How to choose your Karate-gi!

But how do you choose the right Karate-gi, the one that will allow you to live your passion in the best conditions for years? That is what we are going to see.

Buying a Karate-gi is not trivial and it is even often an investment. You must take your time and carefully select your Karate-gi according to your tastes and your needs.

We will quickly go over Karate-gi for beginners because the choice will depend mainly on your budget. Indeed, when you start, you do not yet know your affinities for this or that type of Karate-gi, nor your way of training. It is only with experience that you will know your tastes and your needs in terms of Gi. It is only from that moment that you will need advice on how to choose your Karate-gi.

In the meantime, if you are a beginner, we advise you to choose your Karate Kimono from this selection of versatile Karate-gi for beginners

Once you have a minimum of experience, you will be able to choose your Karate-gi with full knowledge according to your needs and your desires.

1- Determine your needs.

First of all, to choose your Karate-gi, without looking for which Karategi would please you, you must ask yourself on what occasion you are going to wear it: Is it for training? To work on your Kata or rather for Kumite training? Or rather for Kata or Kumite competitions? Or a bit of everything at once?

In short, each Karategi has specificities that make it more or less suitable for a particular type of work. For example, heavy uniforms will be suitable for Kata demonstrations because they look very good and have a good snapping effect, while a light Karategi will be preferred for fights that require great speed.

Karategis can thus be selected according to their weight but also their material:

• Heavy weight: These are the Kata uniforms par excellence with a very good snapping effect. These Karategis are designed in heavy and snapping fabrics. Most are 100% cotton and keep you very warm, but their certain rigidity limits the fluidity of techniques. They will also be appreciated by teachers who sometimes do not move much during classes and need a warm Dogi. They can also be used when the temperature in the Dojo is quite low. We also find in heavy weights the Karategis designed for the practice of Goshin (Self-defense) and Kobudo (with weapons).
• Medium weight: These are the most versatile Karategis. The material is not too heavy to allow good mobility and good comfort while keeping a correct appearance and a good snap effect. Some teachers will prefer these Karategis for their comfort and the possibility of working on both Kata and Kumite. These Karategis are ideal for daily training in the dojo where you alternate Kumite work and Kihon or Kata training.
• Light weight: These Karategis will be more suitable for the practice of combat because their lightness will allow the Karateka faster and more fluid movements. These Karategis will also be appreciated when the outside temperature is too high.
• Ultralight weight: These are the “Kumite” Karategis par excellence. They are made of synthetic material (Polyester, microfiber, etc.) or a blend of cotton and polyester, allowing great fluidity of movement during fights and good sweat evacuation. They are the favorites of high-level Kumite competitors.

You can also select your Karategi according to your work needs:

• Kata: These are the Karategis specially cut for Kata practice. They are often heavy with rather short sleeves and legs and a fairly long jacket. They are of medium weight.
• Kumite: These Karategis are designed to allow maximum fluidity of movement. They are light or ultralight and have a different cut from Kata uniforms. The sleeves and pant legs are longer to completely cover the arms and legs. They are well ventilated to effectively evacuate sweat.
• Versatile: As their name suggests, these are the Karategis that are suitable in all circumstances. They offer the best compromise for all training sessions (Kihon, Kata, and Kumite). They are neither too heavy nor too light, and are comfortable for daily use.
• Others: Then there are specific Karategis depending on the style practiced: Goshin, Kobudo, Kyokushinkai, Nanbudo.

To choose your Karategi, we advise you to use the 2 filters (weight and type of work) at the same time. For example, if you want a Karategi for your daily training at the club, you will choose “Versatile”, and then according to your preference you select the weight you want.

You now have a selection of Karategis that match your needs. You will be able to choose based on your budget, your level, and your brand preferences.

2 – Which brand should you choose?

The brands you will find on Karate-gi are recognized as references in dojos or Karate competitions. We do not want to influence you between one brand or another because it is often a matter of taste and also of means. Each brand has its own particularities, its advantages, and its disadvantages.

We try to describe the Karate-gi as best as possible in the descriptions, but as nothing looks more like a Karategi than another Karategi, it is not easy to choose between 2 uniforms of the same type but of different brands.

To help you choose a brand, you will take several factors into account:

• Your attachment to a particular brand. If you want to remain loyal to a brand, there is no problem, you should find on Karate-gi the Gi you need in your brand.
• The reputation of a brand or simply the recommendation of other Karateka (on forums, social networks, or even in your club).
• Your personal preferences. You want to try a brand (no matter which one) just out of personal conviction, because you like the cut, the logo, etc. Tastes are not discussed. Treat yourself, that’s it.

3 – Pricing

This is often the core of the issue and the factor that might tip your choice from one brand to another. Of course, if you are not limited in terms of budget, don’t hesitate to choose according to your heart because the purchase of a Karategi is a long-term investment that you will wear very often during your training.

