Choosing Bjj Girls equipment can be more than a matter of choosing the right size… There are quite a few items of equipment that BJJ girls need, as opposed to their male counterparts. We’ll go over these in a little detail. First, we’ll focus on no-gi grappling. If you’re a woman engaged in no-gi BJJ, a sports bra is a must of course. Most good sports bras will come for around $50 and will provide a lot of support, as well as sufficient coverage. A good sports bra will also rarely show under compression wear. The next thing that you will need is, of course, a rash guard. Make sure that you get one that is of good enough quality that it will be comfortable to wear through a long session on the mats. It should generally also be long enough that it doesn’t ride up in the course of that session, but this can generally be handled fairly easily, as there are a lot of men’s sizes in rash guards that easily provide a smaller woman with the extra length required. Coverage and comfort Most BJJ girls will also go in for a good t-shirt to wear under the gi, or for training at conditioning. There are a lot of good t-shirts on the market, and I recommend that whatever you choose be light enough to provide comfort and unrestricted movement. Many women also prefer a t-shirt with a snugly fitting neck so that they don’t need to be concerned with ‘accidents’ while on the mats. Compression shorts are also absolutely necessary, of course, though I would recommend that you wear these with a gi pant, as many partners can be uncomfortable dealing with bare legs. In any case, I’m against bare skin grappling, as this can cause transmission of skin diseases, or germs at the very least. A pair of spats over your compression shorts will provide perfect protection. Other Options… For those who prefer something a little different, there are a lot of well designed shorts and compression tights out there that would serve as well. You might thing that fight shorts wouldn’t suit a woman’s figure, but most fight shorts designed for women actually are very well designed and fit very well. Just make sure that whatever shorts or compression gear you buy are good at wicking off moisture, and, of course, that they don’t have zippers or metal parts that could hurt your partner. And then there’s the almighty gi! Choosing a good gi can be tough, especially if you’re shopping online. I would really advise you to choose a gi specifically designed for women, rather than just using a smaller men’s size. The fit is quite different for a woman’s gi, especially about the waist or hips. Of course it can be a little difficult to judge fit if you’re buying online, but most online stores provide detailed size charts that you can use. Remember that you sometimes have the option of only buying a gi top or gi pants, so you can use that to ‘mix and match’ if you’re having problems finding a fit that suits you exactly. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Make sure though, that you get a good weave that is a balance between durability and comfort. Customization… If you’re still not able to find a good gi, try the gi customization options that many sites offer, especially if they offer hip, waist and bust sizing options. And then, the custom gis can be very decorative and fashionable – not only can you choose the weight of the fabric used, but of course you can choose the color of the fabrics, lining and stitching, as well as patches and embroidery. If you want to go all-out, you could even get your belt embroidered. But, on a more serious tone, a custom gi is really the best way to get a gi that balances all the options, that is durable, looks good, and most important of all, fits right. Meditative pinks! But even without the extra costs of a customizable gi, there are a lot of good gi other there for women – you just have to go through them. They are available in just about every weight and weave, and in every color from electric blue to a pleasant, meditative pink. As a matter of fact, pink gi’s are quite a popular choice among female BJJ exponents.