Gi this, Gi that...

[Tiger1962]

If you're holding your nose or breath because of the odor, you're likely to get sucker punched....or pass out from the smell....lol

[RichardZ]

If you're holding your nose or breath because of the odor, you're likely to get sucker punched....or pass out from the smell....lol

I'll take the sucker punch !

[Ichi_Geki]

I have two sets of uniforms, that are identical. They both have the okinawan flag on the back, and a patch on the front that says "Haku Tsuru" In Japanese because that is my signature kata.

I wash them both twice a week, because I teach seven days a week. And I also take lessons from two instructors that our rank me in different styles. So I use mine quite often. And they hold up very well. Although I dont buy my uniforms out of Century or anything like that either. I buy mine through Classical Fighting Arts.

[WireFrame]

I would only recommend not washing if you, or anyone you know, have no sense of pride and more importantly no sense of smell.

I got a Kamikaze Kaiten Europa from the Kamae website about 6 or 8 months ago. And the accepted way to look after it that I know of is to hot wash it once first so all the shrinking its likely to do gets out the way. Then cool wash it the rest of the time. Though I occasionally boil wash it with tiny dash of bleach every now and then because the material simply isn't staying white in some places. Cuffs and collar really. I wash it after each session simply because I work damn hard in it and I sweat, and after 2 days and the next session starts that would make the Gi smell.

I mean come on, you wash your normal clothes, right? And you don't sweat any where near as much in them as you would in a Gi.

[RichardZ]

Its that "the uniform and belt are sacred", myth and belief thing.

Wash them like other clothes, including the whites and darks ruling.

[Ichi_Geki]

Its that "the uniform and belt are sacred", myth and belief thing.

Wash them like other clothes, including the whites and darks ruling.

I will say...I have never washed any of my belts before...they never smelled bad, haha.

[cathal]

It is said that the student's warrior spirit resides in the belt. Much like a Samurai's warrior spirit resides in his sword. This is the main reason why you aren't supposed to wash it.

[WireFrame]

I dont wash my belt because they go a floppy and crap if you do.

[Ichi_Geki]

Yeah I dont liek floppy belts, but over time they get floppy anyways, and then the black starts to wear off. Its pretty neat actually.

Its like the martial artist, the older it is the floppier they get, Haha. Just joking.

[WireFrame]

Haha well I havent got a black belt yet so I haven't used a belt long enough to encounter those issues.