Problem with heavyweight Karate-Gi and pants drawstrings

[Laurentina]

After years of Karate practice with middleweight Gis I received a new heavyweight Gi as gift from relatives.

It's an italian brand Marzialsport (you don't know it for sure but that's not the point) one of the most expensive of their line, very nice thick cotton and good looking cut.

Anyway I have a problem with the pants drawstring, it's very thick and when I tie my belt it painfully digs in my hip and the jacket drawstring in between makes it worse

I'm used to drawstring pants (I'm a judo-ka since I was a kid) but this is the only pants I have problems with maybe it's because they got me a Gi that's too large and long for my size? (it's unreturnable as it was on sale) being a slightly curvy girl it's hard to tie the belt lower because it always rides up during the training.

I'm a 160cm tall girl and the Gi size says 185cm I had to hem sleeves but pants are perfect length after a good shrinkage in very hot water plus dryer action, maybe just too large in leg girth but I don't mind.

If you have any hints to avoid hip torture when tying belt over jacked and pants it is appreciated, OSU

[Wastelander]

It definitely sounds like the pants are too large for you, so when you tighten the drawstring the waist is bunching up and, because the fabric is stiff, it is causing irritation. I am not an expert in gi alterations, but I think if you can get a tailor/seamstress to widen the vents at the top of the pants then you can probably fix that problem--just make sure they don't make the vents longer!

[sensei8]

All I've ever done was to make sure that my pants were between my skin and the drawstring; comfort achieved for myself. Also, I've never tied the drawstrings at my back/behind me. I've always tied it at my front.

[Harkon72]

I have a problem with my Gi pants, the draw string keeps coming loose. This could be embarrassing in a grading if your pants end up at your ankles half way through a Kata.

[Wastelander]

I have a problem with my Gi pants, the draw string keeps coming loose. This could be embarrassing in a grading if your pants end up at your ankles half way through a Kata.

Replace it with a natural-fiber rope (I like hemp rope for this) and it will stay tied MUCH better than the flat draw strings.

[Harkon72]

Yes, good tip - Thank You.

[Chunmonchek]

Anyway I have a problem with the pants drawstring, it's very thick and when I tie my belt it painfully digs in my hip and the jacket drawstring in between makes it worse

Laurentina,

Is the pain caused by the draw-string or the bunching of excess material when you tighten the gi pants?

If its the excess material, you may want to try evening out the material to reduce bunching.

If your pain is caused by the string, I have 2 suggestions:

1. Replace the string with a lighter flat (not round) string, and/or

2. Roll the top of your pants over after you've tied the string. This would give you an extra layer of material between the offending string and your skin.

Best of luck,

Chris