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I'd agree with that. - Chris

They get given Tokaido brand belts. I know because I obtained by Shodan at TSKF under Shihan Takahashi myself - Chris

Have a look at KO brand gis if you have a chance. I use the Elegant and I really like it. - Chris

The Elegant just feels better for me. I think the Elegant also sits better on me and I prefer the tie-up laces (which the Elegant possesses) instead of the velcro that is on the Kata Gold. Don't get me wrong, the Kata Gold is a great gi, however I reach for my Elegant every time. I have six gis (Tokaido, Shureido, Kamikaze etc) and I only train and compete in the Elegant. - Chris

I have two of these, one for training and the other for competition. It is comfortable, crisp and the trousers are wide for stances. I have seven gis (all different brands,) and I reach for my KO Elegant each time. - Chris

Ask your Sensei to take you for a private lesson before your next grading. Ask him/her to take you through the whole syllabus and tell you what you need to improve on. Like a sort of pre-grading grading. My Sensei did this for myself and another guy two weeks before our grading. He identified any weak points and we knew what we had to work on. We both passed. - Chris

I actually prefer the Elegant to the Super Kata Gold. 1) It is very comfortable to wear. The pants are elasticised, so you don't have to tie up your pants after every kata, round of kihon or sparring. 2) The trousers are wide. It's a perfect kata gi. I have worn it in many competitions. My former Sensei (because I moved interstate) wears one for competition as well. 3) It's very good quality. I have been using it for a couple of years and it's still in great condition. You won't regret buying one. - Chris

I studied Ishinryu (Ticky Donovan's style) for six years. - Chris

Sochin. It's an absolute weapon of a kata. - Chris

I swear by the KO Elegant. I wear them to training, and also competitions. They're excellent gis. - Chris

so I finally used it and I am very, very impressed with it. I have also used my other KO gi (the "elegant") and it is also great. I highly recommend KO gi's. - Chris

I have a funny story about that. My mates and I were at some small gym and there was a box wrapped in foam attached to the wall. My mate walks up to it and starts punching the crap out of it and then some other guy rocks up and asks him why he's punching the heater. Turns out during summer, the gym wraps the heater up in foam to protect it from dust. - Chris

I just checked it out and it appears that despite going into the English version of the Italian website; the details of the products are still written in Italian. The Australian website is here: http://www.koaustralia.com.au/ It's in English so you can look around and check out the gi's, belts etc. Roberto (the Australian distributor) is a great guy. If you email him he could perhaps give you a price for postage to America (as I can't seem to find any reference to an American seller on the internet) or let you know of an American distributor (if one does exist.) - Chris

BDPulver, I recommend KO brand gi's, namely the Elegant and Super Kata Gold models. They have elastic waistbands and are heavy gi's. http://www.koitalia.com/wp/index.php?lang=en - Chris

I think i'm alright as I purchased five new gi's this year. I was thinking of getting an Hirota at the end of the year as well however I may have to purchase it sooner than planned. Thanks for the heads up, John. - Chris