt, Roberts began by designing his own gi for competition, made for greater fit, comfort and durability than the gis that were, at that time, on the market.
After first outsourcing the production of his gi design to a factory in Pakistan (where most BJJ gis are made), he eventually pivoted to making gis himself, in his own factory near Farmington, Maine, USA.
Using all American-sourced materials, Origin grew into one of the community’s top gi brands, producing gis with a higher quality of care and attention to detail that you get from mass-produced factory gis offshore.
This grass-roots, handmade culture has remained with the brand as it’s grown from a small operation, producing 5 gis per week, to a complete lifestyle brand that sells thousands of gis per year, alongside their ever-widening range of other products.
What is Origin Known For?
Origin has a well-established and well-maintained identity as a grassroots, American-made gi brand.
Origin has a culture that is absorbed into every gi, every rash guard, every product they produce. That culture is of care, sophistication and quality.
Their gis are custom-made, made with the standards that high-level BJJ competitors demand themselves.
This video gives you some insight into the process with which an Origin gi is produced:
Origin is truly unique in the way that every part of their production process comes from the USA. Most gi brands hand off production to factories in Pakistan, which is cost-efficient, but doesn’t allow for the supreme attention to quality that Origin offers.
Today, Origin is known for more than just BJJ gis. They also produce No-Gi gear, lifestyle wear such as boots, jeans and hoodies, and a nutrition line carrying the name of notorious hard man Jocko Willink.
Just see what Joe Rogan thinks of Origin products:
Selling Points of the Origin Gi
Origin gis are the definition of the word “premium”.
These aren’t mass-produced factory gis or gis you can buy off the rack. Each gi is custom-made, so you know the gi you’re wearing is literally one of a kind.
Many of their gis use a combination of proprietary technologies that come together to ensure every Origin Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi is:
- Stronger
- More durable
- Better fitting
- Better at dealing with moisture
- Less abrasive on skin
What do you mean, “proprietary technologies?”
This means that the team at Origin put the work in to come up with their own technology for making BJJ gis. This technology is not used by any other gi manufacturers, and Origin actually owns the rights to these manufacturing techniques.
It means that Origin gis are not just a bunch of generic kimonos bought from Pakistan and slapped with a cool logo. They’re different, and you can expect to feel that difference when you train in one.
Of course, the one downside to a premium BJJ gi brand is the price. Origin gis are top of the line, but they definitely come at a premium price point as well.
That’s going to put some people off. And if you’re not comfortable with paying so much for a gi, fair enough. If you are, however, understand that Origin gis definitely live up to their price tag.
The Best Origin Gis: Pick of the Bunch
Origin gis come with a variety of options, which are a little hard to differentiate at first glance. So, if you’re looking for an Origin Jiu Jitsu gi, which one(s) should you consider?
To be fair, there’s no “bad” gi (or any other product) you’re going to get with Origin, so you can’t go too far wrong. But to help you kick off your search, here are three that I recommend.
“The Path” Gi
Features
- PolySynth© Performance Yarn 100x Stronger
- American Pearl© GEN 3 Performance Textile
- CowboyCut© Body Mapping Cut
- StrongStitch© High Tensile Strength PolyCore
- DuraDry© Always Airy / Dry As You Train
- AtomicTwill© Performance Pants Blend
- SwivelLoc© Belt Closure System
“The Path” range has all the hallmarks of what Origin is known for. Durability, enforced stitching, incredibly soft material and a fit that’s unlike any other gi you’re likely to try on.
The weave is a variation on pearl weave, but engineered to be significantly stronger than your average pearl weave jacket.
I love the design of The Path series as well. Clean and simple, as with all Origin products, but with a little personality in the white-blue-purple-brown-black belt colors mixed together in the logo.
It’s not the cheapest Origin gi, but not the most expensive either, making it a good place to start if you’re not completely convinced of Origin’s quality yet (though you soon will be).
Get the Origin “The Path” Gi:
“Discipline” Gi
Features
- PolySynth© Performance Yarn 100x Stronger
- American Pearl© GEN 3 Performance Textile
- CowboyCut© Body Mapping Cut
- StrongStitch© High Tensile Strength PolyCore
- DuraDry© Always Airy / Dry As You Train
- AtomicTwill© Performance Pants Blend
- SwivelLoc© Belt Closure System
If you’re a fan of Jocko, this is the gi for you.
With “Discipline Equals Freedom” and “Get After It” embroidered on the jacket, you’re never going to forget what it takes to be the best BJJ athlete you can be.
This gi comes standard with the Origin Pro pants as well, which are pretty much the best gi pants you’re ever going to find.
The pricing, as with many of the features, are similar between this and The Path gi. So if you’re deciding between the two, it will come down mostly to your style preference.
Get the Origin “Discipline” Gi:
“The Rift” Gi
Features
- PolySynth© Performance Yarn 100x Stronger
- DragonWeave© GEN 3 Performance Textile
- SpiralWrap© Dynamic Motion Body Mapping Cut
- StrongStitch© High Tensile Strength PolyCore
- DuraDry© Always Airy / Dry As You Train
- AtomicTwill© Performance Pants Blend
- SwivelLoc© Belt Closure System
Now, on to The Rift.
At over $300, it’s not cheap. In fact it’s around the most expensive you’re likely to come across when shopping for a gi.
But is it worth it? That’s up to you to decide, though if you’re a serious BJJ athlete, I would say the answer is likely yes.
