Per Breakpoints site:

The 2012 all New Break Point Light Weight Deluxe Gis are here. After 12 months of research, development and numerous training sessions Break Point has done it again. This Deluxe Gi is what Jiu Jitsu practitioners have been waiting for. It comes with two types of pants. The heavy duty training pants made with the same fabric as the Gis and the light weight competition pants. The Gi has been designed from the ground up with flexibility, lightness and resistance in mind. It is the ideal Gi for competition and training because of the two kinds of pants. Additionally, the Gi has no seam on the back; it is a one piece construction top. The Gi is also 97% Pre-Shrunk.

Changes from previews versions

• New color combination
• Slightly slimmer fit
• Slightly longer sleeves
• Slightly longer jacket

NABJJF & IBJJF Approved

It includes all embroidery, patches and inside pattern as pictured as well as 2 different types of pants. Belt not included

Maybe I’m having a lucky streak or maybe Gi companies are just stepping their games up a notch. Either way the results are the same, I’ve been getting to experience some high quality Gi’s lately. Right off the completion of my Tatami Estilo 3.0 review I got a New 2012 version of BreakPoint FCs Light Weight Deluxe Gi in black.

I’ve had my concerns about BreakPoint gi’s in the past (I own an additional 2 of their older cuts) but man…if they’ve got some Kool-Aid brewing, sign me up to drink it.

So let’s get to it!

Dan’s Score for the BreakPoint FC Light Weight Deluxe: 9/10

Dan’s Dimensions: 5’10″ 195lbs, stockier upper body with normal legs for his height.
Gi Top Size: A3 (Normally A3, but with the Breakpoint an A2 fit like it was tailored to me.)
Pant Size: A2

As seen above buying this Gi will net you:

1 x Gi Top
2 x Gi Pants (one thick pair for training and one competition pair)
1 x Poster
1 x BreakPoint Catalog booklet
1 x Gi bag
1 x Handling/Care Instructions

Likes:

• This Gi, especially in Black, looks amazing. I prefer the black as the borders surrounding the lettering “BreakPoint” don’t contrast with the Gi around it giving the Gi a much cleaner look than the other colors.
• It’s extremely comfortable.
• Their new cuts of their Gi’s blow their old Gi’s out of the water.
• Two pairs of pants!!
• Despite the difference in my BreakPoint Gis, their stitching has always been top notch.
• The bag it comes in. I actually use these bags to keep my daughters toys in or milk/snacks when we are out and about. It beats the Britney Spears bag my wife wants me to carry around. I also have a lot of her toys organized in these bags. Being see-through it’s a plus. Although that’s not it’s intended purpose, I never use them for my Gi’s anyway and it’s just a nice bonus.
• The Gi held it’s color perfectly after the first wash cycle.

Dislikes:

• It could use another belt loop for extra security on the Gi Pants.
• I usually fit into A3s, but their A2 fit me perfect, this is more of an industry standard dislike than BreakPoints fault though.

Break Point Gi Jacket:

Here is a picture of the size A2 fresh out of the bag BreakPoint behind a Tatami Estilo 3.0 in A3 that has been washed.

And here is how the BreakPoint A2 matches up with the Tatami A3 after being worn and washed/dried (Cold/Cold, 2nd Rinse, 60min Low Heat in the dryer). I wash all my Gi’s the same way.

As you can see, the sizing is completely different, so it might be in your interest to hit BreakPoint’s size chart up or give them a call to see what they recommend.

This Gi is frickin’ comfortable folks. It’s soft and I’d even say enjoyable to wear.

My Tatami Estilo 3.0 is comfortable, but compared to the BreakPoint it’s much stiffer. BreakPoint does an excellent job of making the gi comfortable for the wearer and a pain to grip if you’re the opponent, which is exactly what I want and need in a Gi.

The Gi top allows for great mobility and never feels like it tightens at the upper back when raising an arm high (a good check to do on any Gi).

I love the embroidery in the interior of the jacket, it just gives the Gi a truly “Deluxe” look to it. The length of the skirt is perfect for my body type.

I really dislike longer skirts flapping around everywhere and apparently so does BreakPoint. “Just say NO to longer Gi skirts.”

As you can tell in the Tatami comparison pictures, the cut is very similar to the Tatami’s, which is a great thing, as BreakPoints old Gi cuts left something to be desired.

The sleeves taper down nicely and make it tough for your opponent to grab ahold of without putting in a lot of effort.

Even the collar is super comfortable. It’s thick, sturdy and doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

Break Point Gi Pants:

What can I say? You get TWO. That in itself is worth any extra coin you’re spending on this premium BreakPoint Gi.

