We founded “Flesh and Blood Fightwear” because I was tired of paying high prices for BJJ and submission grappling gear. The average “little guy” can’t afford the higher quality Gi’s, or rashguards and board shorts at current prices. Many companies put these items well outside the price range of the average consumer. We are the “little guy” too.
What if a company came along that offered the same or better quality Gi’s as the larger companies for much much less. We are that company. Whether you’re a pro-fighter, or a part-time grappler these products will meet your needs. Check out our quality, feel the comfort, and know that these products will stand up to the daily abuse you will put them through.
We named our company “Flesh and Blood Fightwear” because for many of us everyday is a fight. It could be physical, emotional or spiritual but we all wrestle with our own demons.
This company stands alone as a symbol of the courage it takes to get up each day, put on our armor, and meet our enemies. If you never have, read Ephesians 6:12. This is what our company stands for and this is why we bring these products to you.
– Andrew & Jeni Spottswood
When Andrew approached me about doing the logo for Flesh and Blood, I was excited at the prospect of not only helping a friend get his company up and running, but also getting to be able to provide the overall image, look and feel of the brand itself.
We discussed wanting to incorporate elements of Scripture and theological depth with elements of Brazilian Jiujitsu. The symbol that fits both is, of course, the triangle.
From the earliest days of Brazilian jiujitsu, the triangle has been symbolic of the balance and leverage concepts inherent in the grappling art developed by the famous Gracie family. (It’s also the name of a basic submission technique…which I have gotten caught in FAR too many times over the years!)
The triangle has also been the symbol used by Christian theologians for centuries to symbolize the nature of God’s tri-unity (commonly called the Doctrine of the Trinity), whereupon God exists in three
personae–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–yet is One. [
For a look at how this can be or how we can attempt to understand it, see THIS article here in the Dojo!] Often the image of a triangle is superimposed over the image of three overlapping circles to further symbolize the one-in-three-ness of God.
However, the design needed to be something that was simple and not in-your-face in terms of theology. The goal of Flesh and Blood is making QUALITY gear that is affordable rather than being a “Christian” company targeting “Christian grapplers”. One doesn’t have to be a Christian to want a quality gi and believe that the true struggle is mental/spiritual rather than merely physical, after all! So the incorporation of the Scripture inspiration (Ephesians 6:12) was to be somewhat subtle.
With this in mind, I worked with Andrew in coming up with the Flesh and Blood logo and am very happy with how it turned out…
Once I got the design to Andrew it was just a matter of time until the first series of gis (pronounced “GEE” in the singular and “GEEZ” in the plural…for those of you who don’t train BJJ but are still reading this!) were released.
Last week I finally got my hands on one and it absolutely love it!
(Andrew is doing his “serious grappler” face…I’m just grinning like an idiot!)
The gi is a pearl-weave top with foam collar and the pants are ripstop with a stretch cord (which is SO much better than traditional cotton string). It’s pretty much exactly like those expensive collector gis but without all the visual/artistic bells and whistles…and a LOT cheaper. In fact, it
only costs about $95!One of the things we went for in the gi design was simplicity and customizability. If a school wants a clean, sharp, quality gi that they can offer their students, there is plenty of room for adding their school’s patch or embroidery design on the back, the front, the right sleeve, the hips, and the left pant leg. Or, they can opt for a version with no Flesh and Blood logos at all, and instead, replace it with their own designs.
I ordered mine in size A3 and shrunk it to fit in hot water and the dryer (3 cycles). It fits almost perfectly and is incredibly soft. I’ve rolled in it three times now and the only drawback is that the sleeves are about a half-inch longer than I would like…but that’s because I’ve always rolled in A2 gis before and not shrunk them very much. This one, however, fits much better around the chest and waist and the pants are the absolute best I’ve ever worn. Flexible, soft, sturdy and the cord drawstring makes a huge difference in terms of how easy it is to untie them after a really sweaty session (traditional cotton strings have always been a pain to loosen when wet and they wear out and fray easier…at least that’s been my own experience over the past 6 years or so).
If this first gi model sells, Flesh and Blood will also be releasing a version in blue, as well as rashguards and fight shorts (which are gonna be SWEET, trust me!). So if you’re a grappler looking for an affordable gi to train or compete in–or know a grappler and are looking for a great gift for them!–I can’t recommend this one highly enough.
For more information about Flesh and Blood Fightwear, contact Andrew or Jenni at fleshblood612@yahoo.com or visit
their contact page.
I’m glad to have been a part of this from the beginning and can’t wait to see where God takes the company in the future.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
-Ephesians 6:12
Blessings from the Dojo,
JM
