
Full Review: As I was so pleased with my beautiful Pony Club Grappling Gear 'Jessica' spats (reviewed here, with a potted history of grappling tights), I was keen to pick up some more. Somebody on reddit mentioned Strike Fightwear were having a sale, leading me to snap up a pair of Mashuu spats back in August.



As it turned out, a PCGG 'Small' is much more generous than a Strike Fightwear 'Small': having since bought several other spats, it's become clear that there is no sizing consensus across different fightwear companies. Therefore while I can generally trust an A1 gi will fit me, I lack that certainty when it comes to spats. To any fightwear companies reading this, it would be really handy for the customer if you could make sure you stick in a spats size chart (preferably with full waist circumference numbers), if you don't already. ;)
So for me, the Mashuu 2.0 initially felt far too tight, especially the waistband. I struggled to pull that over my hips. Once it slid past my hip bones, I didn't feel discomfort (unless I pulled the waistband over my underwear and directly onto my skin), but the insufficient size was noticeable when I looked at my legs. The fabric on my legs was stretched out to such a degree that not only could I see the hair on my legs, strands actually poked through when I was cycling. I am assuming that this was purely down to the fact that the spats were too small for me, rather than the fabric itself being much thinner than that used for the PCGG spats.

This resulted in a much more comfortable fit, although of course that doesn't help the material straining on the legs. Having said that, I'm now used to them after four months of use, to the extent that my PCGG spats actually feel a bit loose. I have also since bought a pair of spats that feel even tighter, but I'm hoping that like the Mashuu spats, they will begin to feel looser after continued testing.
In terms of specific measurements, when the Mashuu grappling tights are lain flat on the floor unstretched, the waist is 10 inches (26cm) wide. From top to bottom they are 82cm long, while the ankle openings are 10cm wide. Needless to say, there is a lot of stretch: I wear 30 inch waist trousers and can wear these without discomfort, despite my initial concerns when I first tried them on. According to the inner label, the construction is 82% polyester and 18% spandex.

I rarely train nogi myself, but always wear a pair of spats underneath my gi trousers. That's partly for warmth, as the venue where I currently train is quite cold, but I have also found the compression helps relieve the niggling groin injury I've had since last September (I've been to two different physiotherapists since then, so it's possible that's more psychological at this point). As with any pair of spats, the tightness takes some getting used to: I don't mind a really snug fit, but you will want to choose your size very carefully.
If you have no issues with a tight fit and are a similar size to me, then the Mashuu in Small should work, but a Medium is probably a better bet for the average person. It is a good idea to contact the supplier with your measurements, though even then you may not get the right size. Best of all would be asking any training partners who also wear spats, or checking reviews like this one to get an idea of the actual size. Should they come back in stock, the Mashuu 2.0 grappling tights can be bought here.
Yeah I hated the anti friction band on the Estilo 4 prototype so glad they got rid of them. Btw the upper right thigh image is a amended version of my Mashu artwork that I had no involvementin and do not like.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah: almost forget to mention the monkey with a helmet was amended from something else you did, so I've added that in just now. Where was the original one again?
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