I've got a standard medium weight karate gi with the string-around-the-waist on the pants. I get it as tight as possible when I change, but find it loosens (or stretches) as I work out. Aside from stopping several times a class and redoing it, any ideas on ways to fix this?

 

Aside from elastic (which I don't think I've seen on adult gis), or suspenders has anyone seen any gis with good 'retention mechanisms'?

Nails!

 

Nail it on!

Take them to your seamstress and have them put in an elastic waist with the drawstring. I had that done to a pair of mine and it seem to work fine. Also another option is to get a custom made pair with your waist size, that seems to work the best when it fits right. I have a Satori brand gi which I bought out of Canada, and nothing fits like a custom gi made for you.

Some suppliers do make adult gi's with elastic waistbands. I know Century has them and I'm sure some of the others do as well. I've gone with a middle weight gi with a 3" elastic waistband and it's great. No more worries here. Good luck!

I usually just tie mine in a double knot. Sometimes I have to re-adjust them, too - depending on what we're doing.

That's why you have belts...to keep your pants up.

I use Pro Force uniforms. They have the elastic waistband and string. They stay up pretty well, except when we do throws LOL.

I too wear pro force gis with the elastic waist. Most of the other students wear the traditional drawstring pants though and my good gi is drawstring. Best thing to do is tie it as tight as you can then warm up. After moving around during your warm up retie the pants even tighter.

suspenders.

 

Sew them on....really....2000 Canadian team in Bermuda; we all used suspenders!!

 

Kept the pants up, and there was not tight line around our waist during the hot weather.

A few years ago, we had an adult brown belt who always wore suspenders. His gi top/t-shirt would cover it up anyway, so he didn't mind. He was the only one who did it, so it made him really cool