BJJ GI Size Guide – How to choose the correct Size BJJ GI.
Probably the most common questions we get asked are to do with GI sizing.
The GI size chart can sometimes be a little confusing with both height and weight mentioned and with some people falling between various sizes and others being too tall and slim or too short and big to fit somewhere in the chart. These are just some of the problems people face when trying to pick the right size. Below we will show you how to choose the right size no matter what your build is.
BJJ GI Size System
BJJ GI Sizes are worked out a little bit different when compared to other martial arts GIs. BJJ GIs are usually labelled with either an “A” for adult males, “F” for adult females or “M” for both male and female children between the ages of 5-14 years old and the letter is then followed by a number usually between 0 and 4 (000-4 for kids GIs)
L or Long Sizes
Over the last few years, more and more companies have added “L” sizes to their adult GI “A” sizes. So, for example, an A2L size would have the weight dimensions of an A2 (up to 82kg), and the height of an A3 (up to 6ft 3). This would be ideal for someone who is too tall for an A2 and too slim for an A3. The L sizes are quite new and only a handful of companies currently use them, but I can see more and more companies rolling them out over the next few years.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu GI sizes versus traditional martial art sizes
When working out a size for someone with a traditional martial art suit it’s relatively simple. You find out their height and choose a size. That’s great right? Wrong! Although it has been sized correctly, rarely will you get a decent fit and the reason for this is that although it might fit in height not everyone will fill the gi in terms of weight and width so most of the time they look ill-fitting and baggy/loose. With Jiu-Jitsu GI sizing you work out the size with a mix of a person’s height and weight which should give you the best fit for that person. This works most of the time but there are exceptions to this which include people who are tall and skinny or are on the larger side. We will cover more on these 2 body types below.
How a typical BJJ GI size chart looks
|
Size |
Height Range |
Weight Range |
|
A0 |
5ft 4” – 5ft 7” |
60 – 65kg |
|
A1 |
5ft 7” – 5ft 9” |
65 – 72kg |
|
A1L |
5ft 11” – 6ft |
65 – 72kg |
|
A2 |
5ft 8” – 6ft |
72 – 82kg |
|
A2L |
5ft 11” – 6ft 2” |
72 – 82kg |
|
A3 |
6ft 1” – 6ft 3 |
82 – 95kg |
|
A3L |
6ft 3” – 6ft 4” |
82 – 95kg |
|
A4 |
6ft 1” – 6ft 4” |
95 – 120kg |
Heights and weight ranges for all sizes
THE TYPICAL MEN’S “A” SIZES HAVE THE FOLLOWING RANGES:
· A0: heights of 5ft 4” – 5ft 7” and weight’s between 60-65kg
· A1: heights of 5ft 7” – 5ft 9” and weight’s between 65-72kg
· A1L: heights of 5ft 11” – 6ft and weight’s between 65-72kg
· A2: heights of 5ft 8” – 6ft and weight’s between 72-82kg
· A2L: heights of 5ft 11” – 6ft 2” and weight’s between 72-82kg
· A3: heights of 6ft 1” – 6ft 3” and weight’s between 82-95kg
· A3L: heights of 6ft 3” – 6ft 4” and weight’s between 82-95kg
· A4: heights of 6ft 1” – 6ft 4” and weight’s between 95-120kg
THE TYPICAL LADIES “F” SIZES HAVE THE FOLLOWING RANGES:
· F1: heights of 4ft 9” – 5ft and weights of 39kg and 45kg
· F2: heights of 5ft – 5ft 4” and weights of 45kg and 55kg
· F3: heights of 5ft 3” – 5ft 6” and weights of 52kg and 65kg
· F4: heights of 5ft 6” – 5ft 8” and weights of 64kg and 77kg
THE TYPICAL KIDS “M” SIZES HAVE THE FOLLOWING RANGES:
· M00: Heights of 100cm
· M00: Heights of 110cm
· M0: heights of 120cm
· M1: heights of 130cm
· M2: heights of 140cm
· M3: heights of 150cm
· M4: heights of 160cm
Sizing for Big guys
Like tall skinny guys, big guys tend to find it hard to get a decent fit although they have the opposite problem to the skinny guys. They can normally get a GI to fit in the body, but the sleeves and trousers are normally too long. This is where they have the advantage. They should go for a size that fits well in the body and then shrink the GI so that it brings down the extra length. Like we mentioned above, some GIs shrink more than others so depending on how much the length needs to shrink it might be worth considering the type of weave when choosing your next GI. If you need any information on the best way to shrink to fit, check out this guide we did on Caring for your BJJ GI which has a section on shrinking a BJJ GI.
