Poor fitting gi?

[chordate]

Hi everyone,

So I'm trying to return to Shotokan Karate as an adult after 15+ years away from it, but the gi is really giving me some issues.

I'm a 5'6 male, bit overweight, but generally a wide build even at ideal weight. My gi is a size 5/180 Arazawa. I don't know the exact model, it was just the standard that my dojo offers. My height is right between sizes, so I'm wearing the larger size.

The slits on the bottom sides of the jacket seem too high. Or the pants seem too low. Or both?

I have to wear the pants low on my hips, otherwise I don't have room in the crotch to do kicks. The jacket's slits start mid to high on my hips leaving about an inch of uncovered skin/underwear band between them and the pants when standing normally. A high block in front stance pulls the jacket slit up to around my lower waist.

Might seem nit-picky to most people, but it's a personal issue and I don't see myself continuing if this is completely unavoidable.

I'm looking for a gi that would keep my covered better. Or potentially another martial art entirely that uses a different type of gi that might work better for me.

[singularity6]

I'm 5'10" tall and weigh about 190lb now. I wear a men's large shirt (American sizes) and my pants are typically 32x32 or 34x32, depending on the cut.

That being said, my gi size from both Century and from Meijin is a size 5, and they fit me perfectly in the shoulders and waist. I suspect I'd be wearing the 5/180 you currently have. If a men's large shirt is tight in the shoulders, or your waist size is larger than a 34, you may want to consider going a size up. Wash it a couple times in cold water, hang dry it, then get it tailored.

My Century gi shrank over time (it went in the dryer only once!) and I had to replace it. I strongly advise against drying your uniforms.

[stoneheart]

Try a few different brands. Some are cut bigger than others. I've personally fitted larger build students in uniforms sold by Kwon and Ronin and Pro Force with success.

[sensei8]

Try a few different brands. Some are cut bigger than others. I've personally fitted larger build students in uniforms sold by Kwon and Ronin and Pro Force with success.

Solid post!!

Welcome to KF, chordate; glad that you're here!!

[JR 137]

I also would try a few different brands to get the right fit. In addition to what’s been said, Shureido makes gis that fit people like me better - I’m 5’9 and weigh 220 lbs. Ronin’s heavyweight gi fit me pretty well and was around $70 or so. Only problem I had with it was it kept shrinking, well after the initial shrinking and even with washing it cold and hang drying after the first few washes.

Shureido isn’t cheap. I think their cheapest gi will run about $140 or so after shipping.

Until you find the right gi, have you considered wearing a t-shirt such as a plain white Under Armour t-shirt under your gi?

[MatsuShinshii]

The problem I have found over the years is no one manufacturer makes Gi's the same. I typically call and ask for someone with knowledge of fitting the Gi and has an understanding of the measurements.

They will usually direct you towards the size that will fit you best. I actually buy one size for the top and another for the bottom in one brand. That is what was suggested by the manufacturer to get the best fit.

I would suggest you call whoever you choose to buy from and discuss it before purchase. Have your measurements available and discuss issues you have had with other brands. This will allow them to figure out what will work best.

I think you'll have a better experience and will not have to return Gi's. Don't be surprised if they suggest a larger size to allow for shrinking. I argued with a lady for 2 or more minutes that this size would never fit. She convinced me and after a few washes it fit like a glove.

[JR 137]

The problem I have found over the years is no one manufacturer makes Gi's the same. I typically call and ask for someone with knowledge of fitting the Gi and has an understanding of the measurements.

They will usually direct you towards the size that will fit you best. I actually buy one size for the top and another for the bottom in one brand. That is what was suggested by the manufacturer to get the best fit.

I would suggest you call whoever you choose to buy from and discuss it before purchase. Have your measurements available and discuss issues you have had with other brands. This will allow them to figure out what will work best.

I think you'll have a better experience and will not have to return Gi's. Don't be surprised if they suggest a larger size to allow for shrinking. I argued with a lady for 2 or more minutes that this size would never fit. She convinced me and after a few washes it fit like a glove.