But if your budget is more modest, don’t worry, all our Karategis are of very good quality and in any case you will not be disappointed.

To help you, on Karate-gi you can filter your search according to a price range (Economic, Average, or High-end).

4 – The choice of the heart

Now that you have selected the weight, the type of work, the brand, the range, there should only be a few Karategi left in your selection. This is where you have to involve your heart. Read the descriptions carefully and look at the photos (and possibly the videos when available).

Read our customer reviews, and then make your final choice according to your desire and treat yourself; it’s very important in the practice of Karate.

5 – How about the size?

That’s it, you have finally chosen THE Karategi that will accompany you during your next training sessions or competitions. You are eager to order it, but to make sure it fits like a glove, there is one last step: choosing the size.

This point may seem trivial, but it is an essential step that should not be taken lightly. Do not always rely on the size of your current Karategi because depending on the brands and the material you have chosen for your new companion, the size may be different.

The size you choose will depend on 4 factors: your own height, your build, the cut of the Karategi, and finally, your preference in terms of comfort.

Depending on your size, there are always tips in the descriptions that give you the size to choose based on the material and brand of the Karategi, but we are going to try to teach you how to choose easily here.

In general, you should always choose your uniform 1/2 size to 1 size above your height. For example, if you are 1m73 tall, take a Karategi of 1m75 to 1m80, or even 1m85 for some models.

Before proceeding, let’s make a small point on shrinkage because it will vary considerably depending on the material of your future Karategi:

• 100% cotton Karategis tend to shrink by 2% to 5%.
• Cotton-polyester blends tend to shrink by 0% to 1.5%.
• 100% synthetic materials (polyester, microfiber) hardly shrink at all.

These values are only indicative and provided you do not wash in hot water (30°C max) and do not use a tumble dryer. So for our example, if the Karategi you want is in synthetic material it will not shrink or will shrink very little, so you can take the 175. However, if it is 100% cotton, it will necessarily shrink, so take the 180 instead.

Also consider your build. If you are rather the sturdy type (or well-fed ;-D), take an extra 1/2 size to be comfortable. Remember that you are going to do Karate in your Dogi; you must be able to move without hindrance. On the other hand, if you are rather tall and slender, do not take it too big at the risk of swimming in it.

Also pay attention to the brand. Japanese Karategi (like Tokaido,…) tend to fit true to size. If you don’t like being cramped in your Karategi, take an extra 1/2 size (in our example, the 180). On the other hand, an American brand like Arawaza will fit rather large (You would take the 175).

To return to our example, if you are 1m73 and weigh 84kg (so rather sturdy) and you have chosen a cotton Karategi, take it in 180, or even 185 for some Japanese models (like the Tokaido Kata Master Athletic) with a SlimFit cut. But if you only weigh 65 kg, the 175 model should fit you.

Tip: If you hesitate between two sizes, always take the larger size. Tell yourself that your Karategi will never get bigger, and that it is always possible to cut the sleeves if necessary, but not the reverse. Having a Karategi that is a bit too big is not very serious because you can always adjust it and it will shrink more or less depending on the washing temperature (except for synthetic models). Conversely, a Karategi that is too short is almost unusable because you will not be comfortable practicing your passion daily. You could always recycle it into dishcloths, but that would make for expensive cloths, and it would still be a great pity… In short, better avoid that for your Karategi and your wallet.

However, taking an extra size might force you to adjust the length of the sleeves and legs. On some models, we can have this done for you directly by the manufacturer. It has a cost, but the finishes will be impeccable with the original stitching.

Other tip: Another simple solution for choosing your uniform is to rely on the size of your current uniform. If it fits you well, why change? Take the same size. If it’s tight, add 1/2 size, etc. Be careful, take shrinkage into account. If you had a cotton model and you take a cotton model again, tell yourself that the new one will also shrink. However, if you have chosen a model in synthetic material, remember that it will hardly shrink at all, so take 1/2 size less.

If despite all this advice you still have doubts, you can contact us by indicating the model you wish to order, your height (in cm), and your weight (in kg) as well as your build (rather muscular, thin, belly,…) and we will help you choose the best size for you.

6 – Your custom-made Karategi:

The advice we have just seen will be judicious for the majority of Karateka, but if you are out of the norm, if you are very heavy, like a Sumotori or Arnold Schwarzenegger, or conversely if you are very tall, you should consider choosing a custom-made model.

Of course, you must take into account the extra cost of these models but also the extra time required for manufacturing. In our opinion, this is not a wise choice if you have an average height and build because the cost-to-gain ratio will not be advantageous. However, if you are a competitor or an international level instructor, a custom-made Karategi will be the best choice for you.

7 – Order THE Karategi you need:

Our goal is for you to be able to practice your passion in the best conditions, which is why we want you to receive the Karategi that fits you perfectly and that you are 100% satisfied, so if you have any doubts or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us before ordering.