Clean Gis, no clean apparel, are a must in our chosen martial art. Aside from offensive odors dirty Gis harbor germs and bacteria… staph anyone?! No I didn’t think you’d want that served as a side dish to training.
So in following with the theme I had an epiphany. Follow me here (and yes, I may be just a little facetious) clean gis… Clean bodies! I know that not everyone has time to shower before class. However, after class in a priority. It must be on your list of top 10 things I do after training ( but we’ll get to that in a bit).
GiSoap was kind enough to sit and have a little chat regarding the company.
*What do you feel it’s important for people to know about the company & the people behind it?
Hmmmm well we are all bjj people or have some type of martial arts background. I’m (Marcel Oliveira) a BlackBelt under Alexandre Soca and also one of his instructors. I teach bjj class everyday and I’m doing nearly 30 hours a week being on the mats.
*What motivated you to start GISoap?
The biggest motivation was myself because I have such horrible dry skin. I needed something that I trusted to use that would help heal it.
*What do you believe is the best things about your products?
You’re getting a product created by a person who not only uses GISoap but also loves the sport more than anything else. We created something from scratch. We built from the ground up and handle everything ourselves. There are so many brands out there but at the end of the day I know where every single item comes from and how and who makes my oils. Everything is handmade, hand cut, & hand wrapped for the best quality.
*Starting a business isn’t easy, keeping it going is more than a FT job, how do you and the crew keep it going?
It’s soo crazy!! Even getting this to you on time has been super hard! I do almost everything alone unless My close friends come bail me out. Otherwise I will spend days and hours wrapping and shipping items out when I’m not training or in meetings.
*What’s the “BIG Picture” vision?
The vision is to be able to build something of value, help spread the love of bjj world-wide and make some great products that you can trust.
*What sets you apart, do you think, from the competition?
Competition? I don’t think we have competition. We worry about what we are Building and strive to create items of great quality. Never once have I worried about what other brands are doing because I know GiSoap is beyond great!!!
*Why should we (BJJ practitioners) use your products, not just your soaps?
You should support brands, small businesses and the people behind them, as they’ve most likely been part of the bjj scene for a long time! We put our time and heart into the sport. This company came from other fighters pushing us to launch it. I always say you don’t have to use our products but compare the ingredients. Select wisely. Select something that is natural and not bulk/machine-made with fake chemicals. If you can’t read it then it’s not natural!
GISOAP.CLEAN.PROTECT.REFRESH.
Andrea Harris trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the MA area. Currently a blue belt her focus is on competing this year. You can visit her fan page
It’s true that a bjj athlete needs BJJ product not just a soap. BJJ players has to deal with many skin infections including fungal, bacterial skin infections. To prevent from these skin infections and extreme conditions bjj practitioners needs products not just a soap.