Middle weight/summer gi

[JR 137]

Due to availability, pricing, etc. I bought a Ronin heavyweight (12 oz.) gi. Tried a Ronin Blue label gi, but the fit was pretty awkward. I guess I'm not built for tournament cut gis, which the Tokon Spirit is.

The Ronin is cut very, very similar to how I remember my old Shureido K-10 fitting me. It's jacket is just a bit longer, in a good way. The jacket ties are all in the right place, and they're different than the ones I'm used to. Every gi I had used what seems like the same material the gi is made out of for the ties. Jacket ties always come undone on me during warmups, and pants ties seem to loosen up during the course of training. These seem like they'll stay tied indefinitely.

It's no Shureido K-10, regardless of what they'll tell you though. The material is softer (not as soft as brushed cotton, nor as rough as the old Century heavyweights) and has a good balance of softness and weight. The material seems to be not as sturdy as I remember my K-10 to be, and it doesn't have that initial light blue tint to it. Stitching looks great, but visual appearance is doesn't mean much when it comes to it. That light blue tint on Shureidos (I think all the high end Japanese gis have it, but I'm not sure) fades after a few washes, and the gi stays bright white for a very long time, unlike my KI heavyweight that seems to be turning gray after about 6 months. My tailor said its 'unltrviolet brightener' or something like that. He said that's how the gi keeps its white appearance for a long time instead of turning gray and/or yellow after a while.

Only time will tell how long it'll last. It's cut perfectly for me, except I'll have to take about 2 cuff lengths off the pants. Now to get it hemmed, patches seen on, and train in it. I'll report back if anyone's interested.

If it's half as durable as my Shureido was, I'll be pretty happy. I trained in that gi 4-5 days a week, many times taking 2 or more classes a day. I bleached and machine dried it every time I washed it, and it still looked brand new after about 4 years, minus a couple of minor blood spots.

[JR 137]

I bought a middleweight Ronin, hoping it was a lighter version of the Heavyweight (12 oz). In a word - garbage. Twill material instead of canvas. Basically a give away gi when you sign up for classes. It's 100% cotton, so I guess it would be better than the see-through ones though. The Ronin Blue label was pretty good, even though I returned it due solely to fit, and the heavyweight is very good, so I figured the middleweight was a safe gamble.

I bought it because I had to order a gi for my daughter, who's 5. They were out of the Century kids' gi, so I got her a Ronin too. Even worse. Quite possibly the worst gi I've ever seen. Yes, it's $25 or so, but that's not the point. She's all excited about getting her gi, so I have to keep hers, unfortunately.

One day, I'll have disposable income again to buy a Shureido K-10.

[JR 137]

Update...

I just ordered a Shureido K-11 last night. I called Shureido USA, and they had me give them a bunch of measurements of myself and my current gi in order to figure out the best size and cut for me. The process took about a half hour. Emi (the lady that does the sizing stuff) even had me text her a picture of me in my current gi to get a better idea of what I was looking for.

She also gave me a ton of great info about how much it'll shrink, where it'll shrink, how long it'll take to fully shrink, washing and drying, etc. She even told me where to have the tailor cut to account for the shrinkage.

Good thing I called and ordered from Shureido USA, because I would have gotten a size and a half too small if I ordered online. They cost about $15 more than other sellers, but I saved paying shipping at least 3 times - to me, return, and back to me.

Hopefully this is the gi I've been looking for. I want a lighter weight K-10, and the K-11 seems to fit the bill. I'll know when it gets here.

Now to stalk FedEx Ground drivers!

[Bulltahr]

The Ronin 12 oz, how did it hold up BTW??

I'm thinking of picking up a higher end Gi in January when I'm over that way. A general purpose type gi, not worried about "tournament" or "Kumite" styles.

[JR 137]

The Ronin 12 oz. is still holding up quite well. My only issue with it is it's too hot for me, especially this time of year. High heat and humidity and karate with a 12 oz. gi in a small dojo that's not air conditioned isn't a good combo. Especially the way I sweat.

I really like the Ronin gi. Easily worth every penny I spent on it. It fits me right and still looks new about a year later. For the money, it's a no-brainer when compared to everything priced within reason of it.

I just desperately need a well made lighter weight gi that fits right. I owned a heavier Shureido in the past and loved it. If this one is what I think it is, I'll love it even more than the old one.

When you visit in January, there's a shop in Brooklyn, NY called Kinjisan. They have a big internet presence, and their storefront should have a bunch of stuff to try on. They're typically the cheapest place online here. If you're serious about buying stuff, I'd call them when you get here to see what they have available to try on.