As you can see in the pics you’re getting two nicely designed pairs of pants.

One pair is made of the same weave as the jacket. That pair is excellent for training. They are tough as nails and will give you many more hours on the mat than any other types of pants. I like training in them because of the added weight and durability.

When I finally put on the competition pants I feel like I can fly around since I’m so used to the heaviness of the training pants.  The competition pants are nicely reinforced at the knees.

I had some issues with the Twill loop system on a pair of another pants from BreakPoint (an older model) and some other issues with their pants crotch designs in the past, but I’ve had no issues here. They only have one loop on each side of their pants, but I haven’t experienced any issues. Might be good to add another loop in the future just for extra security though.

Looks:

Some people like Flash, some people don’t. For the people who do, this is where BreakPoint FC comes in. This Gi stands out.

The black color tones it down for sure, so if you want BreakPoint’s high quality without the Flash, grab the Deluxe in Black. If you want it to stand out even more, grab the White or Blue options.

I’m currently working on de-patching the shoulders and front collar patch of one of my BreakPoints and shall post the results here. It’s on an older one (the stitching pattern is the same) and so far has been extremely easy, the front patch came off with zero issues in about 5 minutes. More on that to come!

The red contrast stitching really pops off the black. It’s definitely one of the best color combinations out there for Gis and the BreakPoint FC Light Weight Deluxe is no exception.

Since it’s an A2 and not my typical A3 size I wear people think I am losing weight when I tell them it’s an A2. Cha-ching.

Wife Approval:

When I took it out of the bag my wife said my eyes light up like it was Christmas morning, and indeed, it felt like it. She then kept staring at it saying “oh my god that looks so nice”. [Brendan: Wait, are we still talking about the gi, here?]

Random Chick Approval:

Whenever I see someone in a Gi I’m reviewing I go ahead and ask their opinion. I asked a girl who was visiting my gym and wearing a BreakPoint deluxe top how she liked. She said it was “amazing” and that it “fit great”. She said it was a gift from another girl who also had one and loved it.

Customer Service:

I can’t lie, I did have some communication problems with BreakPoint over a year ago, but I had an issue with sizing with this Gi recently and they were just flat out top notch.

Beyond all of this, BreakPoint FC is a company that LISTENS to it’s customers. I used to have a laundry list of issues with their cuts and sizes and now the best I can do is saying they need one extra belt loop…(and I haven’t even had an issue with the one belt loop system, I’m keeping my eye on it though.)

They are constantly improving their Gi’s to give you (the customer) exactly what you are asking for. That is something to be admired in every facet of business and that is why I’d love to see BreakPoint continue to be successful in their endeavors. Just like every competitor does in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, BreakPoint FC is always evolving their game it seems.

-Dan

The Arte Suave Alpha

Overall:

One of my favorite Gi designs in recent memory, but it falls short in the comfort department. It is the lightest of the light. If you are on safari or traversing the Sahara, this Gi might be for you.

Measurements:

A: 7

B: 29

C: 20

D: 24.5

E: 20.5

F: 12.5

G: 8.5

H: 37

About the Alpha from Arte Suave:

Premium Lightweight Design:
420 Gram Pearl Weave
100% Pre-Shrunk Cotton
8oz. Rip-Stop Pants
Green Contrast Stitching and Accents
Reinforced Stitching

Jacket:
-Embroidered Logos
-Black Trimmed Cuffs
-Inner Taping with Logo
-UVA foam collar with rip-stop material
-Mouthguard pocket

Pants:
-8oz Rip-Stop
-6 Belt Loops
-Green Drawstring
-Black Trimmed Cuffs
-Inner Taping with Logo
-Reinforced Knee pads

Price: $139.99 – Size tested A2, my dimensions: 5’10″ 195lb.

Top:

The top fit me great. I can’t stress it’s lightness enough, it almost feels like paper.

I thoroughly enjoyed the artistic logo embroidery throughout the Gi top, the lightning bolt, Arte Suave logo and “The Gentle Art” phrase across the back.

A strong negative however is the very scratchy seam tape throughout this Gi. The wrists seam tape are so scratchy I didn’t enjoy wearing the top at all, regardless of how cool I thought it looked. (Note: Scot from Arte Suave has looked into this and will be fixing it for their next gi, the Bravo).

Besides the seam tape, I didn’t notice any other defects in the top. It wasn’t restrictive or falling apart, but due to its thinness I can’t imagine this Gi lasting for the long term.

The Gi top material is actually kind of coarse and tough for opponents to grab.

La Trousers:

Like the top, the pants are extremely light. Beyond belief light even. They are 8oz ripstop and are as thin as rice paper.

