Most gi pants are made of a lighter material or less durable weave than the gi top. If you've ever witnessed someone's gi rip, chances are pretty high it was their pants. With all of the gripping, pulling and stretching that goes on in jiu jitsu, there will always be wear and tear on our gis. We know gis are not cheap and there are some easy solutions to help make your gi pants last. Luckily, gi pants alone are not very expensive and can normally be replaced for much less than the cost of a full gi. 

If you are interested in investing in new gi pants altogether, check out Vulkan's line of gi pants. Made in Brazil and quality tested. Otherwise, here are some tips to help your gi pants last:

1. Replacing the drawstring: Sometimes the string running through your pants can come undone, tear or gets too rough. If your pants are struggling to stay on but the rest of the pant is in great condition, consider using a rope drawstring. Rope drawstrings like this one are durable, stretchy and strong. Simply loop through your pant holes and fasten! 

2. Fixing a tear: If the tear is minor and the material of your gi pant is a thicker weave, you can sew the tear together using durable cotton thread (think friendship bracelets or embroidery thread). However, if you are competing, you should check with the federation if your sewn tear will be acceptable. If the tear is large and spanning across the entire pant leg, the crotch area, or through the front, you can reinforce the pant with fabric behind the tear and sew. This will ensure that even if the same tear occurs, there is already a second layer of fabric for protection.

3. Finger hole tears: If you are someone who trains a lot, you may have come across pants with small tears at the very bottom where grips were clearly often made. This is dangerous to leave alone as your partner's fingers or toes could get stuck in them, leaving a possible injury. Simply sewing the holes shut can often be too weak to endure the same tearing pressure during training. It would be stronger to combine the holes by creating a larger tear and then reinforcing with extra fabric and sewing shut like above.

Sometimes you have a budget and just want to make things last. Hopefully these tips can help your gi pants survive longer. Happy Training!