Before we get started, I want to be very clear about something. I consider myself to be a mean, lean, fighting machine. Sure, that may not be the same opinion of my wife nor the guys at the dojo. They may find it a bit on the amusing side, but that doesn’t bother me because I know what I see in the mirror and when I stand in front of one, it’s lean, mean, skinny and built for speed. I thought I’d throw that in there just to help you understand why I can relate to the guys with the same body type as me. Plus, we’re in luck as there is no shortage of gis we can fit into. Here’s a look at the top choices I prefer.

Scramble Standard Issue Semi-Custom Gi

Yup, the name gives it a professional, almost military feeling, doesn’t it? So, for the lean and lanky guys out there, you really must make this one of your purchases simply because it is an affordable gi and it looks great on our body type. The jacket is made from 450gsm pearl weave cotton and the pants are 230gsm ripstop. It may look a bit on the plain side as it lacks a lot of branding, and I think that’s one of the things I like most about this gi. Well, that and the high quality finish it has.

Scramble Athlete V3 Gi

Again, another product made by Scramble. I added this one for a few reasons. The lack of branding is attractive to me on many levels as sometimes I feel like I’m a walking, fighting advertisement for a brand that I only own one product of. Second, there is no denying that the quality of this product is much as you would expect from some of the bigger brand names. Speaking of that, Scramble also charges less for their gis. But here’s a big difference…you get all of this in a gi that is designed well and fits exceptionally well. You can’t miss here.

Tatami Fightwear Estilo 6 Gi

I mention this brand because of something cool they have done to their product line. They now offer what they like to refer to as “specialty sizes.” What that means to you and me is that it will be easier to find the right lean and lanky fit without having to focus on shrinking sleeves or whatever to make it look right. It’s also a nice lightweight style, looks good and comes in at a reasonable price point as well. This could be the dealbreaker you’ve been looking for if you are budget conscious.

Hypnotik Base Gi

Classic and classy are words that come to mind when I try to describe the look of the gis made by this company. The jacket is a 450gsm hybrid weave with heavy cotton reinforcements where they are needed the most. Add to that 10-ounce twill pants and you have a solid performer. But there’s more! The design goes above and beyond what I have seen with many other gis. The Hypnotik Base provides an exceptional fit and is tapered where it should be tapered. In other words, it’s a nice looking combo that will turn heads. Although, it should be your performance that turns the heads if you know what I mean.

Lanky Fight Gear Pro Gi

You either had to see this one coming or were wondering if I was going to include them on this list. Well, any brand with the word “lanky” in it deserves some ink in an article about gis for lean and lanky guys. It just makes sense. As for the product, the product line has a few to choose from and I have found more than one that fits me well. The gi is strikingly attractive with plenty of details that set it apart from most other contenders. See, I even slipped in a fighting term!

Tatami Nova MK4 Gi

I know, I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but this gi is one of the better fitting ones out there that would be considered “basic” in design. Here’s where the terminology gets a bit strange – it is called a basic gi but has some pretty nifty tapered areas that make it a little more than basic in my mind. The jacket is a 450gsm hybrid weave and has heavy cotton reinforcements in many of the key locations where such a feature will be most valuable. The pants are 9 ounces and are a poly-cotton blend which makes them a bit heavier than you may have expected but that increases the durability factor a great deal.

In Conclusion

I’m a lean, mean, fighting machine regardless of what anyone else may think. That includes my wife unless she’s reading this and in that case, she’s right about whatever it is she just said. For the lean and lanky guys out there, there happens to be plenty of good quality gis in the marketplace that are not only designed for your unique body shape, but look pretty awesome as well. The lean and lanky body style has also inspired many gi manufacturers to create products aimed just at these guys.

They call them “specialty sizes” but in reality, they are the same gi as the next guy would wear, just sized a bit differently. What I like the most about these types of gis is that they do not lack the features or design elements that you would expect in other sizes. Oh, and for some reason, the “specialty sizes” are often several dollars cheaper than the regular fitting gis. Hopefully, I didn’t just reveal a quirk in the inventory that could end up getting changed once you finish this article.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2011