Meijin Dojo Karate Gi Review

[singularity6]

I have 2 uniforms I wear to class. My primary training gi is a Meijin Tropical, and as I've mentioned before, I love it. I also have a Meijin Champ which is embroidered that's primarily used for testing.

I wanted to get something for training at home (yeah, it's probably not necessary to wear a uniform at home, but I like it.) So, I ordered a Meijin Dojo gi, which is their most affordable gi. It arrived today, and here are some details as well as my first impressions:

Uniform size: 5

Cost: $49 + shipping (for me, the total was about $76 overall)

My height and weight: 5'10", 185lb

The folks at Dragon-Tsunami said it's pretty much the same as their other uniforms, but it's made with 100% cotton twill instead of canvas. I must say, when I opened the package this morning, I was impressed with the quality of the fabric. I expected something similar to a t-shirt or jersey like the entry level uniforms from Century. Instead, it was more like soft jeans. Some folks like their uniforms to snap when they perform techniques, and I do not think this uniform will be all that snappy.

While the uniform was cut like my other Meijin gis, I wouldn't say it was identical in construction. The ties are much narrower (but not necessarily cheap feeling) as is the drawstring. The cuffs of the sleeves and pants on my other Meijin gis are stitched 5 times, while the Dojo only has 3 layers of thread. The lapel is also way less beefy. It'll be fine for our Tae Kwon Do lessons, but the Hop Ki Do might be a bit rough on it.

Overall, this uniform seems like a really nice entry level gi. It's light-weight, fairly well-made and made with comfortable fabric. The cost for an individual to purchase it might not make much sense for someone who's just starting out. $76 is a bit much for someone to cough up if they're not sure if they'll like martial arts. Being as light as it is, I would worry about using it to train past blue belt in our style, as the grappling might be a bit hard on it.

[sensei8]

Excellent review, singularity6, across the board, thank you.

Me, myself, and I love the Meijin Gi's, and I too, have several for specific occasions. Imho, the Meijin Gi quality surpasses many other well known brands across the board.

[singularity6]

You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback!

As an instructor, you could order these in bulk to drive down the individual cost. The Dojo Gi seems like it would be very appropriate for any serious beginner! And as you know, the size also affects the cost.

[sensei8]

You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback!

As an instructor, you could order these in bulk to drive down the individual cost. The Dojo Gi seems like it would be very appropriate for any serious beginner! And as you know, the size also affects the cost.

Very, very true!!

For as long as Century MA Supply has been around, I've been buying from them for both my students and for my own MA Supply Store, and I make a killing due to my massive discounts for the huge orders I place. However, the Century Brand is only about a 1/4th of my inventory because I believe in offering quality from the other brands, and Meijin Brand, for me, is the quality that I eagerly speak highly of to both my students and to my retail customers. I've every Meijon style available, and not just a style or two.

I personally have a wardrobe of Gi's at home from several brands. However, I won't personally wear any Gi that has their brand name where I consider inappropriate, like for example, on either chest area or down the pant leg(s); just turns me off because I'm not their billboard.

Meijin, imho, is tasty in where they attach their brand name on their Gi's!

[singularity6]

Yeah, they have 2 simple labels, which are easily removed (I removed them from mine.) I can see myself buying one of each of their uniforms before too long.

We get a discount on Century through our school, so our master instructor gets all our equipment through there. They do a nice job taking care of schools, imo... but the quality of the cuts of their uniforms is lacking. I found the jackets to shrink up so much to where they look more like a shirt.

[stoneheart]

We get a discount on Century through our school, so our master instructor gets all our equipment through there. They do a nice job taking care of schools, imo... but the quality of the cuts of their uniforms is lacking. I found the jackets to shrink up so much to where they look more like a shirt.

The cheapo Century uniforms are indeed somewhat questionable for the long term serious students. That said, the Ironman is very good for the asking price as is the Elite Kata model. I have both along with a host of other uniform brands so I speak with direct experience. I don't hesitate to recommend either when someone is looking for value in their uniform purchase and do not want to pay for the premium Japanese labels.