i am looking for a heavier gi and an american size chart

[Shrekka]

I have used Tokaido, Shureido, Adidas and just about every other Karate brand gi out there. But as soon as I wore a Kamikaze, there is no way I could go back to anything else.

I moved overseas to teach English, found a reputable Karate club and made my parents send me over my three Kamikaze gi's as I just couldn't wear anything else.

I find the Kamikaze a wider fit, more comfortable and durable.

[Kumite988]

Hey shrekka have you tried the Kamikaze europa or kamikaze dynamic gi

Both gis I have been thinking about buying.

Probably the Europa for general training since I believe its middle weight,

and the dynamic possibly to replace my adidas WKF gi. Have you tried either of them? How are they?

[Shrekka]

Hey shrekka have you tried the Kamikaze europa or kamikaze dynamic gi

Both gis I have been thinking about buying.

Probably the Europa for general training since I believe its middle weight,

and the dynamic possibly to replace my adidas WKF gi. Have you tried either of them? How are they?

I have tried the Europa, America and the Royal and found the Europa to be the best for Kumite and quite good for Kata as well as it still has plenty of snap in it without the weight of a heavy gi. However, I haven't tried the Dynamic one yet, what is it like?

Cheers

[trillium]

have you tried the Kamikaze europa or kamikaze dynamic gi

Both gis I have been thinking about buying.

Probably the Europa for general training since I believe its middle weight,

and the dynamic possibly to replace my adidas WKF gi. Have you tried either of them? How are they?

for Kamikaze, make sure that you are going to this web site

http://www.kamikazekaiten.com

there are some knock-off kamikaze out there that are poor quality. The real ones are good quality- I have a Monarch.

Kathrine

[NidaninNJ]

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(Note: the website is fairly outdated and their service was terrible.)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!

At the top of the above message are some great questions to ask.

But I think the Tokaido and Kamikazi uniforms mentioned above are rip-offs.

Does someone here know who actually sells the real Tokaido and Kamikaze uniforms? It's so confusing.

[johnnymac]

Kumo, Kaminari, or Tsunami.... Those are ripoff Tokaido Uniforms. I have bought from Tokaidojapan.com before and those are real uniforms. Good quality and stuff, just takes forever for them to get to you from Japan. I would recommend them to anyone, just make sure it's something that you don't need quick.

John

[McNerny]

Hey,

I have a Kamikaze America and it is a really nice gi. I would recommned that gi to anyone.

McNerny

[trillium]

But I think the Tokaido and Kamikazi uniforms mentioned above are rip-offs.

Does someone here know who actually sells the real Tokaido and Kamikaze uniforms? It's so confusing.

for Kamikaze, make sure that you are going to this web site

http://www.kamikazekaiten.com

there are some knock-off kamikaze out there that are poor quality. The real ones are good quality- I have a Monarch.

Kathrine

[NidaninNJ]

So, just to review, for Tokaido it's https://www.tokaidojapan.com and for Kamikaze it's https://www.kamikazekaiten.com, right? Anyplace else sell the non-ripoffs of these uniforms and belts? I want to know where the cheapest places are to buy the real things.

[NidaninNJ]

Where can I buy a real Hirota or Shureido online? I have heard that Hirota is about the same level of Tokaido and Shureido is not so bad. I know there are lots of cheap uniforms out there. But where could I get the best ones without spending a fortune? Thanks everyone.