Ive always had a difficult time with gis fitting. And practically every other piece of clothing. Once I find a clothing brand that fits, I buy as much as I can and hope they don’t change the cut in the future.

I called Shureido USA 2 years ago or so to get advice on what size gi. I owned a K-10 about 15 years before, but I wasn’t exactly the same size. They had me on the phone for almost 50 minutes, measuring my then current gi and myself. Asking me where I wanted things to be longer, shorter, etc. They even had me text a picture of myself in my then current gi.

They suggested a size 6, and told me how much it would shrink and where. They even put paper clips where they thought the shrinkage would end up.

When the gi arrived, I put it on and thought “no way in hell is this going to fit.” My wife laughed and said “it looks like a dress!” She was right. The jacket came down to the top of my knee caps. Several wash and dry cycles later it was pretty close to where they said it would be. 2 years later, and it’s exactly where they said it would be. And they said the entire process would take about 18 months. I guess they really know their product.

[MatsuShinshii]

The problem I have found over the years is no one manufacturer makes Gi's the same. I typically call and ask for someone with knowledge of fitting the Gi and has an understanding of the measurements.

They will usually direct you towards the size that will fit you best. I actually buy one size for the top and another for the bottom in one brand. That is what was suggested by the manufacturer to get the best fit.

I would suggest you call whoever you choose to buy from and discuss it before purchase. Have your measurements available and discuss issues you have had with other brands. This will allow them to figure out what will work best.

I think you'll have a better experience and will not have to return Gi's. Don't be surprised if they suggest a larger size to allow for shrinking. I argued with a lady for 2 or more minutes that this size would never fit. She convinced me and after a few washes it fit like a glove.

Ive always had a difficult time with gis fitting. And practically every other piece of clothing. Once I find a clothing brand that fits, I buy as much as I can and hope they don’t change the cut in the future.

I called Shureido USA 2 years ago or so to get advice on what size gi. I owned a K-10 about 15 years before, but I wasn’t exactly the same size. They had me on the phone for almost 50 minutes, measuring my then current gi and myself. Asking me where I wanted things to be longer, shorter, etc. They even had me text a picture of myself in my then current gi.

They suggested a size 6, and told me how much it would shrink and where. They even put paper clips where they thought the shrinkage would end up.

When the gi arrived, I put it on and thought “no way in hell is this going to fit.” My wife laughed and said “it looks like a dress!” She was right. The jacket came down to the top of my knee caps. Several wash and dry cycles later it was pretty close to where they said it would be. 2 years later, and it’s exactly where they said it would be. And they said the entire process would take about 18 months. I guess they really know their product.

Yes sir. I've never had any luck going off the size charts and taking a guess at shrinkage. One of my peers told me that he always called and asked for the person doing the sizing (seamstress maybe????). Since then I will not buy a Gi unless I can talk to a live person. It costs a bit of time but it saves in aggravation. I used to buy larger and have them tailored. Now I just take some time on the phone and get a pretty well fitted Gi.

[chordate]

Appreciate the advice.

When I first got the gi I was told to wash it and throw it in the dryer (the sleeves were much too long). I guess that may be the reason for it seeming too short now.

I think I'll look for t-shirts for now (hopefully nobody will have a problem with that since I'll be the only guy wearing one), and once I've lost all the weight I plan to lose I'll look at investing some time and money to get a better fit.

[singularity6]

Appreciate the advice.

When I first got the gi I was told to wash it and throw it in the dryer (the sleeves were much too long). I guess that may be the reason for it seeming too short now.

I think I'll look for t-shirts for now (hopefully nobody will have a problem with that since I'll be the only guy wearing one), and once I've lost all the weight I plan to lose I'll look at investing some time and money to get a better fit.

Yeah, I never put mine in the dryer anymore. Wash a new gi a few times on cold (hang dry, of course!) If it's still too long, take it to a tailor and have the sleeves/legs hemmed. Hopefully the tailor knows to put several rows of stitching in the hem for support!