Guide to finding a new Do-gi

[isshinryu5toforever]

We get a ton of posts on Karateforums asking for info on uniforms. Most of them have to do with Karate. There are a number of members on here with a wealth of experience, I am positive could make this guide. So, I propose we put our collective heads together, and make this a beginner's guide to buying a new uniform. I can write from the perspective of someone in the US.

Let's start:

If you're a beginner, don't buy your own do-gi. I know you can find great deals online, but you'll probably find the wrong size, maybe even the wrong do-gi for what you're doing. Unless you have experience buying your own uniforms, it's much easier to leave it to your instructor to determine your correct size. You can buy your own uniforms later.

Cheap light (under $30)/medium(under $60)/heavyweight (under $90) Karate do-gi

The three brands that are available just about anywhere in the United States: Tiger, Pro Force, and Century.

Any of these three uniforms would be great for a beginning student.

Century is probably the most prominent, as they have the most advertising, and sell a wide range of products. Their do-gi are good quality, and you can get different weights. They're a good brand to start with, because they are widely available. Nearly every store I've been to stocks something from Century.

Pro Force is probably the next most widespread. Most places that have Century will have Pro Force. Again, you can get the do-gi in light, medium, and heavy weights. In my personal opinion, Pro Force is a little better than Century, but that's just an opinion. Everyone has their favorite brands.

Tiger may be the least widespread of the three when it comes to uniforms, but their belts are everywhere. I like the Tiger brand belts a lot more than the Century ones, so if you have to buy your own belt (not sure why you would), and you want a cheap, but dependable brand, Tiger is likely it.

There are many beginner do-gi available from online retailers like Karatedepot, but I don't have any experience with the quality of those, so I can't comment.

Ronin, Ki, Toyo, and Tokon all make good, quality uniforms as well, but they are not as widely available as Tiger, Pro Force, or Century.

Ronin has been around for a long time. They make good entry-level do-gi, but as I said, they are not extremely widespread. I grew up in the Midwest, and I saw absolutely zero people wearing Ronin do-gi.

Tokon used to be Kamikaze in the US, but changed the brand name for some obvious reasons. I think these are much more popular in Europe, but they make a full range of uniforms from beginner uniforms to very high quality heavyweight do-gi.

Ki, from what I've seen, is on par with Pro Force. I just haven't seen them around a lot.

Toyo, I have zero experience with.

High end (read expensive) do-gi:

For people involved in Shotokan, Tokaido is usually tops. The JKA has done a great job making Tokaido one of the best brands for Shotokan Karate practitioners, and their uniforms and belts are very durable, but expensive. Tokaido do-gi come from Japan and are sized for Japanese people. If you're paying this much for a do-gi, buy it from someone face to face. They can help you with proper measurements. Once you've bought one or two, then buy them on your own.

For Okinawan Karate practitioners, a lot of Gojuryu karateka especially, Shureido has been the top brand for quite some time. To order, you either have to find a retailer or contact Shureido USA. Trust them with your measurements. The same advice about sizing for Tokaido goes with Shureido.

Adidas has recently thrown itself into the Karate ring after being successful in the Taekwondo and Judo markets. From what I've seen, they make a fine uniform for sport competition. The use of modern fibers allows their uniforms to be high quality and extremely lightweight. They're ideal for someone that wants to spend a lot of time on the tournament circuit.

Satori is a little known Canadian company that makes made-to-order Karate do-gi. I have personal experience with them, and they are very good at what they do. The quality is extremely high, and you can absolutely trust them to do a proper job with the measurements you give them. The best way to order is to go to their website. They will call you to verify everything with you before they start making the do-gi, because the return policy is restrictive. They're made to measure after all. So you need to give them a phone number that works.

For Kyokushin, Isami seems to be the big brand name. I don't have much experience with Isami, but they seem to very Kyokushin-centric with their equipment and do-gi, so most other Karateka probably wouldn't have to worry about it.

I'm sure there are many other brands I've missed, so perhaps a few of our other members can chime in.

[tufrthanu]

Macho makes a terrific gi I am still using ones i got when I first started training 9 years ago...and I'm a sweater! Also as to fit especially with heavyweight gi's I have found out the hard way that preshrinking them before you alter them is the way to get them to fit right.

[JohnASE]

Great idea, isshinryu5toforever, and great post! I'll throw in a little info. I'll focus on karate as well, and I'll try not to repeat too much of what was already written.

Much of what I say are my own personal observations or opinions and should not be taken as universal, especially my definitions.

SPARRING (KUMITE) GIS

Sparring or kumite gis don't really fit in the categories below, so I'm making a separate section. Isshinryu5toforever touched on this, but I'll elaborate. Kumite gis are generally light weight and loose fitting for freedom and speed of movement. They're usually constructed of poly/cotton and textured to give structure without adding much weight. Adidas uses Clima-Cool fabric with cooling vents. Tokaido and Tokon also have kumite gis. Kumite gis can be used as daily workout gis, but they tend to be pricey, so people usually use them for tournaments and special practices. Most people consider kumite gis to be too light for use in kata competition.

