First Gi

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[Jimmy L]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to aikido but have been doing it for a few weeks and am enjoying it immensely :D and i have been thinking about getting a gi.

Can anyone give me any advice on where to buy one and what type to get.

Thanks, Jamie

[Michael O'Brien]

Jamie,

Many times your dojo or Sensei will be selling gi's and that is your best place to look. If not, then there are a ton of martial arts websites where you can mail order them or if you have a martial arts store local to your town then they will carry them.

Some people prefer the karate gi which is lighter in weight and cooler. Others prefer the judo gi which is a heavier material. This will offer more long term durability from the grabbing and being thrown as well as offer a little extra padding for you as you hit the mat. It also adds a little extra warmth during the cooler months.

I have one of each and generally wear the judo gi over the cooler months or anytime I know we are going to be a lot of falling/throws. Then in the summer, or if I know we will be doing more weapons work I'll break out the karate gi.

Just some thoughts to get you started.

[thomas_dixon]

Here are a few sites if you want to buy on the internet:

http://e-bogu.com
http://judogis.com
http://toraki.com
http://bujindesign.com
http://howardliu.com
http://bogubag.com
http://kodokangear.com
http://karatedepot.com

Most of the sites above have great customer service, so you can ask them if you have any questions regarding their products, and they'll usually reply very swiftly. (that includes questions about sizing, quality of the material, their personal suggestions for you, etc)

Personally I own one of these (http://www.e-bogu.com/product_p/tak-aik-uni-1layer-white-all.htm) and it's been really good so far.

I'd recommend a judogi...the karate ones tend to tear a lot from what I hear, and judogi are simply made to withstand the test of ... well ... Judo ;) :P

[kaishaku]

Absolutely. All the cool kids wear judo gi. I"ve got a Tiger Claw Hayashi that's pretty fantastic, you could full resistance grapple in it without fear -- wait, I do! :D

[thomas_dixon]

Absolutely. All the cool kids wear judo gi. I"ve got a Tiger Claw Hayashi that's pretty fantastic, you could full resistance grapple in it without fear -- wait, I do! :D

My Sensei, and many of the people in my dojo use Tiger Claw Hayashi, and I had it personally recommended to me by a friend of mine who is also a sensei.

The problem was, I couldn't find a place that sold them that had a return policy (that didnt' consist of 'No returns for uniforms.').

[SmilingNage]

When you buy the hvy weight gi beware of placing it in the dryer right away as they will shrink, alot. Wash it a few times and air dry it. Dont place it in the dryer until you are happy with how it fits you after washing it and air drying a few times.

[Ed Stansfield]

Hello,

Personally, I prefer a judo gi to a karate one. Sometimes though, as a beginner, you might just want to get a gi that looks like everyone elses . . .

A UK website that sells what are described as "Aikido Gis" is ninecircles (http://www.ninecircles.co.uk) but I've never ordered from them or seen any of their stuff, so I can't recommend one way or the other.

My advice would be to talk to the people at your club and if there's someone your size who has a gi that seems to fit them, find out where they got it and what size it is.

Best,

Ed

[j0nharris]

Often times buying them through the dojo can get you a better price... as a dojo, we get a discount from our supplier that we can pass on to our students.
Then by the time the holidays roll around, all your family will see how much you love aikido, & you can get a top quality gi as a gift from someone! ;)

[kaishaku]

My Sensei, and many of the people in my dojo use Tiger Claw Hayashi, and I had it personally recommended to me by a friend of mine who is also a sensei.

The problem was, I couldn't find a place that sold them that had a return policy (that didnt' consist of 'No returns for uniforms.').

I got mine from a local shop, the owner of which looked at me and said "Six two? Hm. Try on this 6." I did, and it seemed ridiculously large -- but once I washed and dried it, it fit perfectly. :D One of the disadvantages of buying online....

[Dajo251]

Absolutely. All the cool kids wear judo gi. I"ve got a Tiger Claw Hayashi that's pretty fantastic, you could full resistance grapple in it without fear -- wait, I do! :D
I have a bad habit of blowing out the seems onthe pants of tigerclaw gis, the tops are great,

[thomas_dixon]

I got mine from a local shop, the owner of which looked at me and said "Six two? Hm. Try on this 6." I did, and it seemed ridiculously large -- but once I washed and dried it, it fit perfectly. :D One of the disadvantages of buying online....

Not exactly. I wrote the owner of judogis.com (really nice guy named Russ) and e-bogu.com support (Mr. Toya is very helpful) and they both helped me pick out a size which fits nicely. (They're all martial artists who have a good amount of experience so thats always a plus)

You do have to take into account shrinkage, but hang drying heavyweight judo uwagi (top)? Those things are like towels...it'd take _days_ for them to dry. I tried it and it didn't work out. I just put it in the dryer on high heat and let it dry. Even when I pull it out after 30 or so minutes and the rest of the dogi is bone dry the lapels on the uwagi are still damp :P The zuban (pants) are another story though..they're usually much thinner than the top, so I suppose hang drying them wouldn't be a problem.

Just my opinion.

Oh yeah...suggestion: Don't wear a colored shirt under the dogi that isn't a synthetic fiber (i.e don't wear a black/red/blue cotton shirt, a white one is fine) as you may get dye transfer...I still have some lavander areas on the inner seam of the zuban :hypno: It was a stupid thing to do, but I figured that out the hard way.

[kaishaku]

You do have to take into account shrinkage, but hang drying heavyweight judo uwagi (top)? Those things are like towels...it'd take _days_ for them to dry.

Two days does the trick, actually. I come home after Monday morning class, hand wash my gi, hang it up, and by Wednesday morning it's dry.

[Jimmy L]

Thanks for all the help guys :) .

Also what colour of Gi should i get - as a begginer is it normal to get a white gi or does it not matter?

[Dajo251]

ask your sensei what color, most of the time white is the norm for aikido

[Neal Earhart]

As previous posters have mentioned, ask your Sensei regarding your Gi selection. Your Dojo may have Gi for sale, and/or your Sensei may recommend a vendor.

Since you have just started, one Gi is probably sufficient. You should be able to easily wash and dry it between classes. Wash your Gi after each practice...nobody likes working out with people whose Gi has developed an unpleasant odor ;) As you continue to practice, you will find the need to have multiple Gi's.

I personally prefer Judo Gi, since they tend to last longer than Karate Gi, especially the lightweight ones. However, there are a lot of people who use Karate Gi.

A couple other vendors for Gi are:

http://us.hatashita.com/
http://tozando.com/en/index.html

After practicing for a few months/years, you will eventually find what is most comfortable for you ;)

[Jimmy L]

Thanks for all the help.

I have now bought a gi. It is a white judo gi and i am looking forward very much to trying it out next week.

:D Thanks again :D

[Dajo251]

it'll be stiff and kinda uncomforable at first, but dont worry that will fade

[Jimmy L]

It should be i guess, but ( luckly? ) i managed to get mine second hand from a friend's uncle who used to do aikido so it is very soft and great to wear :D