DavidNYC83

I agree with both of the above. The only thing I don't agree with is the ironing part. It's not needed. Just immediately air dry it after the wash. And when fully dry give it a nice proper folding. At most if you feel it's necessary give it a light iron but with the quality of a Shureido gi I don't fee it is necessary.

Even after the pre-wash/dry?? I was taught that the pre-wash/dry allows the material time to do all of the shrinking that it'll ever do. That's why, with every gi I've ever purchased, I washed it and then I dried it. The Shureido gi shouldn't be placed in a dryer especially at a full cycle. But even so the gi shrinks naturally up to 4 inches and is recommended that you never place it in the dryer. I have 3 mugen gis and 3 Shureido and I will never place them in the dryer. They ruin the longevity of the gis and in my opinion the quality. But to each there own. All I know is my Shureido gis cost me a pretty penny and I want them to last as long as possible.

When it comes to a gi with the quality of Shureido, never steam clean or put in a dryer for long periods of time, as the gi will shrink unnaturally. The gi will naturally shrink approximately 3-4 inches within the first year. All you need to do is again wash in cold water with NO bleach and let it naturally air dry.

DO NOT STARCH. Especially a Shureido gi. It's is not needed, AT ALL. A previous poster nailed it on the head, wash in cold water and air dry. you can even lightly iron after fully dry, but when I say lightly, I mean lightly. There is no need to to introduce chemicals or the such to such a great Gi.

What I do is order a size or two bigger and always get is altered. This gives me a lot of room and the customization just puts it to my specs. I've noticed the grey part too but but I guess that's just part of the trade off. Since the price isn't to bad I don't take much issue with it. I wash my Gis alone,inside out with a white towel in there with it. I've noticed that helps. Believe it or not I actually have grown accustomed, and prefer the weight to it. And when you train with a lighter Gi after you really notice it. But like you said different horse, different course.

Clothing (uniforms are a type of clothes, after all) is such a personal thing. There's so many factors that it's impossible for anyone to be able to tell someone else exactly what they'll like. Several current classmates wear KI Mugen gis. They're good gis, but they're not for me. I own a KI 14oz heavyweight, having taken it for a few bucks extra over the free pajamas version of a gi when I signed up. It's a good gi, but the cut doesn't feel exactly right and it's too heavy for my taste. A lot of my classmates love them. Different horses for different courses. I had all my KI Gis tailored for me. An extra 15-20 dollars and they are perfect for me. I have heavyweight model which is perfect in winter and the lighter model for spring and summer. I do admit though the shureido is much softer and I love the snap in it. I'm not giving up on it just yet, but my KIs will always be in my closet.

I recently got my order from shureido USA a few months ago. They did a mix and match with a tk-10 and k-10 (I went directly to their shop and did my fittings there). While the quality of the gi is perfect, I must say I am still more comfortable with my Mugen Gi. I've always preferred KI Gis (which make Mugen), and personally are my favorite. Again, while shureido is a second to none Gi, it is all about personal preference.

Living in NYC myself I can tell you that you won't find a Shito based school, at all. As JR 137 said, rank is the last of your worries. You will find a bunch of Shotokan dojos and some Shorin dojos. If you want to step outside of Karate, you will find plenty of TKD dojos, and plenty of mma gyms. Also some good jujitsu and Aikido dojos if your open to them.

Thanks Ronin, Lemme ask you though, how do you enjoy the fit. As I stated I'm a bigger guy and enjoy a roomier cut (hence I stay away from tokaido).

Hey, I was wondering how you enjoy the shobu gi. I was considering getting one but I'm a bigger guy (6ft 220 lbs solid). How do you enjoy the fit, I currently use a mugen and shureido (both "tournament" cut). Also where were you able to purchase from. I've only found a link to their japanese site. Thanks.