How’s everything going?
Recently I had the great pleasure to talk to the owner of new BJJ brand Roll Supreme.
Roll Supreme are a fantastic new BJJ and NO GI brand that is based in the north of England in Newcastle.
You can see their sweet range HERE
Here is what Jack had to say,
Hi Jack, firstly tell us a bit how did you get started in the Jiu jitsu clothing business?
It was getting to the point where I was able to train everyday and I started needing to buy more gear but there really wasn’t that much stuff out there that I liked. Everything was covered in either skulls or kanji symbols, which isn't really my style.
There’s obviously some really cool BJJ based companies around but I ended up going for more of the running style gear. It just felt lighter, had better designs, better build quality but those materials don't really hold up after a few hard rolls. So we decided to combine the minimalist designs with ergonomics and more resilient materials.
Awesome! What’s the best thing about it?
I'm a freelance graphic designer as well running RS so I'm my own boss. Working for yourself is really challenging but I'm loving it. I recommend it everyone!
And what's the worst thing about it?
The Post Office. And returns because that means I have to go there twice.
What separates Roll Supreme from other brands?
I think our gear is a lot more clean, simple design wise. We pay a lot of attention to how people actually use it and particularly how they move in jiu jitsu and you don't get the standard board shorts or rash guard with us. We look closely at our patterns (cut of the garment), materials even stitch/ thread choices. We also pay close attention to where our gear is produced and finished. All out apparel is printed and finished here in Newcastle.
Where do you hope to take the brand in the near future? Any exciting releases etc coming our way?
We're looking to take our sportswear to a next level… possibly even going back to university to do fashion/ sportswear design. We've just begun to design a small batch of Gis to be make completely in the UK. We're also looking at producing some jackets, backpacks and hats completely produced in the UK but its early days we'll see how they go.
We'll be dropping a new batch of designs for Spring 2014 and a much larger one in Summer 2014 with a few interesting additions!
With the Gis, are you looking to bring anything new to the market or improve on certain aspects of existing designs?
We're currently in the initial design/ drawing stages so its still very early days. We're looking at some new materials (made in the UK) its just finding the right weight that won't shrink too much while keeping it competition legal. There’s quite a lot about the Gi market that seems antiquated such as the sizing or the amount of shrinkage for example so there some issues we'll be looking into next year.
You have a growing fight team and help a lot of grass roots fighters, what so you look for when sponsoring someone? Obviously you can't help everyone, but there are a lot of guys and gals out there who want help. Any pointers?
We don't look for anything in particular. Our team so far is a really mixed bunch. We've got people who run blogs or are really a strong presence online but haven't competed for a while and then people who are crushing it competitions but don't even have a Facebook account.
We work with a lot of younger fighters with a ton of potential. We're a young brand so it will help us both grow together… That doesn't mean if any Black Belts are looking for a new sponsor they shouldn't drop us a message!
If anyone wants sponsorship people should check out the latest Jiu Jitsu Style magazine it has a great article on getting sponsored and Mr Meerkatsu wrote a really spot on piece about it too.
Thanks for taking the time to speak to me mate
If you’re after some new gear, take a quick look at Roll Supremes site.
I also have the pleasure of reviewing some of their gear, so stay tuned for that (past reviews can be found HERE)
If you have any questions or comments, please post below.
Stay healthy,
Mike
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