Making your own Gi and Hakama

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[bob_stra]

Not sure *which* forum is the right one for this, so I'll play it safe and post here.

Situation - penny pinching tightwad doesn't want to fork out $300+ for a new hakama + gi.

Is it possible to make a hakama from scratch and if so are there...ummm...."blueprints" anyplace on line? Material suggestions?

Also, for aikido I need a dark blue gi top with black gi bottom. I have a spare white gi, so could I perhaps dye it. Is that likely to work given the gi material?

[otto]

You can find Hakama Sewing Kits here:

P A T T E R N S & K I T S (http://www.round-earth.com/patterns.html)

I was going to buy these kits , thought i had problems with my credit card and international orders because of a damn Exchange control the government established here recently...so I cant comment on the quality of it.

However Carol Shiflett (Author of a couple of books on Ki Aikido , and Head of the Company I understand) contacted me directly via email , and was very reassuring about the item.

Never seen Gi patterns so far.

Hope it Helps.

Plus KI!.

[Bronson]

Search through your freinds and find one that sews and will be willing to help you, it'll go much much faster.

When I needed a new fencing jacket one of my seamstress friends helped me. I borrowed one and she was able to make a pattern from it, adjust it to my size and show me how to pin it together. She then showed me how to run the sewing machine and I sewed it and she checked it out to make sure it was good.

I know a few people who have made gi by making a pattern from an existing one. Most of them are not expert tailors, but have sewn before.

Bronson

[JJF]

I just borrowed a hakama from a friend, and spend an afternoon measuring every little fold and feature. Then a couple of hours with paper models, pencil and a calculator (I could'nt get fabric in the right width). My mom helped a bit. Then I used an old bed-sheet to make a rough draft before getting down to som serious sewing. All in all took me a good weekend, but it was far from perfect. My next hakama was better, but I don't use it much, as it's a bit too heavy. These days I use a 'store bought' hakama.

Concider whether it would be better to spend a few days on extra work to earn enough for the hakama or spend the time sewing and risk not getting a perfect result. Your call.

A bit of advice though: remember to wash the fabric BEFORE you start cutting.

Have fun

[Anne]

Hi Bob,

I have found some patterns on the internet and derived my own from combining them. The result sure isn't perfect but very close (still got no convincing koshiita solution though...) I posted everything in a thread called "home made hakama" You can still find it by searching for it. I can't repost/upload the patterns as my own pc is offline at the moment (posting from work right now :D ) But if you'd like to know some more details, feel free to drop me an email.

Good luck & have fun

Anne

[KaitlinCostello]

Situation - penny pinching tightwad doesn't want to fork out $300+ for a new hakama + gi.

Is it possible to make a hakama from scratch and if so are there...ummm...."blueprints" anyplace on line? Material suggestions?

Also, for aikido I need a dark blue gi top with black gi bottom. I have a spare white gi, so could I perhaps dye it. Is that likely to work given the gi material?
Almost anything has the possibility of being made from scratch. My “summer” project is to make my own training grade Hakama (1-3 depending on how much fabric it takes). I guess I lucked out. I got a synthetic cotton blend at $1 a yard and bought about 12 yards (the fabric is a yard and a half wide also, which makes measurements oh so much easier.

Depending on your hip/waist measurements, combined with the overall length you will need, a hakama, by the math, takes anywhere from 3- 5 yards. I’ve got some really great correspondence on hakama sewing from Janet somewhere which I could forward you.

Please feel free to contact me off list about this matter- I’ve been sewing “exotic” garments like this for about six years now.

Best Wishes,

Kate

[KaitlinCostello]

Oooh a really good Koshiita solution I've found to work: take a really stiff fabric like denim or even a few folds of heavy grade cotton, sew around the edges and then in line across the koshiita about 1/4 of a in a part. This makes for a strong but flexible and rolling safe koshiita. Simply cover it with fabric you've got a nice durable koshiita.

I've even sewn one with a "catch" so that the koshiita can be removed and hand washed.

Best Regards,
Kate

[erikmenzel]

A friend of mine uses the soft and foamy mousepads (you know, the thingy next to your computer on which your mouse moves, kind of a mouse tatami :D ) to replace the stiff and inflexible koshiita.

[Guilty Spark]

Just a question about the Hakama. Whats the etiquette on wearing one? I was always under the assumption that you only start to wear one when you achieve the rank of Shodan.

[Dirk Hanss]

Just a question about the Hakama. Whats the etiquette on wearing one? I was always under the assumption that you only start to wear one when you achieve the rank of Shodan.
That is true and not true.
Some organisations only allow hakama at Yudansha level. Even there some dojo allow their students to wear hakama at Ikkyu or nikyu level in the dojo, but not outside (demonstration, seminars, etc.)
Some organisations allow white hakama for mudansha - not required - and black or navy hakama for yudansha (mandatory)
And some organisations allow black or navy hakama for everyone and expect students to wear one soon after the first grading (6th or 5th kyu).

So in a dojo, you better ask the sensei - or any senior person. On seminars you better do as this organisation does. If it is explicitely inviting other styles, and you ask, you may very often been told "do it as you do in your home dojo". I just do not want people to expect more from me than I can show. So I only wear hakama, when the hosts are used to see it on my level.

Some organisations even do not wear hakama at all or only in dedicated classes or demonstrations.


Best regards Dirk