If you are here you are probably asking yourself THE question.
Well, you’re in the right place, but to give you the answer we need to start from the beginning.
Half Sumo Collective was born from the idea of designer Luigi Scarcella Perino and Alberto Marchetti, both life long seasoned martial artists.
Luigi was 3 times USA champion of Kyokushin full contact Karate, in 2019 and 2023 he was selected to represent the USA at the 12th and 13th World Tournament in Tokyo.
Alberto is a Jiu Jitsu Black belt professor under Renzo Gracie and competed at international level for many years, including 7 world tournaments.
Half Sumo resonates in the hearts of those who practice Jiu Jitsu because it encloses in two words.. actually in one and a half.. the meaning and the true essence of this art, where the smallest can prove to be more dangerous than the biggest, and there is no better place than the tatami to prove it.
“Half Sumo” resonates so much in the spirit of those who feel they have to face great challenges, of those who have a Goliath to beat, or rather....to submit with a rear naked choke.
Half Sumo Collective brand was launched at the end of 2018, by these two independent entrepreneurs, with a Kimono: the Bushi dogi Unbleached, only 100 pieces existing. Lu and Alb decided that was more interesting to develop a concept where each collection is a unique limited edition, those who buy it do not just buy a product, but buy a collectable item.
During Covid Lu and Alb understood how much Jiu-Jitsu is primarily a family run business, and how much blood sweat and tears is required everyday to teach students not only techniques, but also the core values of the art, like discipline, respect, and the importance of ....teamwork.
They put together a relief program to help in that time of need. Luigi designed a unique piece of gear for over 100 academies all over the world, from NY to Japan, from Hong Kong to the Netherlands. The academies sent their logo, and chose either a short sleeve or a long sleeve rashguard, that was retailed on HalfSumo.com and all profits were forwarded to the academies. The program was an incredible success and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars during covid, supporting the Bjj community.
Today Lu and Alb still work on their brand. They have a lot cooking in the pan for 2024, they started a new spinoff line with the heavy metal legend Matthew “Kiichi” Heafy and they are reworking on some new electrifying collaborations.
The most important word that identifies HS is budo: the martial way.
Budo is not just related to how much you train or how many pushups you can
do;
Budo is the passion that moves you towards constant self-improvement in any aspect of your life.
And the Half Sumo community is a small tribe of people who truly understand the meaning of martial arts.
These shorts were perfect right out of the package. There were hidden pockets, which were a bonus. Very cool illustrations and shorts were very comfortable for training on the mats or walking around casually. I highly recommend a pair of these pro shorts.
