Black\color gi

[pittbullJudoka]

In my dojo you may wear a white or blue Gi at Kyu ranks but black gis are reserved for shod an and up. But at the gym were I train bjj colors don't matter to the instructor ie I have a black, white and blue gis that I rotate.

[xo-karate]

BJJ is very much more unformal than Karate or Judo. At our gym, you don't bow entering the mat or leaving it. It's just handshake after workout session.

Whole colour issue is just a way to feel important. Rules made to be exclusive.

[DoctorQui]

As others have said, it all comes down to club requirements. My current club is White for everyone regardless of rank, my last club was white for juniors (age not grade), black for seniors (age not grade) and after Shodan you can wear whatever colour you wanted because you earned it although most either go all white all black or white/black. I can see the logic of using coloured gis to differentiate rank in addition to belt.

I prefer a black gi because it shows the dirt a lot less, on the down side, if you train hard and sweat you get a white tide mark so its swings and roundabouts. Black also fades which you obviously don't get with White!

Edited October 26, 2012 by DoctorQui

[ninjanurse]

JJ Students at our school wear blue until Black Belt, then they may choose white or black. In the TKD system, black is reserved for 4th dan and up-lower ranks wear white until 1st dan then red.

In many schools today it is strictly marketing that drives the use of different colors but for us it is the way to visually identify a students system and ranking-especially since we mix classes at times.