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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

thanks for the reply, John. You have cleared up some confusion for me! I ended up ordering a Kamikaze Monarch through my Sensei. I figured with all of the different brand names, different (and some unfamiliar) websites; it would be easier asking my Sensei to organise it. - Chris

I will definitely let you know how the gi performs when I finally get to use it. The jacket closure points are velcro but they seem quite secure plus the belt will hold it together should it fail as the ties sometimes do. The pant waist is elastic... I hate that in a gi as it makes the gi feel cheap but I am sure I will get used to it. - Chris

your Sensei will be very understanding regarding your push-up ability so don't get too worried about it. Just keep doing them in your spare time and you will find that you will be able to do more. - Chris

recover from this devastating knee injury, get back to karate in late March (although the surgeon isn't too sure!)... if not by March; then definitely by my birthday (early May.) Train hard, get back into competition after fifteen years' absence, perhaps get onto the state team and be fit enough to grade for my shodan in late October. - Chris

does anyone know if the Tokon Monarch is WKF approved? Are there any differences, if at all, between Tokon, Kamikaze and Kaiten? I am gathering that Tokon is the American branding of the Kamikaze however I have recently discovered that Kaiten have the same model gi's... what's the deal with this? Can anyone recommend a website to purchase one from? I looked at tokon.com ($150... the labels state "TOKON"), best buy martial arts ($131.99... the labels state "KAMIKAZE" (at the top) and "KAITEN" (down the bottom)) and tokon.ca ($160... the labels state "KAITEN")... has anyone had any experience with best buy martial arts? I am in Australia and am thinking it would be cheaper purchasing from overseas. I don't understand the different labels as the three sites above each have their gi's with different labeling. Also, the tokon.ca website (the one with the label "KAITEN") states that the gi is WKF approved yet I have found no mention of it anywhere else (such as tokon.com) - Chris

I once went on a bowling date with a chick who said she was really good at bowling on the wii. I flogged her. - Chris

well I purchased both the KO super kata gold and the elegant gi's (both in kata cut) and they seem excellent. I am yet to train in them due to an injury however they feel of a very high quality. I will update this post once I have used them. - Chris

my former karate club has open days. They advertise for anyone to come along, have a BBQ, some demonstrations and offer a free gi to anyone who signs up on the day. A lot of students bring their friends along. Here's a link to their website (with a picture of the flyer) http://www.ishinryuaustralia.com/index.htm They're never short of students. - Chris

the OP does Shudokan. - Chris

that was great! - Chris