Shureido Product

[Struggling_Mudansha]

One of the most frustrating things about practicing a niche art is there aren't usually stores that allow you to walk in and try things out. This means you have to order things online and that can be a pain; an item's description can sometimes be vague resulting in a blind order.

The biggest offender of this is Shureido. They're perhaps one of the most popular Karate and Kobudo brands but inquiring as to what their products are like, I've found, has been extremely difficult. That's why I thought it'd be a good idea for me to post some pictures I've accumulated over the years of the Shureido products that I've bought.

Shureido Bo - 6' Tapered

http://i.imgur.com/CnYDAIFh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/P74T4kTl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UYmHHD0l.jpg

(Well loved) Shureido Sai - Plain Steel

http://i.imgur.com/YDHLpthh.jpg

Thin Red Oak Shureido Nunchaku

http://i.imgur.com/P4lruQYl.png

Shureido Round Tonfa - Medium

http://i.imgur.com/SHV68Xxh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4tcFDx4l.jpg

Shureido Kama - Medium

http://i.imgur.com/53INY7Lh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tAVMnhXl.jpg

Shureido Stainless Steel Sai - Medium (not my image - I managed to snag this off an Ebay listing)

http://i.imgur.com/NI1rHudh.jpg

Shureido Round Tonfa - Small

http://i.imgur.com/4yV9r1Rh.jpg

At one point I had images for a K-10 karate gi, but for whatever reason, I deleted them.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Struggling_Mudansha

[JR 137]

I have a Shureido bo. No idea where it is now, as I haven’t used it since around 2001. I’m pretty sure it’s at my in-laws’ house, as my wife and I lived there before we moved away and turned it over to them.

I loved that bo. No idea why, but it just felt perfect in my hands. A tad light (in a good way), perfectly balanced, etc. Hard to describe. If you randomly picked it up you wouldn’t notice, but if you used it day in and day out then picked up something else you’d really miss it.

Shureido makes great stuff. I’ve owned the K-10 and now have 2 K-11s. Not a single disappointment. Expensive, but IMO worth every penny. And they’re subtly great - they don’t shout out “I’m awesome;” you realize how great they are and really miss them when you go back to something else.

[MatsuShinshii]

I do not own any Shureido weapons so I can not comment on their quality or how they perform.

I do however own a small armory of Kobudo weapons and would highly recommend Crane Mountain and Shushin. They sell hand made custom pieces and are of good quality.

Two others that I can not vouch for but my students seem to love are Premierdan (not sure this is spelled correctly) and Murasaki. Also hand made.

Some of my older weapons were given to me or sold to me by my instructors and since no one stamps their weapons (or at least none of my weapons are stamped) I have no idea who made them. I will say they have been abused for 30+ years and I still have them.

If your displeased with the commercially made weapons I would recommend looking into custom hand made weapons manufacturers. You'll pay more and have to wait for them to be made but they are well worth the money and the time.

Another option is to make them yourself. You can customize them for yourself so you know you'll be happy with length, weight and feel.

Just my 2 cents.

[Struggling_Mudansha]

I do not own any Shureido weapons so I can not comment on their quality or how they perform.

I do however own a small armory of Kobudo weapons and would highly recommend Crane Mountain and Shushin. They sell hand made custom pieces and are of good quality.

Two others that I can not vouch for but my students seem to love are Premierdan (not sure this is spelled correctly) and Murasaki. Also hand made.

Some of my older weapons were given to me or sold to me by my instructors and since no one stamps their weapons (or at least none of my weapons are stamped) I have no idea who made them. I will say they have been abused for 30+ years and I still have them.

If your displeased with the commercially made weapons I would recommend looking into custom hand made weapons manufacturers. You'll pay more and have to wait for them to be made but they are well worth the money and the time.

Another option is to make them yourself. You can customize them for yourself so you know you'll be happy with length, weight and feel.

Just my 2 cents.

I actually have a few weapons by Murasaki:

I have a pair of kama from Shushin as well:

At one point I had a pair of Shushin Tonfa:

I tried to email Crane Mountain Kobudo but it seems they're no longer operating. That's honestly a shame because the image I found of their tonfa makes them look fantastic:

There's also another Kobudo company based out of Greece called Dreametal Kobudo. I have a pair of his tonfa:

Kensho International Eaku

Edited January 10, 2019 by Struggling_Mudansha

[MatsuShinshii]

I forgot that the owners of crane mountain retired.

