What and where do you get your Gi's

Hi Dom,

I use Black Eagle Gis these days. They are a good fit, relatively inexpensive and last for ages. Here is a quote from a thread on a similar theme:

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/what-do-you-gi#comment-1145

Iain Abernethy wrote:

Being 5 foot 8 and over 15 stone the key thing for me is a gi that does not stick to me and limit movement the moment I start to sweat. I find judo style gis are ideal for what they are designed for, but they make it hard to get rid of heat and are not great for dynamic striking as they have a habit of rubbing your skin off you. I like the heavy Black Eagle gis as the cut allows for free movement and they are resilient enough to withstand the rough and tumble of grappling too.

All the best,

Iain

Iain Abernethy wrote:

Hi Dom,

I use Black Eagle Gis these days. They are a good fit, relatively inexpensive and last for ages. Here is a quote from a thread on a similar theme:

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/what-do-you-gi#comment-1145

Iain Abernethy wrote:

Being 5 foot 8 and over 15 stone the key thing for me is a gi that does not stick to me and limit movement the moment I start to sweat. I find judo style gis are ideal for what they are designed for, but they make it hard to get rid of heat and are not great for dynamic striking as they have a habit of rubbing your skin off you. I like the heavy Black Eagle gis as the cut allows for free movement and they are resilient enough to withstand the rough and tumble of grappling too.

All the best,

Iain

Out of curiosity I looked up that company and saw that they have an 18oz gi, which is impressive since I've never seen a gi heavier than 14oz!  It's a shame they don't appear to ship to the U.S.

As for the OP's question, I have a Tokaido Arashi that my parents bought me for Christmas in 2006 (I think they bought it through Amazon) and a custom-made hemp gi that I ordered from a tailor on Etsy (they used the wrong hemp fabric, though, so it feels like a lightweight gi and I don't really like it).  My Tokaido Arashi is pretty well trashed at this point.  The hemp gi, even though it feels like a lightweight gi, is very strong and durable and shows no wear except for the lapel being very wrinkled (miscommunication on the tailor's part).

A double-weave judogi will last you a very long time and work well, but it doesn't snap like a heavyweight karategi.  I have a Ronin brand gi that is too big for me but seems very, very tough and durable, and I've heard good things about them lasting a long time and being fairly affordable.  Hirota, Shureido and Hayashi are also brands with very good reputations for durability.

I picked up a Piranha Gear heavy weight gi, a tournament cut this time.  Not terrible on price, 16oz cotton canvas with strong stitching that is holding up to a lot of pulling and pushing.  Shrank the jacket  a bit much during the first wash (wife dried it on high heat!), but I'm happy with it.  I've got a pair of Centery Iron Man gis.  One that I've had for more than 15 years and has taken a beating that no other gi I've had has survived.  The other, newer one is about 7 years old and in pretty rough shape.  Quality of the material, if not the stitching, seems to have dropped over the years.  Those are really the only two I've owned personally and can vouch for.  Right now, I'd rate the Piranha Gear gi higher on the quality scale than the Iron Man.

I've had various Gi's from Cimac and Blitz

I love the Fit of the White Diamond Blitz Gi, although I got a 190 to allow for shrinkage to my stature. I'm 178CM and 120KG

I also have a 200 Decathalon Gi for Judo (it feels really good) as I have 3 Blitz Gi's - 170, 180 and 190, and neiher of them fits me properly and I didn't like the "feel"

I've been using Juko for as long as I can remember. I like the Emerald cut. They're durable, comfy, and (I think) reasonably priced.

These look quite promising for those of us who use grabbing but don't like wearing a duvet:

http://www.e-bogu.com/Karate-Uniform-s/206.htm

They've been developed by the sabaki challenge competitors and have specially reinforced areas where they normally get ripped.

I've ordered one and will test it thoroughly, then report back.  Price looks reasonable (£75 inc postage from the US) if it does exactly what it says on the tin ...

Gary

EDIT:

Arrived at 11:00am (ordered on Friday afternoon) and first impression is very good.

Lightweight baggy trousers - great

Shortened sleeves - great

Reinforced stitching - great

£75 including postage - GREAT

Gary

I used Blitz for years as they were all the club I was a member of at the time would supply. I used to get through 2 brand new white diamonds a year (considering teaching/training 5 times a week I would keep 4 gi in rotation so each gi got washed once a fortnight). The new blitz range of kyoto gi is quite good (ive only had one a week) but the trousers are very long and it is not the heaviest of cloth.

the best gi I use is the adidas kata gi. the fit is great for me (190cm gi and Im 189cms and 90kgs ish) and they seem to last a lot longer than the blitz. Now I have seen the light and tried other brands of gi I will never use a blitz gi again. they are budget gi really and if you are wearing one regularly (I probably spend more time in a gi than in jeans) you probably want better quality. Having said that they are fine for students training once or twice a weekand seem to last a few years.

I usually get the GTMA(Gloden Tiger Martial Arts) Karate Gi since there pretty inexpensive and Offical Kyokushin Gi on Ebay listings , if I get lucky of course.