Like the wrist’s seam tape, the pant bottoms suffer from the same scratching, which on the top of your foot can be quite distracting.

The pants are kind of small from the crotch to the top of the pants and this led to them sagging in the back on me, and was restrictive while I rolled. (Note: Scot from Arte Suave has also noted that the pants’ tightness will be fixed in the Bravo gi as well.)

The pants are also a different shade than the top, which kind of threw off all of the aesthetic appeal that the gi brings to the table.

The belt loop system works as advertised but the traditional drawstring can be tough to undue once soaking wet.

Additional:

A great concept that lacks in execution unfortunately. The Gi does come with a stylish Gi Bag…which is quite roomy compared to most and looks great.

Aesthetic – Aurora Review

Overall:

A stunning gi that has solid durability and a solid value.  A quality buy that you shouldn’t second guess if you love the design.

Measurements:

A: 7.5

B: 30

C: 20

D: 23

E: 20.5

F: 12

G: 10

H: 38

About the Aurora:

The beautifully designed Aurora by Fight Aesthetic (seemingly also known as just “Aesthetic”) is quite innovative in its assymetrical design that makes the Gi really stand out compared to other Gi’s. The Gi has what appears to me as the same exact weave as the Shoyoroll Rio Koi, which I know as “Lite Tech” Weave but they call “Hybrid”. It is extremely soft and light. If you’re a fan of the Koi then this Gi is a must have for your Gi rotation. I could probably fall asleep in this Gi, it’s that comfortable.

-Limited Run

-Two paids of pants, cotton twill & ripstop

-Signature Assymetrical Design

-Lightweight Hybrid Weave

-Preshrunk 100% Cotton

-Scratch-free: double woven trim tape

-EVA foam-padded collar

Top:

As previously mentioned the Gi is quite light and comfortable, definitely one of the more relaxing Gi’s to wear. The Gi has a very similar cut to Omega Maniacs Shaka and Shoyoroll tops I own, very form fitting but definitely not restrictive, just the way I like it.

The sunburst design is very eye catching and the yellow collar piping makes the Gi look very clean. The collar is wrapped in ripstop and is of average thickness.

I would say the cuff is around average in gap size, but leaning towards the smaller side. The inside of the cuff is lined with a unique three layer seam tape, with no scratchiness experienced.

Kanji is located on the wearers right sleeve and on the right side of the skirt. No shoddy stitching or quirky embroidery on the top whatsoever.

The Gi is reinforced at all of the normal locations, the inner armpit and the skirt slits. It’s soft, so pretty easy to grab, but it’s like wearing pajamas.

Bottom:

A delight indeed, the Aurora comes with two pairs of pants. Ripstop and Cotton. I’m not the biggest fan of Ripstop and generally like Cotton much more, hence I have a preference to the Cotton (Unlike our good friend Meerkatsu, who also review this Gi). I had no issues while rolling and experienced no saggy crotch syndrome.

 As you can see, the ripstop pants have contrast stitching on the knee reinforcements and the cotton pants do not, but still has the reinforcements as well.

The pants are slimmer in the thigh area than a lot of gi’s without sacrificing maneuverability,  they do end a bit wider than a lot of other Gi’s I own but it’s probably something most people won’t notice.

One of the only faults with the Gi itself can be seen in this picture, showing one of the labels on the pants upside-down. Luckily it’s not a very visible outside logo so they don’t lose too many points here. It didn’t happen on the ripstop pants. Aesthetic was ADAMANT about me returning the pants free of charge for a new pair but I refused because it’s not something noticeable as it’s at the waist line and I didn’t want to give up the pants for any amount of time.

The belt system, using a cord and six belt loops worked great and the pants weren’t excessively baggy in the waist which is something of a pet peeve of mine. (I’m looking at you Shoyoroll).

The crotch is reinforced with the same type of weave as the top for extra strength. And the pant cuffs have the same three layer seam tape as the wrist cuffs.

Additional:

I thought the box that the Gi came in was very neat. It had a wax seal on it that gave the Gi a very luxurious vibe to it.

I would have preferred something more tangible like a Gi bag, but I’d say an extra pair of pants makes up for that significantly to most people.

Aesthetic showed extremely good customer care qualities in my dealings with them, I have no doubt they would take care of any issue to leave their customers 100% satisfied. Knowing a company will take care of you when making such a large investment like a BJJ Gi means a lot to the average buyer, choosing the company you buy from can sometimes be much more important than the Gi you buy. At 104.99 in British Pounds(around $170.00 US) it’s not a bad deal with the second pair of pants.