Gear thatfights back.
Jiu jitsu gear made with Carlos Alvarez — a black belt who trains blind. Every order helps cover mat fees, gis, and travel for the next student who wants to learn the gentle art without sight standing in the way.
The collection.
Carlos Alvarez
Black belt. Founder. Photographed with his service dog Bowie.
Designed with a black belt who can't see his own hand.
Carlos was born in Ecuador with congenital glaucoma. His vision slipped away through childhood and was gone by his early twenties. His cousin Andres Bonilla pulled him onto a jiu jitsu mat in April 2009 — that part stuck.
A black belt followed, eventually. Every piece in this collection was gripped, worn, and broken in by Carlos himself. If it works for someone who can't see his own hand, it'll work for the rest of us.
Every order funds the foundation.
We do one thing: put blind and visually impaired people on a jiu jitsu mat, and keep them there. That means covering mat fees, buying gis, paying for travel, and finding coaches who don't soften the technique.
Every order you place sends a fixed share to a student's first kimono. If you want to give directly on top of that, we're a 501(c)(3) — it's deductible.
Are you a blind
or VI grappler?
Whether you've trained for years or never set foot on a mat — if you're blind, partially sighted, or losing your vision and you want to train jiu jitsu, this is why the foundation exists. Tell us about you.
Everything you share stays between you and the foundation. We reply personally to every student.
Stand behind the fighter.
Brands, gyms, training partners, individuals — every sponsorship looks a little different. Tell us how you'd like to help and we'll figure out the rest together.
- 01Carlos's coaching, travel, and competition entry fees
- 02Free seminars at gyms with blind & visually impaired students
- 03Mat fees and gear for foundation members who can't afford it
- 04Recognition on the supporter wall (and on Carlos's competition gi for partner tiers)
Prefer a one-line offer? Reply to the email and we'll set up a 15-minute call. We've never said no to a thoughtful partnership.
Donate directly.
Every dollar funds mat fees, gear, and travel for students who need it. Pick a tier or name your own number.
Bring Carlos to your mat.
Carlos travels. Gyms, universities, adaptive sports programs. The booking fee funds the foundation. Any blind or VI student who shows up trains for free.
Half-day clinic
Closed-eye drills, grip-based control, adapting curriculum for VI students.
Full-day seminar
Deep dive on the blind-grappling system. Open to all, dedicated VI block.
Affiliate program
Recurring quarterly visits and remote curriculum support.
What the work sounds like.
“I've been a martial arts fan my whole life. I always thought it wasn't something I could do — not without sight. Then I met Carlos. Now I train every week. He doesn't teach me like I'm broken. He teaches me like I'm a fighter.”
First in, first to know.
New gear, restocks, seminar dates, and the occasional video from Carlos. One email a month, when there's actually something worth saying.