Questions first: * How often do you train? * How much are you willing to spend on a gi? * Where are you located? USA? England? etc. * What is your body frame like? Big? Small? Preferred gi that I had worn: * Toyo and Ki - both are pretty affordable, both are durable yet Ki tends to wear out quick sometimes and the feel is sometimes "tight" - not enough room to kick or punch. http://www.ki-international.com (Note: the website is fairly outdated and their service was terrible.) * Kamikaze - affordable and very comfortable fit. Lots of room. Sometimes durable. It also wears out quick as well. Kamikaze is one of my favorite brand gis. Kamikaze is ideally suited for tournament. http://www.kamikazeusa.com/ http://www.kamikaze.com/ * Tokaido - I would recommend the Kumo, Kaminari, or Tsunami because they are ideal for people who are big or would like something with more room and comfort. They have a heavy feel to it. I just bought a Kumo and it is very comfortable yet heavy. Hopefully it is durable. This is ideally suited for training purpose. Sometimes it's nice to wear for tournament as well. http://www.tokaidojapan.com/index.php (Note: this site doesn't contain any images of what the gis, belts, etc. look like. You'll want to Google "Tokaido Kumo". I do know that Century MA, a supplier that I'm never satisfied with, sells Tokaido Arashi gi.) Juka - I had worn this years ago. Personally, it's not ideal for 'big' people. When one first start wearing it, one will notice it is pretty big and roomy yet it shrinks pretty fast within a year. Juka is not that durable, in my opinion. Gis I haven't yet worn or planning to order: * ASE - made by ASE Martial Arts Supply. ASE Busho and ASE Kata are popular gis for people who'd like something a little more affordable with a little bit of quality in them. Planning on ordering a Busho gi. * Shureido - I just ordered a TK-10 and TKW-11 gis because I've always worn Shuriedo belts for years. Figured if the belts last long, maybe the gis will be durable as well. http://www.shureidousa.com/index.html On a personal note, I buy gis that are durable with good quality because I trains so much that I always have more than 1 gi in my bag so I don't have to worry about washing it every day. Good luck shopping for a gi!