At some point they were looking for someone to buy them out or take over for them. I guess that did not happen.

It's shame. I have to Rokushaku that are well balanced and fit like a glove. I doubt anything will happen to them because they have kept up this long and I maintain them but if it did I'll probably cry a little knowing they can't be replaced.

[Patrick]

Thanks for sharing this, Struggling_Mudansha!

[Struggling_Mudansha]

Well I finally managed to order a Shureido K-11 after waiting two years for them to get in stock. I decided to take some pictures as I was never able to find anyone who posted their own images of the gi.

Jacket and pants

Jacket label

Pants label

Jacket

Pants

Comparison of my ProForce gi and the Shureido gi (the ProForce is still brand new). Notice they're the same length but the Shureido is wider. ProForce on the left and Shureido on the right.

Jacket comparison. Shureido is on the left and ProForce is on the right. Notice how the Shureido jacket is shaped almost like a box while the Proforce contours a little bit.

Label comparison

Material and construction comparison (sorry for the quality)

Tie comparison

Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with the Shureido. The pants are the right length but the width is too wide; they give me crotch wedgies (the gusset rides up between my legs). The jacket is also fairly wide and is about an inch too long; feels like I'm wearing a long coat. I'm also not thrilled with how high the jacket ties are positioned.

I think the best thing for me to do is return the gi and get my money back, rather than risk trying to shrink it. I'm 5'7" at 140lbs so I think the only way I'm going to be able to wear a Shureido gi is if I get it tailored.

[mushybees]

I've bought high end gi in off the shelf sizes and been disappointed. A £50 gi that isn't an ideal fit isn't a problem, at the price of a good shureido or tokaido it's go big or go home.

I have bought a custom size hirota and I live it. If I ever buy another expensive gi it'll be a custom fit.

[JR 137]

I was going to write a review of my K-11.

Fit is everything. It doesn’t matter how “good” a gi is if it doesn’t fit right. Same can be said for a suit or any other article of clothing. If it doesn’t fit you right, there’s no point.

The K-11 will shrink. A LOT. For perspective, when I bought both K-11s, the jacket was touching the top of my kneecaps. After several wash and dry cycles, it’s a little longer than my fingertips if I put my arms down by my side. Quite a difference. I don’t have perspective on how much the legs shrunk, as once they shrunk they were still quite long. I have to have every pair of gi pants tailored, so that’s not saying anything.

The jacket and pants have gotten narrower, but not nearly as much as the length shrunk. They were a bit balloon looking on me, but they’ve narrowed just right. I’ve just shrunk my 2nd K-11 down and just got it back from the tailor about a week ago, so unfortunately I can’t take a side by side to show the size difference. Suffice to say the size difference is huge; at least a full size, and probably closer to a size and a half if I had to bet.

None of that means it’ll fit you right afterwards. Shureido is notoriously a “boxy” cut. It’s a great fit for a stocky person such as me. For reference, I’m 5’9 and 220 lbs. If I were to try on a gi off the shelf and not account for shrinking, I’d be a 4 1/2 or a 5.

If you’re unhappy, you should absolutely return it. At about $185 including shipping, there’s zero point in keeping it. It doesn’t matter how good the gi is, if it doesn’t fit right it’s worthless. $185 isn’t pocket change.

If you’re a slim-fit kind of guy, look into Tokaido. They’re notoriously a narrow and long cut. At least the Japanese made Tokaidos are anyway. The quality is every bit as good as Shureido IMO. A little more expensive though, even when you go model to comparable model (look for a #11 material).

The only thing I’d change with my K-11 is the ties. I like the ties on your Pro Force gi a lot better. The Ronin gi I own has similar ties.

Taking the Shureido gi out of the bag for the first time gives a bit of buyer’s remorse. It doesn’t seem like it’s that special of a gi. The first few times you wear it aren’t anything special either. Once you’ve worn it several times you realize how good it really is. It’s very breathable, seems far lighter than it actually is, and it holds its shape very well. And it’s very soft and smooth feeling. IMO it’s a perfect gi.

But if it didn’t fit right, I’d hate it. I’d never wear it.

[LLLEARNER]

I have a Pro-Force super heavy weight. It is my only gi, so I do not have anything to compare it to. I have had it over 2 years now, and it has held up well. It is still white. Some people think it is new. I find it to be comfortable and durable.