Issue 099

The first grappling tights, or ‘spats’ as they’re known to the easily embarrassed, on the Western market are designed by the brand Scramble. “I lived in Japan for a few years and a lot of people who I trained with wore them,” says Scramble’s Matt Benyon.

The tights are made from a lycra/spandex blend and are hygienic like a rash guard. They’re also ideal for preventing sore knees from extended sessions on the mat and can be worn under a gi.

“I asked some people what they thought of selling them in the West and they told me not to bother!” says Benyon. But orders have been pouring in so fast that new designs are already with Scramble’s producers: “We played it safe with the first design, and now they’ve been so well received we might be more colorful like Shinya Aoki’s...”