Grappling rashguard, Air Conrad

A rashguard under Flashback licence

The Air Conrad grappling rashguard carries the world of Flashback under official licence. The artwork comes from the game, not from a distant interpretation. Under the print, it is a no-gi rashguard: elastic fabric, close fit, seams placed so they do not bite under a grip.

Why wear a rashguard

The first job is your skin. A stiff mat and an hour of friction are enough to burn a forearm and the top of your back. The fabric takes it instead of the skin.

The second job is hygiene. By limiting skin to skin contact, a rashguard cuts down the opportunities for the skin infections that circulate in gyms, ringworm first among them. It is not an absolute barrier, but it is the obvious first step, ahead of showering straight after training.

The third job is sweat. The knit moves moisture out instead of holding it, which spares you the soaked cotton tee that slips out of your partner’s grip and weighs three kilos by the end of the session.

The story behind the model

Flashback was released in November 1992 on the Amiga. Delphine Software, a French studio, handed the project to Paul Cuisset. You play Conrad B. Hart, an amnesiac agent who wakes up on Titan and works his way back through his own memory.

What stayed with players was the movement. The team worked in rotoscoping: film an actor, then trace his motion frame by frame. Conrad runs, crouches, jumps and catches a ledge with a weight and an inertia no platform game had at the time. Thirty years on, those animations still hold up.

Flashback entered the Guinness World Records as the best-selling French video game of all time. That mix of craft and style is what we wanted on a rashguard.

Choosing your size

A rashguard is meant to be worn tight. That is what stops it riding up during a guard pass and what lets it do its job on your skin. If you are between two sizes, take the smaller one, unless your shoulders are broad for your chest measurement. The fabric relaxes slightly over the first few sessions, then settles.

For competition

This model is built for training. If you compete under IBJJF rules, the no-gi regulations require a rash guard that is black, white, or black and white, showing at least 10% of your rank colour. A graphic print like this one does not meet that requirement. Check your federation’s rules before it goes in the competition bag.

Care

Wash cold, inside out, with other synthetics. Air dry, never tumble dry: heat destroys the elastane long before the knit wears out, and that is what turns a fitted rashguard into a sack. No fabric softener, it clogs the fibres and ruins the moisture management.