Storm “Typhoon” Kimono Review

Storm “Typhoon” Kimono

Who is Storm Kimonos?
I had never heard of Storm Kimonos until I saw them being worn by high profile competitors like Andre Galvao and the Mendes brothers about a year ago. Couple the big name Jiu Jitsu guys with aggressive marketing and I’m sure most of you have seen these gis around by now. Storm actually goes back to the mid nineties where their kimonos were conceived with the help of none other than Renzo Gracie.

Why I would recommend this gi:

-Great cut for guys with an athletic build that tend to find a lot of gi’s tight in the shoulders

-The gold weave jacket is very comfortable.

-Feels heavy duty without being too heavy

-A lot of attention to detail on the seams and stitching

Why I would hesitate to recommend this gi:

-Price….the Typhoon is their base model kimono and retails for $180 plus tax

-The color on my blue gi faded very fast

-Many other kimonos on the market offering similar quality for much less $

The Jacket:
The jacket is made of 550 gsm gold weave fabric which feels very durable but at the same time is soft and extremely comfortable to wear. Practitioners with an athletic build will appreciate the roominess in the shoulders. All of the seems and stress points look to have been carefully reinforced. The Storm website also specifies that the gi is treated with an anti-microbial/anti-odor agent and is highly preshrunk. There’s no way for me to comment on the anti-microbial treatment but I can say that I did not experience any shrinking in the jacket or the pants, even when drying on high heat. My one gripe about the jacket is that because it’s a gold weave, the sleeves stretch a bit when sweat soaks in and they end up being just a tad bit long on me.

The Collar:
The collar on the Typhoon is made of zero warp material. It’s nice and sturdy…similar to the thickness of my HCK collar.

The Pants:
The pants are made from 380 gsm 100% cotton twill. The knee area is reinforced with an extra layer of fabric and diagonal stitching which gives provides you with a little extra padding around the knee cap. The cut of the pants gives you freedom of movement without being too baggy. If you’re a fan of rip stop or light weight pants, you may not like these….they are made to withstand bullets.

Patches:
I admit that I did not like the look of these gis when I first saw them online and in advertisements. I felt that the logos were too large and obnoxious. Once the gi was actually in my hands though, I totally changed my mind. Now I really like the look of the logos and I think they add a nice touch without being too bold (granted it is close).

Price:
The high price tag is were I start to have a big problem with this gi. With so many companies making gis these days, it’s not hard to find one of similar quality for $30-$50 less. Not only that, the “Typhoon” is their cheapest model. If you want to get one of their “T2” or 96′ models, be prepared to shell out $230 plus tax and shipping! But hey, I get it….Galvao, Mendes, Estima, and other top guys are not wearing these gis because they are the best ones made or  because they make their jiu-jitsu better. They are all wearing Storm Kimonos because they are being paid to do so and sponsoring top athletes and aggressive marketing is not cheap.

Conclusion:
I put in about 24 hours worth of training in this gi over 3.5 weeks and it held up nicely minus some major color fade. There are certainly more things I like about this gi than things I dislike but the main issue is a big one and that’s the cost. Bottom line is that for the $180 retail price tag, I cannot recommend you run out and buy one of these. I will say that if you come across a good deal online (speaking of which, keep reading…) or simply don’t care about the price, I doubt you will be disappointed.

Special thanks to Aaron Rubin of MAS Jiu Jitsu Gis :
Aaron was kind enough to send me this gi to review and offer a discount code to my readers good for $15 off a Storm Kimono! Please check out his website MAS Jiu Jitsu Gis for great deals on gis and other martial arts products. Make sure to enter the code stormryno at check out for the discount. Also like his Facebook pages BJJHQ and MMAHQ for great one day deals on a variety of gear.

Thanks for reading!