Well, rather than start my own thread on this I figured I would add my own experiences to this. I got a batch 4 gi for the holidays and was totally excited about it. I was looking for a gi that was going to see some training and a few competitions this year. I appreciated the posts from Vince about the gi's leading up to their release highlighting the features and timeline etc. When mine finally came it felt and looked great. I'm 5'10" 180lbs, and have generally worn an A3 in other brands (Padilla Gold & Gracie Barra). SYR fit me about the same unwashed as they did. Both jacket and pants needed a little shrinking for proper fit. I just washed on cold and dried on low for half a cycle and put it out to finish on the line, which made the pants fit perfectly, the jacket, however will need just a little more shrinking. Materials and design seem to be pretty top notch. Mine had about 4 inches of skipped stitching on the collar which was a bit of a bummer, but with Vince's help I've gotten that squared away.
Jacket: Very light, nice feel to the weave, would have liked a very slightly longer skirt to it (just my opinioni), but overall very nice. Very solid collar (my first rubber collar) takes some getting used to.
Pants: Just about perfect. I would like to see the belt loops a hair lower if you keep the corded drawstring (which I like) so the string doesn't ride over the pants. Overall just awsome though (really like the goldweave crotch insert and the knee reinforcement).
Features: It's been said before, but I'll say it again the chest patch was not good & REALLY hard to remove (took close to 2 hours) as it was sewn into the lapel (nice job ditching it for the next batch Vince). Corded drawstring was a nice touch for me, as it seems to stay tied a lot better than the flat fabric ones I'm used to. Embroidery was basic and nice. Would have liked it if the ID pocket had made it into this batch as it seemed like a good idea (if it did please tell me where it ended up 'cause I sure can't find it). Knee reinforcement is a good bit thicker than I'm used to but I'm really starting to like it.
At the gym: Everyone really liked the look of it (including my instructor). Felt great rolling (5 days now), the only thing I ran into was that it was a lot harder for me to choke my opponent using my own collar, I think due to the more substantial construction. Seems to also keep me cooler (I find I'm sweating less).
Overall: Probably my favorite Gi so far. I'm iffy as to whether whether I like it twice as much as my Padilla (it's close to twice the price). However after interacting with Vince and seeing his commitment to customer service and quality of purchasing experience, I would do it again without hesitation and also recommend it to others.
Jacket: Very light, nice feel to the weave, would have liked a very slightly longer skirt to it (just my opinioni), but overall very nice. Very solid collar (my first rubber collar) takes some getting used to.
Pants: Just about perfect. I would like to see the belt loops a hair lower if you keep the corded drawstring (which I like) so the string doesn't ride over the pants. Overall just awsome though (really like the goldweave crotch insert and the knee reinforcement).
Features: It's been said before, but I'll say it again the chest patch was not good & REALLY hard to remove (took close to 2 hours) as it was sewn into the lapel (nice job ditching it for the next batch Vince). Corded drawstring was a nice touch for me, as it seems to stay tied a lot better than the flat fabric ones I'm used to. Embroidery was basic and nice. Would have liked it if the ID pocket had made it into this batch as it seemed like a good idea (if it did please tell me where it ended up 'cause I sure can't find it). Knee reinforcement is a good bit thicker than I'm used to but I'm really starting to like it.
At the gym: Everyone really liked the look of it (including my instructor). Felt great rolling (5 days now), the only thing I ran into was that it was a lot harder for me to choke my opponent using my own collar, I think due to the more substantial construction. Seems to also keep me cooler (I find I'm sweating less).
Overall: Probably my favorite Gi so far. I'm iffy as to whether whether I like it twice as much as my Padilla (it's close to twice the price). However after interacting with Vince and seeing his commitment to customer service and quality of purchasing experience, I would do it again without hesitation and also recommend it to others.