And we definitely need to meet up at honbu for a class!

[Bulltahr]

Had a look at their website, thanks JR.

I'm not sure which model would suit best, I prefer 12 oz for sure. like a snappy one at any rate. Which model would you recommend???? Prices seem fine to me.

I'll let you know my movements closer to January, Virginia for sure and hopefully Long Is. If so a date at Honbu is definitely on the cards!!

[JR 137]

It all depends on how much you're willing to spend and just as importantly, the fit. Everyone's different when it comes to how clothing fits.

Shureido and Japanese made Tokaido are the best gis I've seen. IMO they're equal in material quality and craftsmanship. My opinion of the difference between them is cut. Tokaido is a narrow cut, like a slim fit, whereas Shureido is stocky guy's cut. Take the labels off and I'd honestly think they were the same gi, just cut differently.

You don't truly appreciate them until you've worn them for a while. They stay looking like a new gi for a long time. They don't change color like cheaper gis start to turn yellow/gray/brown; they stay white. The material doesn't break down like other gis.

During my first stint in karate, I'd went through 3 Century heavyweight gis in 3 years. I'd get the nasty color changes in the armpits, lapel, and around the waist from sweating. The entire gi would get a gray tint to it. I'd wash them after every class. The first two I bleached every time, and the last one I never bleached, as someone told me the bleach did it. Didn't make any difference. I wore my Shureido for 4 years and never had any of that. The only discoloration was a few small drops of blood. A good friend and classmate bought a Tokaido a few weeks before I bought my Shureido and had the same results. Our Sensei made fun of us when we first got them (in a good way), saying we were treating the dojo like a fashion show. About 3 years later, he randomly asked if they were the same gis. While everyone else who trained hard went through 3-4 $75 gis, our $200 gis were still like new. Had I not lost it during my 15 year layoff from karate, I'm pretty sure it would have easily lasted another 10 years.

Aside from the fashion police stuff, the material breathes far better and feels far better than anything else I've worn, which is the most important thing IMO. And it's been a higher up front cost, but cheaper in the long term.

But the Ronin 12 oz. is also very good. I've had it a little over a year, and I have no complaints. If it wasn't too hot for me, I'd put off buying the Shureido until I needed to. The Shureido is better in every way, but I'd I didn't previously own a Shureido and need a lighter gi, I wouldn't have considered it.

The Shureido New Wave line is pretty enticing, being a dry fit like material (like under armour or Nike), but according to the distributor they wear out very fast, as in a dozen or so machine washings. He called them a tournament/dress up gi and not a daily wear gi because of that. The New Wave gi was a few dollars more, so he wasn't trying to up sell me something else.

And yes, the Shureido, Tokaido and Ronin are all "snappy" gis. I used to care about that, but lost interest.

[JR 137]

This is definitely the gi I've searching for! The right weight, material, cut, and well, everything.

I wear a size 5 in pretty much everything else, but Shureido USA told me a 6 will fit me the way I want it to after shrinking. The thing was huge. When I tried on the jacket out of the box, my wife laughed and said "it looks like a dress." It literally went to my knees. The shoulder seams were mid-biceps level. I've washed it in warm water and dried it on medium about 4 times now, and it's just about where it's supposed to be (I want the bottom of the jacket to go to my finger tips when standing with my arms straight down). One or two more wash and dry cycles and it'll will go to the tailor for pant length and patches.

This gi is awesome. I forgot how great Shureido gis really are. One of those things that you have to see and feel to truly know.

[singularity6]

Hopefully helpful to others who may have this question in the future: I love my Meijin Tropical karate gi. The fabric is outstanding. At 5'10", 190lb, the size 5 fits perfectly with no alterations. I did get some shrinking (washed cold each time, line-dried) but nothing beyond what should be expected from 100% cotton that wasn't pre-shrunk.

[JR 137]

Hopefully helpful to others who may have this question in the future: I love my Meijin Tropical karate gi. The fabric is outstanding. At 5'10", 190lb, the size 5 fits perfectly with no alterations. I did get some shrinking (washed cold each time, line-dried) but nothing beyond what should be expected from 100% cotton that wasn't pre-shrunk.

I've seen the Meijin gis recommend quite a few times. I'd like to try one, if I've never seen one in person. I'm so difficult to fit for clothing (gis included), and I hate buying stuff sight unseen. I wish there was a section at a place like Dick's Sporting Goods that had racks of gis (good gis), equipment, etc. There's way too much online leap of faith equipment and uniform buying in MA.