Struggling_Mudansha

I could do that, but I don't confidence that I'd be able to succeed in that endevour. (plus, I don't want to mess up the Shureido. They make weapons a work of art) Almost all the stuff we practice with kobudo is kata. There is a bo/tonfa kumite kata among the yudansha ranks, but that wound't be until years down the road. I don't believe we practice contact sparring using weapons within the dojo. At least, not to my knowledge.

Thanks for the advice. I completely forgot to mention that one of the biggest issues I'm having with the 19 1/4" tonfa is the handle length. It measures roughly 3 1/2" from where it's gripped and makes it difficult to control on horizontal swings. My hand measures around 3 1/4" across the knuckles so there's a little slippage when I loosen my grip. One of my sensei's had a pair of purple heart tonfa measuring 3 1/4" on the handles with a total length of 17". They were the easiest tonfa I've ever used. But like before, my elbow was slightly exposed. If I have a custom pair of tonfa made with 3 1/4" handles and a length of 18", I'm really worried that I might be throwing off the weapon's balance. I'm contemplating going in-between with 3 3/8" handles, but I'm concerned they'll be slightly too long. I might be over thinking this and should just stick with 17" tonfa.

I've been really struggling with finding the right tonfa, mainly because I'm one of those people that fall in between sizes. 19 to 19 1/2 inch tonfa are way too unwieldy for me, but they cover my whole arm. However, 17 inch tonfa are much easier to use but leave my elbow exposed. Shureido 19 1/4" tonfa against my arm: http://i.imgur.com/p3FGbnJ.png Cheapo 17" tonfa against my arm: http://i.imgur.com/Vtx8Ti8.png I might need to have a pair of 18 inch tonfa custom made for me, but I'm unsure if that's a good idea.

Does anyone know of a company that offers tailored karate gis that aren't Shureido or Tokaido? I'm wondering if there are other options.

When I got my Shureido K-10, I found this size chart to be accurate: http://www.okinawadirect.com/shopcontent.asp?type=DogiSizing Not sure if the New Wave 3 has slightly different dimensions though. It's always good to compare various sources I suppose.

I asked my sensei about it a short time ago and he let me hold a pair of thin stainless steel sai. They were very nice; easy to use and didn't dig into my hands. I'm going to buy a pair the next chance I get and sell the Shureido.

I've been using Shureido steel sai now for the past year. Unfortunately, I can't practice with them for too long or they start hurting the tendon between my thumbs. So with that, I've been thinking about switching to aluminum sai. Can anyone recommend a really good pair of aluminum sai?

Did you wash in hot water and dry in the dryer? I did; multiple washes in hot water with the dryer on high. I needed the jacket to shrink significantly in all directions but couldn't accomplish it.

Wish I had that experience, because every time I order one size larger for shrinkage, it never shrinks enough. 2 inches lengthwise seems to be the magic number for me. After that, it doesn't shrink anymore. I had someone in my dojo have the same experience as I; he ordered a Shureido gi a size larger than normal, desperately tried to shrink it, couldn't accomplish it. He ended up selling it to someone, just as I had to do. Maybe gi's do shrink significantly over time, but I really don't want to wear a gi that's slightly too big for a couple years. Besides, at that point, the gi will start to show its age.

I'm sure the K-10 would've shrunk to the correct length over a period of time, but considering how much I washed it, it would've probably taken a while. Plus, there were some dimensional issues that I don't think shrinkage would've fixed (the shoulders were too big, the chest area was too wide, pants inseam was too long, the waistline was too wide, etc.) I just hope a custom gi order will fix these issues and I can keep shrinkage to a minimum.

I have not tried training with it as of this moment, mainly because I don't want to diminish its quality any further then I already have. But I do agree with you; it does breath well. In fact, it breaths just as well as my 10 oz. gi. It's just that the weight feels a little more restrictive (the fact that the gi doesn't fit me right probably doesn't help either). I love the feeling of my 10 oz, so I think I need to find something that feels similar to it.

I got a K-10 from Shureido a couple of days ago and I can agree to that assessment. It weighs around a 12 oz. Bit too heavy for my tastes, so I'm going to go with a K-11 next order.

Decided to trade the KC-10 back for a K-10. I made this decision so I could possibly get the cotton to shrink enough to my size. After multiple attempts of nuking it in hot water and the dryer on high, the length went from 33 inches to 31 inches and stayed there. I've decided to sell the gi online since I voided the return policy by washing it. Once it sells, I'm going to call Shureido USA and talk to them about ordering a custom gi (hopefully the process won't be too long or painful).

