This review was originally posted on the sherdog forums in 2005, while the review is of the black Gameness kimono it is exactly the same kimono as the red, blue and white platinum weaves.

So, after being tempted for months and hearing from SSF that there was only one left – I finally decided to go ahead and buy the Black Gameness Kimono. If first impressions are anything to go by it was worth it, even though I got an earful from my girlfriend who rightfully pointed out that we’re in the middle of getting a mortgage to move out and buying expensive pajamas probably shouldn’t be first priority right now.

The first thing that I noticed was how thick the pants seemed to be, very well made. The second (as I put them on in that order) was how thick the lapel was, even Thicker than the one on my Krugans competition kimono which is saying something.

Before rolling in it I washed the thing, no shrinking that I could see (but bear in mind I line dried it) and then was all ready to roll. As it happened we’re going through somewhat of a heatwave in the UK at the moment, so it was going to be a good test of how breathable the material was, again it came up trumps feeling as cool as it could be in the best weather we’ve had here for some time.

I remembered someone complaining about how the back panel on the gameness was two pieces of fabric joined together (there’s probably a shorter way of saying that but I’m not up on my clothing design), regardless they claimed that it may bother them when working from their back, I thought about this once when I was on my back during warm up and was able to feel the join, after that though when I was rolling and thinking about techniques it never entered my head again, had I not read those comments on the net I would never have even thought about it in the first place either (and in a club which has a lot of wrestlers I find myself working from my back a lot)

The patches on the kimono do look good once they’ve been rolled in (a little bit too shiny and white at first, but that’s not a problem for long) although I do plan on replacing the large patch on the back with my teams patch next time we’re able to get some, none the less a few people were asking me where they could get the kimono and I took great pleasure in telling them that they couldn’t get the black one anymore (probably to the point of being irritating – but hey) so looks wise again it’s a hit. Another bonus is should I put on a balaclava I’d look like a ninja, and we all know ninjas are totally awesome!

Obviously it’s not time tested yet – which is a big part of how good any kimono is, but my initial thoughts are that the gameness kimonos are very good and I’d recommend anyone take a look at them if they’re in the market for something new.

The only other thing to comment on is SSF where I got the kimono, overall 10/10 for service. I was kept in contact the entire time and SSF was nothing but polite and friendly, including after they got my money (an example some other companies would do well to follow) much like the kimono itself I’d recommend SSF when people are looking for their grappling gear.

So a positive review for both SSF and gameness from me

Review by Pete Forster