A good club gi should represent the style of the club and also be suitable for members to use in daily training and competition.
Before designing, it is helpful to think about a few questions: Who will wear this gi? What will it mainly be used for? What kind of look does the club want?
You can first confirm:
What is the main club colour?
Where do you want to place the logo?
Should the overall style be simple, traditional, modern, or more visually strong?
Is this gi for daily training or competition use?
These questions will affect the colour, logo placement, embroidery, patches, inner lining, and overall design direction.
Choose the Right Design Option
A club gi can usually be designed in a few different ways.
The first option is a simple club logo gi.
This usually means adding the club logo to a basic gi, such as on the chest, shoulders, sleeves, or pants. It is suitable for most clubs for daily training use, and the design, production difficulty, and minimum order quantity are usually easier to control.
The second option is a full custom club gi.
This can include custom colours, stitching, inner lining, labels, patches, embroidery, pants details, size chart, and other design details. It is more suitable for academies that want to build a complete club gear system or develop their own club equipment long term.
The third option is working with an existing brand.
This usually means choosing an existing gi style from a brand and adding the club logo or a small number of design details. It is a simpler and faster option, suitable for clubs trying a club gi for the first time. The minimum order quantity and cost are also usually easier to control.
There is no single best option. It mainly depends on the club’s budget, quantity, and design requirements.
Logo Placement Should Be Planned Clearly
Common placement areas include:
Chest
Shoulders
Sleeves
Back
Pant legs
Inside collar
Woven label or size label
These positions can affect the overall feel of the gi, as well as the production method, cost, and competition use.
For daily training use, the design does not need to be too crowded. A clear chest logo, with small details on the shoulders or pants, is often enough.
For competition use, the event rules should be checked in advance. For example, IBJJF has clear rules for logo, patch, and branding placement on competition gis, so the design should not only consider appearance, but also whether it is suitable for competition.
For a limited edition or team gi, extra details can be added to the back, sleeves, inner lining, or pants to make the gi feel more complete.
More design elements do not always make the gi better. Too many logos, patches, or complex details can make the gi look busy, and may also increase production cost and make future reorders more difficult.
Embroidery, Patches, and Inner Lining
Embroidery is suitable for logos, text, and small design areas. It is stable and works well for long-term training use.
Patches give a more traditional club gi feel and are suitable for the shoulders, chest, sleeves, or pants. However, patches should not be too thick or used too heavily, as this may affect comfort during training.
Inner lining and inside collar designs are more suitable for adding brand identity or limited-edition details. They do not affect the outside appearance too much, but can make the whole gi feel more complete.
The number, size, and complexity of embroidery and patches will also affect production cost.
For a club’s first gi project, it is usually better to start with a simple and clear design. After members respond well to it, the design can be developed further in future versions.
Colour Should Consider Training and Competition
White, blue, and black are the most common BJJ gi colours, and they are also more suitable for training and competition use.
If the club wants to use a special colour, it can be used for daily training or limited editions. But if members want to wear the gi in competition, the rules should be checked first.
Adult and Kids Sizes Need Different Proportions
If the club is making both adult and kids gis, the design should consider how it will look across different sizes.
A Good Design Should Fit the Club
A good custom BJJ gi does not need to be complicated.
For many clubs, a clear logo, suitable colours, stable fit, and comfortable training experience are more important than over-designing.
The design should make members want to wear it, help the team look unified, and naturally represent the club during training, competition, and team photos.
If the design direction is clear and the details are arranged properly, a club gi can become part of the club’s identity.