Help! I Need a Gi

[SaiFightsMS]

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community.

 

Karate has been great so far. I get to the dojo, pull off my socks and shoes and stretch and gab with classmates until it is time for class to start. Most of us are just starting out and wear sweats to class. When it was warmer most of us wore shorts. Now we are approaching our first test and Sensei says that in order to test we have to have a gi. Of course, we all noticed that everyone else in class has a uniform; that we "white belts" are the only ones in colorful attire.

 

We are told we need a traditional white gi. Sensei does not want to see us coming in red, blue, black, striped, flag pattern or any other color of gi - they must be white. He says that we are a traditional style and as such do not use "flashy modern circus outfits". I thought his description of some of the multicolored gi’s I saw in a catalog was pretty accurate. He also said that we should not get the v-necked Tae Kwon Do dobak.

 

So that narrows it down then a bit. I go look at some catalogs. I find, to my amazement, that there is not just one kind of solid white gi. Some are described as having traditional drawstring pants. Then I remember someone coming in to class carrying their pants with an incredibly long drawstring that they could not figure out how to get back in. It seems that the traditional drawstring starts going in the waistband on one side. Then it goes all the way around and goes around the back of the pants a second time and the string then comes out the other side. Sounds kind of complicated to me, a mere beginner.

 

Then it seems there is a choice of traditional cotton material or a poly-cotton blend material. So does everyone iron their gi after every washing? I asked someone at class the next time and they said no they took them out of the washer and hung them up to drop dry. I can tell that others have ironed gi’s on though. So since I hate to iron, I am all ready to order a lightweight perma-pressed student gi.

 

Then I go to class and hear a discussion going on about the merit of the heavier weight gi’s. So I take another look at websites and catalogs and find solid white gi’s in 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 ounce material. This isn’t so easy picking out a gi. So I decide to try and ask some of the upper belts about what kind of a gi they wear at the next class.

 

Someone told me about all the money they thought they were saving on their first gi. The said they got a nice cheap 6 oz student gi in a permanent press material. They liked it fine until they had to replace it in about 6 weeks time. Seems the light weight material was not very durable.

 

Next person I talked to said that when they got their second gi they decided to upgrade to a 14 oz. heavy weight gi. They liked the snap it gave to their punches and kicks. But said they got so hot while they were wearing it. Then someone else entered the conversation and said how much they liked their heavy weight gi. So I learned the heavier the material the more snap it would make; hmm.

 

Next person said they favored a 10 oz. gi of the poly cotton blend. The heavier weight was too hot for them, the lighter weight not durable enough but the 10 oz was just right. More information to think about – what would I like?

 

Then at the end of class Sensei announced that he carried gi’s to sell to those interested. He had 8 oz gi’s of the traditional cotton material. He said the 6 oz ones were not durable enough and the heavier ones were more expensive and usually no one got a heavy gi until they were sure they were into karate for the long haul.

 

So my story ended when I got out my checkbook and took home a nice new white gi.

 

Now if I could only figure out how to tie the belt!

[Patrick]

Thank you for the submission.

[stl_karateka]

Haha cool story! Fortunately gis were also sold at my school and it wasn't until I wanted to 'upgrade' to a heavy that I had some decisions to make

[ramymensa]

Nice story

 

I had a light weight gi, tailored for me. 4 months ago I bought a new one, heavy weight (i like to feel it), and it was 50 Euros. That's 70% of my wage, but I was worth ot. And it's got that enormous string to tie the pants.

 

But, indeed, choosing a gi can be quite a head ache

[italian_guy]

Nice article... but I'm confused.

 

In the article my journey in the dojo at the end (or in the intro) you refer yourself as senior student...

 

and learning black belt material.... and now you describe yourself as white belt.

 

[Dijita]

The gi's that we use in Kyokushin are beautiful. I love my gi so much. It's a heavier weight, which I strongly prefer over the lightweight ones for both comfort, durability and that snapping sound. It has 3/4 length sleeves, and it's reinforced very nicely along the collar. It's hot at first, but then after about 10 min of warming up you don't even really notice it.

 

The pants are also fairly heavyweight, they are nice and baggy and non constricting. It has a drawstring waist which in my opinion is a lot nicer than the elastic waist because you can get a bigger size so it's not so form fitting.

 

Word of advice though, when buying your gi, make sure you know whether it has been pre-shrunked so you have a better idea of what size to get. I know someone who didn't know that their gi wasn't pre shrunk and had to buy a new gi after washing it the first time because it didn't fit anymore.

[hobz]

I think that being a white belt was more for effect She wasn't necessarily a the speaker, or she was recounting a story Mr.Italian

[italian_guy]

I think that being a white belt was more for effect She wasn't necessarily a the speaker, or she was recounting a story Mr.Italian

 

If she wanted to write a piece of literature for me is fine, I liked it, but then another question arises: is "my journey in the dojo" a real story or it was a piece of literature?

[SaiFightsMS]

Nice article... but I'm confused.

 

In the article my journey in the dojo at the end (or in the intro) you refer yourself as senior student...

 

and learning black belt material.... and now you describe yourself as white belt.

 

 

I have been a white belt in three different styles. And I tend to write better in first person.

[SaiFightsMS]

I think that being a white belt was more for effect She wasn't necessarily a the speaker, or she was recounting a story Mr.Italian

 

If she wanted to write a piece of literature for me is fine, I liked it, but then another question arises: is "my journey in the dojo" a real story or it was a piece of literature?

 

My Journey In the Dojo is very real. I wrote this thinking about all the threads about gi's that have appeared here.