Which Dogi?
 

I am looking to purchase a new dogi in the near future and I was wondering what the learned have to say on the subject. I have narrowed my selection to a few possibilities(Ronin's Judo/Jujitsu dogi, Anshin's Uwagi, or E-Bugo's Master Quality Uniform), but feel free to chime in your own preferences. Also, is there any advantage to unbleached over bleached aside from saving a few bucks in the price? Thanks in advance.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

I think I got the lightest gi from e-bogu, the jacket is still in good shape, but the fabric tore in the crotch, not the seam, the actual fabric. So maybe try a heavier gi if you go with e-bogu

I would recommend the unbleaches, unless your dojo has a dress code. The white shows sweat stains and mat dirt after a while, the unbleached is already that color.

good luck

CD

Re: Which Dogi?
 

If you get it white you'll be tempted to bleach it, which I'm told shortens its lifespan horribly.

Mary Kaye

Re: Which Dogi?
 

The only gi I wear is Howard Combat Kimono They have gi for bjj and judo. Most durable gi I've ever had.

Regards,

Paul

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Bu-Jin top with Iwata pants.

Bu-Jin pants aren't doubled to the knees, and Iwata jacket is sooooo heavy and thick.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Bu Jin; love the zipper pants.
My Bu Jin pants are...

Re: Which Dogi?
 

I recently bought the forty ounce gi from e-bogu. its pretty nice as best I can tell. I havn't trained in it for very long though, so no ripped pants. unless you have a really big frame I would go with the size down from their sizing chart. I ordered the one for my height and had to send it back it was huge, and I'm pretty big for my height.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Huh! Mine are (unless we're using the terms differently.)

I like Bujin all the way.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Howard Combat Kimono (HCK) pants are double thick from mid-thigh to ankle. They may also be purchased separately.

Regards,

Paul

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Sorry: I meant that though the Bu-Jin pants are doubled at the knees, they are not doubled from the knee all the way down to the bottom hem of the pants, like Iwata.

Don't get me wrong; I think Bu-Jin stuff is great ( I have 2 full Gis from them, paid my CDN$ pesos for them too!), but like most pants that fit me well otherwise, the patches fail at the lower seem...right where my knees pivot on them for shikko. I am 6 ft, 34 in. waist, 175lbs. Not huge, not tiny, just average, and every single darn pants I have owned (not just Bu-Jin in fairness) fail in the same darn spots.

My Iwata pants are the closest I have come to that hakama-like sensation of multiple layers of fabric sliding nicely (ahh, how I miss the ASU hakama-before-shodan days).

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Wow,
You all picked up on THAT one quick!

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Wow, interesting. How long did it take yours to start coming apart? Do you do lots of suwari waza?

Re: Which Dogi?
 

We normally do 2 laps of (anywhere between 4x6 tatamis to 6x6 tatamis) shikko, and perhaps average one or two suwari waza techniques, and every class ends with (what we call) kokyu ho.

The Bu-Jin (12oz?) pants began failing after about 2 years, which included a 3-week 2 sessions per day every day trip. They have outlasted every other pants hands down (so far), but I will no longer buy any pant with a knee patch area that does not go all the way to the hem.

It was by pure luck the Iwata ones did, but once I tried one lap of the mats, putting on any others pants is not something I look forward to. Maybe it's just my sharp bony knees....

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Yeah, that's probably more suwari waza stress than my pants get. Oh well, I guess this is the right place to use "YMMV" :)

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Actually, I'm on the other end; at 5'4", the bujin patches start just below my knees on the pairs I've bought, so I had my tailor do a little work on them. Maybe they could start making all the sizes in short, regular, and tall! I'd bet they'd customize them, too, for a few $$.

-jon

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Y'know, it's funny; when standing, the patches are just where they should be, covering my knees perfectly.
Drop to seiza, and the whole patch rides up so that it is covering the lower half of my thigh nicely, and the bottom 1/4 of the patch just covers my knee, and the seem lines up perfectly with where I pivot.

Oh, and Paul? I visited the HKC site (scary looking dude!); any idea where I can find price/size/ordering info there?

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Nick,

The scary looking guy is Fabiano Iha, a super-nice guy by all accounts. You can think of him as a "celebrity endorsement".

You may order pants at this link On the left hand side is the price for white or blue ($30 US). Make sure you use the sizing chart (on the left hand side).

For a complete gi, I would order the competition single Again, the left hand side shows the price to range from $50 (unbleached) to $80 (blue). Make sure you use the sizing chart (on the left hand side).

Regards,

Paul

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Since we've all been going on about how much we love our bujin dogis... As I was changing for class last night, the buckle on the drawstring fell apart!! :hypno:
Luckily my wife was running late, and was able to bring another pair from home for me!
Bu-Jin is always on top of things, though, and offered to send me a replacement buckle to put on them :). And I've certainly put a couple of years' wear on them, too.

jon

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Does anyone have a Gi from Tozando? Curious about the quality of their products.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Man, if I would have known about Tozando while I was in Kyoto a couple of years ago...!

Re: Which Dogi?
 

! We haven't had bleach in our house for at least 10 years -- though it's great for making dioxins in the environment.
Try a laundry grade hydrogen peroxide, a.k.a. non-chlorine bleach, to get those sweat, grass, and blood stains out.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Has anyone experienced Mark Swain's single weave Gi (sold by Century)? comment/review ? Thanks

Re: Which Dogi?
 

My first Judo gi was purchased from Century. It has held up pretty well over the past 5 years or so and has only recently started fraying in a couple of small spots on the collar where my beard rubs it. Otherwise it is still in good shape and I still wear it. Our mats are covered in a heavy felt-like carpet so I am constantly picking little blue fibers off of it. I wanted to buy new equipment all around (replaced my red oak weapons with traditional Japanese whit oak already) so I began looking for a dogi that was a bit heavier and of higher quality than what I had. I'm also looking at a new hakama from E-Bogu. It's the Tetron model that is slightly shorter on the inseam than on the outseam. Maybe then I won't trip on the fabric when I try to stand up. As for my old Century gi, well, I'll try dying it blue and keep using it in rotation with the others.

Re: Which Dogi?
 

I've got a tetron hakama from E-bogu. It fits better than the custom one I got from Bujin and at a much more reasonable price. My advice though is to cut off the plastic spoon in the back before you wear it. Saw some one at camp with one similar to mine who's spoon ripped off, leaving a gaping hole at the base of the koshiita.

As far as judo gi go I really like the Mizuno single weave. The Academy of Karate Martial Art Supplies has the best price I've found on the web. Just type Mizuno into the search field on the upper left.

Bronson

Re: Which Dogi?
 

Go unbleached, normal laundry detergent will whiten it up over time and multiple washings.