After getting in my Shureido gi today and measuring it, this size chart appears to be the most accurate at the moment: http://www.okinawadirect.com/shopcontent.asp?type=DogiSizing

Just got the Shureido gi in earlier today; it was way too long. The representative put clips on to show how much it'll shrink and I don't think it'll be enough. I may just have to nuke it in the washer/dryer. However, that's go wear it out some and I like the feeling of a brand new gi, slightly too big or not. That's why I'm asking if it's possible to prevent a gi from shrinking at all, because I may have to order a custom gi to fit me right.

Ordered a Shureido gi last week. The representative seemed incredibly concerned with gi shrinkage due to my build, so they recommended the top of the line KC-10. I decided to go with their advice since this is my first Shureido dogi, but I'm concerned with a few things: The first being the weight and material. The dojo I train at works us really hard and I'm usually sweating bullets by the end of each session (and I only wear a 10oz.) I'm worried about how hot and restrictive it's going to feel. The second being the shrinkage issue. The representative said it's going to shrink 2 inches in length. I'm really surprised by this because the KC-10 is Rayon and Polyester, with a small amount of cotton. They are also advocating for the KC-10 because they say their cotton gis shrink up to a whopping 4 inches over time, no matter how you wash them. I'm still going to try the gi, but I may end up sending it back to get something lighter or more breathable. I wash my gis in cold water and dry them naturally and this keeps shrinkage to a minimum. It also extends their rigidity (snappiness) quite a bit. What are your experiences? Have you ever had a Shureido gi shrink 4 inches? Is there a way to keep shrinkage to a minimum if I decide to go with one of their 100% cotton gis?

Interesting. The reason why I ask is because I have no idea how heavy or light Shureido gis are (the fact that they don't use ounce designations makes things really difficult). The gi I'm wearing now is a ProForce 10oz. heavyweight. It's basically a 100% cotton heavyweight gi but made as light as possible. I really like it; light, tough and has a nice snap. It even uses the nice ties that Ronin and Meijin use. My biggest gripe with it though is the top is an inch too short, possibly due to my flat shoulders. I'd like to find something that is around the same weight and quality. The K-10 sounds like it might be in the colossal 14oz. range and that would be a bit too heavy for me. The K-11 is a mystery as to how heavy it is, but if you say it's a little lighter than a 12oz, then that would be perfect. I guess the only way to find out is to order one to see if I like it.

Do you own a 10oz. gi? How does the K-11 compare to one of those?

Gave Shureido USA a call a couple days ago. It sounds like they finally have new stock.

Yeah, I kind of got that impression talking to them (it's also one of the reasons why I really want one ) It's sounds to me like they allocated all of their resources to be the supplier of a WKF tournament. And since the factory is more hands on, it's backed them up half a year (maybe more). Doesn't make the situation any less frustrating though 'cause I really want one.

After having the chance to try out a Meijin medium weight gi and a ProForce, I've changed my mind again and want a KW-11. I also read your previous posts about the Ronin heavyweight, the poor quality of the Ronin medium weight and you acquiring a KW-11. How different are the Ronin and the KW-11? Are they about the same weight?

I put a KW-11 on back order a few months back. Waited for 3 months and then called them again to see what was up. They said something about a WKF tournament and that they wouldn't get any more gi's until the end of the summer. Since my patience was pretty much out, I checked other dealers to see if they had any gi's in stock. So far, these retailers have been clean out: -Budo-Fight -Discountmas -Kamakaze -Shureido Malaysia -Shureido Okinawa in Naha City -tozandoshop Shureido USA does have some in stock but their not a size 4 and that's what I need. This has gotten incredibly frustrating and I have to ask: What on earth is happening to Shureido?

Those are some interesting ways of handling old gi's and obi's. I can't say I have any personal attachment to my belts. After all, no matter what color my obi is, I'm still technically a white belt. And as such, they don't have much meaning to me. However, I still wouldn't want to just throw them away, nor do I want them to clutter up my home. I wonder if there is a cotton recycling company out there somewhere?

Has anyone ever had a situation where you don't want to keep all your colored obi's and worn out gi's? What do you do to get rid of them? Surely there must be other options then just throwing them away.

Called up the Okinawan store. They said they were completely out of size 4 K10's. Said it would take one week to make without embroidery. I guess I'll have to call the USA outlet and ask them what they think. I might even consider looking into some European stores.