IBJJF gi rules & specifications for brands and manufacturers

Several gi suppliers describe their gis as IBJJF compliant, then offer fabric weights and colours that would fail the IBJJF gi check. If you're building a BJJ gi brand, the rules that matter are in two official documents, and they're more specific than most buyers realise. This guide sets out the IBJJF gi specifications in tables you can hand to a factory, explains what each rule means for your pattern, fabric order and artwork, and ends with a pre-production checklist.

IBJJF gi rules at a glance

If you only need the numbers, here they are. The sections below explain each rule and where it comes from.

Where the IBJJF gi rules come from

Two official IBJJF documents define what a competition gi must be:

• The Uniform Manual for Manufacturers, linked from ibjjf.com/uniform (the file is named IBJJF-manual-uniforme-EN-07.pdf). Written for kimono manufacturers, it covers fabric, measures, reinforcement, finishing, labels, patches, belts and colours. Section A covers gis for the juvenile, adult and master divisions; Section B covers no-gi colours.
• The IBJJF Rules Book (June 2024 edition, Article 8), at ibjjf.com/books-videos. Inspectors apply it at events. It repeats the key measures and adds rules on patches, painted logos, belts and no-gi attire.

The IBJJF says the current uniform rules took effect after the 2024 Gi World Championships. Many blogs and supplier pages still quote older figures, such as a 5 cm tolerance for sleeves and pant legs. The current figure is 2 cm.

The IBJJF does not approve gi brands

There is no IBJJF approval, certification or licence for a gi brand or a factory. The gi is checked at each event, before the athlete weighs in. Inspectors measure sleeve and pant length, collar thickness and width, and sleeve clearance with a measuring tool, and they check the belt. Each athlete is entitled to three uniform inspections to pass. "IBJJF approved" on a label means, at best, "built to the IBJJF's published specifications". Use that wording instead, and make sure it's true.

Kids' gis

Section A of the manual is headed "Juvenile, Adult and Master" and gives no separate figures for kids' gis. If you sell kids' gis for IBJJF kids' events, check the current rules for those divisions with the IBJJF or the event organiser before you describe them as competition-ready.

IBJJF gi jacket rules: weave, composition and GSM

How common fabric weights compare with the IBJJF GSM limits

Gi fabrics are sold by weight in grams per square metre (GSM, or g/m²). Here is how the weights you'll be offered sit against the IBJJF window:

Typical weights are industry norms from fabric guides such as Grapplemaps' weave comparison, not IBJJF figures. Only the 380–650 g/m² limit comes from the IBJJF.

IBJJF gi pants rules

Converting ounces to GSM

Many suppliers still sell gi pants by the ounce. Taking ounces per square yard (1 oz/yd² is about 33.9 g/m²), the IBJJF window of 220–300 g/m² is roughly 6.5–8.8 oz. "10 oz" pants are about 339 g/m² and "12 oz" pants about 407 g/m², so both are over the limit. Ask your supplier to state pants fabric in g/m², and to say how they measure it.

IBJJF collar specifications

Measure the finished collar, not the core. Dense multi-row stitching and a thick rubber core both add thickness, so a collar specified at 1.3 cm can come out over the limit. Record a calliper reading on the approved sample and use it as the production reference.

Sleeves, jacket length and fit

Inspectors check these with a gauge described in Rules Book item 8.1.12. Shrinkage is the hidden risk: fully pre-shrunk cotton gis typically shrink 1–3%, untreated fabric 5–10% or more. A sleeve that ends 1.5 cm from the wrist when new can fail after a hot wash, so pre-shrink, grade for what's left, and wash-test the sample before you approve it.

Reinforcements and hems

The manual adds a practical suggestion. When athletes shorten their pants, the knee reinforcement can end up closer than 10 cm to the hem. To avoid this, the IBJJF suggests manufacturers offer several leg lengths within the same waist size, for example A1 Short, A1 Medium and A1 Tall.

Colours, linings and finishing

A competition gi must be entirely white, royal blue or black. The jacket, pants and collar must all be the same colour, and the manual bans solid details in any other colour.

Under Rules Book item 8.1.5, organisers of adult black belt divisions may require athletes to bring two gis, one white and one royal blue, so both athletes in a match can be told apart. A competition range aimed at black belts should therefore include both colours. Approve a physical lab dip for royal blue and keep it with the sample: a blue that drifts dark can be read as navy.

Linings, prints and painted logos

• Linings: printed or non-embossed linings are allowed only inside the neck and shoulders.
• Painted logos: painted gis are forbidden, except for academy or sponsor logos in the areas where patches are allowed (Rules Book 8.1.10). If the paint marks an opponent's gi, the athlete must change.
• Collar: no piping, embroidery or print, inside or out.

