The State Of The Rashguard Address

What the Heck’s Up With Tariffs — and What We’re Doing About It

You might’ve seen some talk in the news about new tariffs coming — especially on goods imported from China. Since a good portion of our gear is manufactured overseas, this kind of policy shift hits close to home.

We wanted to be real with you about what’s happening, how it impacts a tiny company like us, and what we’re doing to keep making cool stuff without overloading you with higher prices.

Tariffs, Explained (Kinda)

Basically, the government is considering slapping a massive import tax — we’re talking increases of up to 50%+ — on products made in China. That means the cost of producing and bringing in our rash guards, shorts, and other gear could shoot up significantly overnight.

What We’re Not Doing: Panic-Raising Prices

Yes, our costs are going up. But we’re not just going to blindly jack up prices across the board. We know BJJ gear already isn’t cheap, and we’re training on the same budgets you are. We're not interested in becoming another overhyped brand with overpriced stuff.

So here’s our plan:

1. Incentives > Increases

Rather than big price hikes, we’re offering bundle deals (like set discounts on full training kits), occasional free shipping, and member loyalty perks to keep value high and costs manageable.

This helps us balance the rising backend expenses while still giving you something that feels like a win.

2. Shifting Small Drops to Print-on-Demand

For limited collabs and experimental designs, we’re starting to use print-on-demand (POD) services. Here's what that means:

Pros:

• We don’t have to pay for a large batch upfront (huge help for a small brand)

• You only pay when you order

• We can keep launching creative stuff more frequently

Cons:

• Orders ship directly from the POD vendor, which means less control over packaging and fulfillment

• Occasional fulfillment hiccups might happen (though we’ll always work to make it right)

It's a trade-off, but one that lets us stay agile and creative while protecting our runway.

3. Delaying Big Imports Until Things Settle

Since we’re still early in our journey (translation: not profitable yet, totally normal for startups), we’re going to hold off on large international shipments until we know what the new rules and costs will look like long-term. That way we don’t tie up all our funds in uncertain inventory.

For now, we’ll stay lean, keep our heads up, and continue building this thing smartly.

The Truth: We’re a Tiny, Passionate Crew

This brand is run by two people — both working for free, fueled by caffeine, and mat-burned dreams. We do everything: design, packing, social media, customer service, product testing (yes, we roll in everything first).

We’re not saying this for pity — we just want you to know where your support really goes. Every purchase helps us keep growing and experimenting, one weird idea at a time.

The Bottom Line

Our goal remains the same: to make fun, functional, high-quality gear for grapplers who train hard, care about culture, and like a little flavor in their fit. We’ll do everything we can to keep things fair, accessible, and cool — even when the outside world throws curveballs.

Thanks for rolling with us. We’ve got more drops, collabs, and cat-powered chaos on the way.