Best karate gi to purchase

[Zen Kamikaze]

Hi to everyone. I'm looking for a good quality karate gi to begin. I'm not talking about Tokaido and shureido which are great gi's in quality but something that is not as expensive. I have seen gi's from Blitz and a couple of other companies but i need some advice.

[WireFrame]

My first gi was from Blitz, nothing wrong with them at all, decent for the cash.

[Zen Kamikaze]

What's the difference between middle weight gi and heavy weight gi and what's all about these categories (8 oz, 12 oz, 14 oz)?I've also seen these categories in boxing gloves. Is there something to do with how durable and tough the gi is?

[Lupin1]

It has to do with how heavy the gi is. Generally the heavier the gi, the more durable it is (and the more expensive it is). Most instructors will suggest lightweight gis for people just beginning who aren't positive they're going to stick with it and because they're easier to move in when you're just learning the moves. But if you're sure you're going to stick with it, your best bet is probably a middleweight gi. They're not that much more expensive than lightweights and they're a good balance between being so light they fall apart and so heavy they're hot and hard to move in while learning the moves. I'm most likely going to get a middleweight gi for my next gi (8 oz). I've had lightweight gis before and all of them have rips after a year or two of use. But like I said, if you're not positive at this point that you're going to stick with it for more than that year or two and you're not going to do any grappling type stuff, you might be better off getting a lightweight. Most people tend to consider lightweight 5-7 oz, middleweight 7.5-10 oz, and heavy weight 12 oz+ although I have seen 12 oz gis classified as middleweight on some websites.

[WireFrame]

I would use this as a very rough guide:

Beginner: Light Gi. They're cheaper and good in case you decide not to continue.

Kumite Specialist: Light Gi. Easier to move in during tournaments.

Kata Specialist: Heavy Gi. They hang well, look traditional and give an impressive sound to some techniques.

Dedicated General Training: Medium Gi. Middle-of-the-road price and decent for most purposes, if you're dedicated to training and intend to be so for years.

[Zen Kamikaze]

I practice Aikido and sometimes Judo with some friends and all these years i got used to heavy gis. I would use my judo gis and in shotokan practice because i feel comfortable but everyone uses light and middle weight gis in the dojo and i don't want to be like a fly in the milk. I think it won't be such a problem in the beggining.

[sensei8]

It has to do with how heavy the gi is. Generally the heavier the gi, the more durable it is (and the more expensive it is).

...as well as it being a mobile sauna...very hot...but I love it!

I like WireFrame's break down....very nice!

[sensei8]

Kata Specialist: Heavy Gi. They hang well, look traditional and give an impressive sound to some techniques.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh....don't tell anybody, but, when I was much younger, my friends and I would wear our lightweight Gi's and just before we'd compete in Kata, we'd wet down the very ends of our Gi pants/tops to get that nice "POP" sound. Being younger and poorer, we couldn't afford the heavywieght Gi's, so we'd "trick-up" our Gi's as mentioned here.

Is this "trick" still being done today? I don't know! As a judge, power can be seen through the technique, not by the sound of a mere "POP", but, when I was younger I thought it would help.

[quinteros1963]

Bushido Gear makes a nice gi 12 and 14oz cotton canvas for about 50-60 bucks. i have one and love it.

[lgleisner]

Personally I am a Happy customer of karatedepot.com - For the last (5) years I have purchased light weight and medium weight Gi's for both my son a daughter. I began taking classes in 1990 and wish I had a place to buy a 8 oz gi for 20 bucks... Back then we all had to spend high dollars on gi's or get knock offs. Never tried wetting the sleeves down - and I should have....

The student gi's are I think 6oz and that is good for the first couple years, but now I buy them 8-9 oz medium weight gi's. I am certain there are several places to go to find deals, but I have yet to receive a bad product from them. Just my opinions feel free to try them for yourself.