Born on Hong Kong Mats: The Rashguard HK Forced Us to Create

Born in Hong Kong: How the City Shaped Tesshin and Our Fight for Better Gear

Tesshin didn’t begin in a boardroom or a design studio.
It began on the mats of Hong Kong — sweat-soaked, humid, packed rooms where grapplers of every background meet, roll, and push each other forward.

Hong Kong is a city built on grit, density, and relentless motion. Its energy is unmistakable: fast, electric, lively. And its BJJ scene is no different. From cramped industrial gyms in the city to late-night open mats on the islands, Hong Kong’s grapplers train with a level of dedication that mirrors the city itself.

Tesshin was born inside that environment. Not just inspired by it, but shaped by it.

A City That Demanded Better Gear

Anyone who trains BJJ in Hong Kong knows the truth:
the humidity is a fight of its own.

You can be mid-roll, barely a few minutes in, and your rashguard already feels heavier, stickier, hotter. The ventilation of most rashguards isn’t built for subtropical weather. They trap heat, hoard sweat, and turn training into a slow suffocation.

We didn’t want to “tolerate” that.
We wanted to solve it.

So we engineered something new—something built specifically for the reality of Hong Kong training.

Our Ventilation System Began as a Hong Kong Problem

At the peak of summer, every training session felt like a pressure cooker, and even high-end rashguards became drenched and suffocating. Thick premium fabric felt nice during winter but cooked during summer. Thin compression shirts felt light and breathable, but didn't provide adequate support or protection. 

We realized: no one was designing rashguards for climates like ours.
So we reimagined the entire concept from scratch.

Our proprietary ventilation system wasn’t born from theory—it was born from necessity. We created:

• Strategic mesh zones placed where Hong Kong heat hits hardest
• Custom-shaped airflow channels inspired by the way heat moves across the body
• High-density mesh (as strong as the official UFC BJJ rashguard's main fabric!) that stays durable despite being ultra-breathable
• Moisture-wicking fibers tuned for humidity

This wasn’t a superficial improvement, it was a direct response to the environment we train in every day.

The hotter the roll gets, the more the rashguard “disappears.”
You feel weightless.
Unrestricted.
Able to keep moving when others are slowing down.

Tesshin gear wasn’t made for showroom conditions.
It was made for Hong Kong conditions.

From Local Roots to a Global Standard

Hong Kong BJJ is still young, but its heart is undeniable. It’s a community built from passion, late nights after work, small tight-knit gyms, and teammates who become lifelong family.

This culture shaped Tesshin’s identity:

• Discipline, because Hong Kong teaches resilience
• Precision, because the city leaves no room for waste
• Community, because Hong Kong BJJ is built on camaraderie, not ego
• Innovation, because we were forced to rethink what a rashguard could be

We don’t see Hong Kong as a market.
We see it as home — the place that forged our mindset and our mission.

Made For Hong Kong. Supported by Hong Kong. Proud of Hong Kong.

Every stitch, every panel, every decision in our rashguards carries a piece of where we come from.

Tesshin is Hong Kong’s answer to a problem the global industry overlooked.

And as we grow beyond our city’s borders, we bring that identity with us, not just as a label, but as a philosophy:

Relentless discipline.
Unshakeable pride.
A community that rises together.

Tesshin isn’t just made inspired by Hong Kong.
It was made because of Hong Kong.

And every time someone puts on our gear, whether in Mong Kok or Manhattan, we carry Hong Kong onto the mats with us.