IBJJF labels and patch placement

Where patches can go

The authorised zones are shown in a diagram on page 10 of the manual. In summary:

• Jacket front: the upper sleeves, the upper chest on either side of the lapels, and a band across the skirt below the belt.
• Jacket back: a large panel across the upper back, and a band across the skirt below the belt.
• Pants: the front of the thighs and shins, the outside of the legs, and the back of the thighs and calves.
• Pant hems: no patch within 15 cm of the edge of the leg. The bottom of the front leg is reserved for the brand tag.

Use the diagram itself as your artwork template when you place logos; this summary is not a substitute for it.

What patches and text may say

Rules Book item 8.3.5 bans patches and text referring to political ideologies, anything offensive on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture or religion, and anything promoting violence, vandalism, sexual acts, drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Check sponsor patches before you sew them: a beer or tobacco sponsor's patch will be removed.

IBJJF belt specifications

The 20–30 cm rule means belt length has to be graded by size: one length can't serve an A0 and an A5. The manual also gives a colour reference for each rank:

No-gi rash guards and shorts

If your brand sells ranked rash guards or grappling shorts for IBJJF no-gi events, these rules apply (Rules Book 8.1.16 and Section B of the manual):

For a ranked rash guard range, that means one design per belt colour, with the rank colour taking at least 10% of the shirt.

Is my gi IBJJF legal? Specs that fail the gi check

When we reviewed manufacturer websites ranking for "BJJ gi manufacturer" in October 2026, several were offering options that would fail the IBJJF rules above. If you see any of these in a quote, they belong in a training line, not a competition one.

None of these is wrong in itself: a 350 GSM gi makes a good travel gi, and a camo gi can sell well as a lifestyle product. The problem is selling them as competition gis.

Pre-production checklist for your gi brand

Work through this before you approve a sample for a competition line:

1. Split the range. Mark each SKU as competition or training, and name them so customers can tell them apart.
2. Jacket fabric. Braided (pearl-type) weave, at least 90% cellulose, 380–650 GSM finished, with a margin above 380 for a light gi.
3. Pants fabric. One fabric, twill or ripstop, at least 55% cellulose, 220–300 GSM finished, nothing rigid. Order in g/m², not ounces.
4. Colour. White, royal blue or black, with every part matching. Approve lab dips, especially for royal blue.
5. Collar. 1–1.3 cm thick and 4.5–5 cm wide, finished. No piping, embroidery or print.
6. Pattern and grading. Check every size for jacket length, the 2 cm sleeve and pant limits and the 7 cm clearances, after shrinkage. Consider short, medium and tall leg lengths.
7. Reinforcements. Doubles only at the shoulders, underarms and skirt slits, never the forearms; jacket and pant hems 2.5 cm or less; knee panels from 10 cm above the cuff; waistband 5 cm or less.
8. Lining. Printed lining inside the neck and shoulders only.
9. Labels. Composition and GSM label inside; one lapel label up to 8 cm; a thin, non-embroidered pants tag up to 36 cm²; plus your market's legal labels (fibre content, care, origin and, for the US, your company name or RN).
10. Artwork. Map every logo to the manual's patch zones, using sewn cotton patches. Nothing on the collar, and only the brand tag within 15 cm of the pant hem. Check patch content against Rules Book 8.3.5.
11. Belts (if you sell them). 4–5 cm wide, graded so each end hangs 20–30 cm after the knot; no printing on the body; brand tag at the tip.
12. Sample approval. Weigh a swatch, measure the collar with a calliper, check sleeve clearance on a fitted model, and measure before and after a wash test. Keep the approved sample as the production reference.
13. Marketing copy. Say "built to IBJJF uniform specifications", never "IBJJF approved" or "certified".

How ForgeSports uses this

ForgeSports is a BJJ gi manufacturer in Sialkot, Pakistan. This guide is the reference our team works from when a buyer briefs a competition line.

• On request, we build competition gis to these parameters, and write every value into your specification before any sample is made.
• You verify them on the physical sample before production: weigh a swatch, measure the collar, check the fit and run a wash test. Independent lab testing can be planned in if you want it.
• Bulk production follows the approved sample.
• Training, kids' and lifestyle gis can be made outside these limits, and we describe them as training gis.
• We never describe a gi as IBJJF approved or certified.

See the options you can specify in our BJJ gi spec builder, and the duty you'll pay on gis in our import guide.

Sources: IBJJF Uniform Manual for Manufacturers (EN-07) and IBJJF Rules Book (June 2024 edition), both from ibjjf.com. Checked on 10 October 2026. Rules can change between seasons, so check ibjjf.com/uniform before you place a production order.