The Rift is the pinnacle of what Origin are doing up in Farmington, Maine. Everything is optimized to be as good as it can be for a BJJ competitor. The comfort, the fit, the stretchability, durability, lightweight performance and more are all as good as it gets.
Origin spared no expense in designing this gi – which, they say, took 12 months of research and $100,000 in custom machinery. Part of that cost is passed on to the consumer, sure. But if you consider how much longer this gi will last than your average academy gi, and how much better it performs in the heat of battle, I’d say it’s worth it.
Get the Origin “The Rift” Gi:
Is There Any Affordable Origin Gi?
As we’ve mentioned several times, the only real downside to Origin is the price. It’s a premium gi brand, and it’s priced as a premium brand. That’s going to put some people off.
While I definitely believe that Origin gis are worth their price – and the reviews on their site overwhelmingly say the same thing – it’s understandable that some just won’t want to spend $2-300 on a gi.
There’s not really any “cheap” gis from Origin. It’s just not possible to make a product work at a low price point (i.e. under $100) without mass-production and going offshore for production.
If you’re looking for a great cheap gi, I’d recommend looking at the Sanabul Essentials V2, which is pretty much the best I’ve found for a gi under $100.
However, they do offer some gis under $200, which is still fairly expensive, but more in line with brands like Venum and Hayabusa.
The cheapest entry into the Origin BJJ club is the Everest Gi, priced (as of writing) at $159. While it doesn’t perform quite as well as their premium range of gis, it’s still better than your average gi.
The Everest is lightweight, and particularly good at dealing with heat and moisture – keeping you dry and cool during hot rolls.
Along with the Everest, Origin has several other gis priced slightly more expensive, at a little over $170. So you’ve definitely got some choice for a gi under $200 – but don’t expect to go much lower than that for an Origin gi.
Where to Buy Origin BJJ Gis
The only place (that I know of) to get Origin BJJ gis is their official site, originmaine.com.
As stated before, their manufacturing process means each gi is made to order. They don’t ship a bunch of products to Amazon or eBay, and they don’t outsource their sales to some third-party site.
This allows Origin to put proper care and attention into each product, which is what makes their gis top-of-the-line.
Visit originmaine.com to shop for Origin gis.
Are Origin Gis IBJJF Legal?
Yes! Origin gis are made for serious athletes, which includes dedicated BJJ competitors, so it’s important that their products are IBJJF legal.
In fact, the origin of Origin (sorry) came from founder Pete Roberts’ experience competing in your standard, run-of-the-mill gis. He wanted a gi that felt and performed better in competition, and decided to make one himself.
So Origin, from the start, was made for competitors. That’s why you can feel pretty safe that their gis are competition-legal.
When Will I Get My Origin Gi?
The one other thing worth mentioning again in regards to Origin is the production time.
Since their gis are made-to-order, it takes about 4-8 weeks for products to arrive. Factor this in when you make a purchase. There’s no expedited, overnight or 2-day shipping. They literally need to make your gi – so give it some time.
When it arrives, the wait will be worth it. Trust me.
Other BJJ Products from Origin
Origin are best known for their gis. But they also do no-gi gear, and separate pieces for gi.
You can get gi pants on their own. The pro gi pants do cost as much as some gis do on their own – but again, we’re talking premium gear here. Anyone you talk to about Origin BJJ gear will probably tell you how great their gi pants are. Where most pants are ill-fitting, catching around the knees and always coming undone, Origin’s pants are a game changer.
Origin’s no-gi gear is also top-quality (as if you’d expect anything less). Like the gis, they’re custom-made, so you can expect to wait 2-3 weeks for your order to ship. But when it gets to you, you’ll feel the quality.
They’ve got all you look for in a rash guard; moisture-wicking, abrasion-resistant, and a fit that maps to your body and stays tucked in.
They’re comparatively affordable, as well, compared to the gis. The price is in line with what you’d expect to pay for Hayabusa or Venum gear.
Finally, the design of their no-gi gear is pretty sharp, with a number of options. Here are some of my favorites:
They’ve got rash guards, spats, and compression shorts (or “undergear”), with most designs available in a full set.
Origin/Jocko Willink
Another thing Origin have become known for is the king of discipline, Jocko Willink.
Jocko is a former Navy SEAL, BJJ black belt, and co-owner of Origin. He’s also the name behind the Jocko Fuel nutrition line, which you can get on the Origin site, as well as on Amazon.
Jocko Fuel has a huge range of supplements and nutrition geared specifically towards athletes, including protein powder, pre-workout, vitamins, and even energy drinks.
I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Powder, and was definitely impressed. It’s got a great taste, blends well, and has an amino acid profile better than a lot of protein powders I’ve tried.
Check out this video to learn more about the Jocko MÖLK protein powder range from Origin:
Anything Else?
Origin have come a long… LONG way from just being a gi brand. They don’t just make BJJ gear, but also everyday clothing (such as jeans, boots; everything a hardworking, rock flag and eagle American needs), workout gear and nutrition.
You can easily get lost in Origin’s online store, looking through their whole range. But whether you’re interested in genuine leather belts and wallets, or you’re just after a top-quality gi, you should not have any complaints with Origin.
It bears repeating that Origin is a premium brand, and their products are priced as such. But if you’re willing to pay for top-quality products, it’s absolutely worth it. You’ll never find a gi that feels and performs as well as an Origin Gi.
Check out Origin BJJ’s official store to find your next favorite gi.