WEIGHT OF MATERIAL

Numerical weight is generally the actual weight per area of the fabric before cutting. It could be grams per square meter, or ounces per square yard, or even ounces per square meter. These figures are often approximate and will vary from brand to brand and sometimes from shipment to shipment.

LIGHT WEIGHT - 5 to 7 oz. Beginning students will often start with this category, especially if their gi is included for free. Most will be poly/cotton but some will be 100% cotton. Quality of stitching is usually not very good, and the gis don't last very long.

MEDIUM WEIGHT - 8 to 10 oz. These are for beginning students who want something a little nicer or intermediate students who want something on the light side. Quality can range from pretty bad to pretty good.

HEAVY WEIGHT - 11 to 13 oz. Most intermediate to advanced karateka will choose something in this category. Quality usually ranges from good to excellent. Heavy weight gis tend to have better snap than lighter gis.

SUPER HEAVY WEIGHT - 14 oz and up. Many people lump this category in with the heavy weight category. These are pretty heavy, and working out in them can get pretty hot. Most of our customers for gis in this category are long time senseis or sempai of traditional Japanese styles. Kenpo instructors like this weigh, too, but typically in black.

TYPE OF MATERIAL

POLY/COTTON VS COTTON - Most beginner uniforms are poly/cotton. P/C is easy to care for, and it's easier to fit a new student since it doesn't shrink much. 100% cotton is more popular in the heavier weights since it breathes better and absorbs more sweat.

BRUSHED COTTON VS NON-BRUSHED COTTON - Brushed cotton is softer and smoother and most people find it more comfortable. A few people have said that brushed cotton sticks to them more when they sweat a lot, but not many. Many have said non-brushed material pops better, probably since it's a bit rougher and maybe stiffer. Durability shouldn't be much different, but brushing does damage the outer fibers, so non-brushed might be a little more durable. The difference is probably negligible, especially in heavier weights.

CUT

Cuts will vary from brand to brand and model to model. We classify gis as standard cut or tournament cut, but even within these categories, they'll vary quite a bit.

TOURNAMENT CUT VS STANDARD CUT - Most gis are Standard Cut. In general, Tournament Cut gis have shorter sleeves and pants but their jackets are longer. They're typically used by traditional Japanese styles, but sometimes others will use them too. The long jackets enhance the low stances that Japanese styles tend to value. Many tournament organizations have rules on how short or long gi measurements can be, so keep this in mind when choosing your cut.

NOTES ON THE ORIGINAL POST

Isshinryu5toforever's post repeatedly refers to one brand's quality vs another. This might be possible in general, but quite often relative quality will vary from model to model within a brand. One company might have a great quality heavy weight but poor quality student gis. In our case, we have several heavy weight gis with varying levels of quality and pricing.

PRO FORCE - I wanted to add that the Pro Force brand belongs to Asian World of Martial Arts (AWMA), one of the biggest martial arts supply companies in the US.

TIGER - I'm not familiar with Tiger brand, and my half-hearted search didn't turn anything up. Could you mean Golden Tiger (GTMA) or Tiger Claw?

KI - "Ki" is more correctly K.I. They're the initials of the founder. People call them ki, and maybe that's what the founder intended, but last I heard, they answer the phone Kay Eye. By the way, KI is the distributor of Toyo gis. Toyo gis are good quality gis made in Japan. I haven't checked the price lately, but they used to be one of the more reasonably priced gis from Japan. Mugen is another of KI's brand. Mugens are not made in Japan.

TOKON - The Tokon name came about because someone else had the rights to the name Kamikaze in the US. I think the rest of the world uses the Kamikaze name. I've seen another brand in North America market themselves as a "Kamikaze upgrade", implying they're a Kamikaze brand, but they're not, at least not the Kamikaze most people think.

TOKAIDO - Not all Tokaido products are made in Japan. Some are made in China under license by Tokaido Japan. They are excellent quality but much less expensive. Also, these Tokaido gis are generally cut more full as they're designed for non-Japanese markets. We were one of the first distributors in the world for these gis. We carry the Tokaido Kaminari and Tokaido Kumo in 12 oz and 14 oz. We also carry the Tokaido Ultimate, which is made in Japan.

[Edited to remove the most ridiculously self-serving part of the post.]

Edited August 27, 2010 by JohnASE

[isshinryu5toforever]

Thanks for the correction, Tiger Claw was it. I figured you would chime in, and I hoped you would. You're probably much more knowledgeable about this than I am. I've just been around for a long time, you actually sell the stuff haha.

[JohnASE]

Yeah, we've been selling gis for a long time, but our experience with brands we don't carry is limited. Also, since we've been only wholesale until recently, we haven't had much interaction with the end user. That's one thing that senseis are much better at than we are, matching their students needs with what's available.