Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

Discuss the article, "Customizing the Dogi" by "The Mirror" here.

Article URL: http://www.aikiweb.com/columns/themirror/2005_11.html

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

hmmm....I just looked at the pants...yknow, I think for the full "potholder" effect, I used 2 layers of Pellon fleece! you can use one layer, as described in the article, for a more um, rational and normal, padding :-)

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

That was a good article Janet. A follow-up article idea for us severely sewing challenged folks is a how-to on sewing hems. Many dogi legs and arms are too long. People roll them up and they unroll in a few minutes.

BTW - some martial arts stores sell pants that have elastic waistbands. I got one of mine from www.kimpacific.com (site's down this instant) and they have elastic plus a nylon drawstring. I usually tie the drawstring just in case but the elastic alone should work for the average class. I definitely prefer the nylon drawstring over the traditional cotton string as the cotton ones seem to seize in place after a particularly energetic class and I'm left standing in the changing room trying to get the string to slide even a fraction of an inch so I can get the pants off. I definitely don't need to worry about these falling off! :blush:

Marc

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

Bu Jin does elastic-plus-drawstring pants too. I take the drawstring out and discard it--the elastic works great. After getting skinned out of my old drawstring pants in an overly energetic ikkyo, I would not willingly go back to that style!

How about blown-out knees on the pants? I keep sewing up the holes but my attempts only last a month or so.

Mary Kaye

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

I add elastic to my drawstring pants. Just thread it through alongside the drawstring and (machine) sew the ends together with about a 1" (25mm) overlap. Personally, I've found the easiest way to thread it through is to tape it to a chopstick.

I like Marc's idea of replacing the cotton drawstring with a synthetic one, I'll definitely give that a try.

I usually find new pants a bit too long, and the waist a little high (or the crotch too low, depending on how you look at it), so I usually lower the waist a bit rather than turning them up at the ankle. Its pretty simple to do with a machine, though I imagine it'd be rather tedious by hand.

Sean
x

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

great feedback, folks--thanks!
marc, instructions on machine or hand hemming are not unique to aikido, so I wouldn't want to spend a column on it. For gi pants I'd just cut off the excess, leaving one inch more than desired finished length, turn to the inside 1/2" and press, then turn again 1/2" to "bury" the raw cut edge, press again, pin, and sew.
mary, blown out knees just as in jeans should be patched--you want to use prewashedfabric of similar weight/color to the pants (for gi pants I'd look for a lightweight all cotton twill as a lightwt plain weave won't hold up so well)--cut it with at least 1" margin larger than hole on all 4 sides and stitch in place. For aikido use, I'd recommend TWO patches, one on outside and one on insede, so the hole is sandwiched between two good layers (and a great opportunity to add knee padding!)

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

Personally, I prefer drawstring ties to elastic.

But if someone is removing the drawstring from their dogi zubon, it seems to me that the spare drawstring would make quite a few modesty-ties for dogi jackets, with a little more style conformity that a shoestring.

Just a thought....

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

"Modesty ties" are common on the blue, kendo-style dogi tops, although they're usually cut a little differently.

- Mike

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

They're on all kendogi, no matter the color: blue, white, "natural", two-tone musashi, etc.

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

Yeah, that's what I've done. I cut up old gi pants for knee patches and use the drawstring for modesty ties.

What I like to do for knees is sew a patch that goes all the way from above the knee to the ankle, on new pants already. Except for my Matsuru pants that have double material on the front of the pant legs anyway. Matsuru is the best. :)

kvaak
Pauliina
who likes drawstring pants

Re: Article: Customizing the Dogi by "The Mirror"
 

you make it look almost simple :hypno: even to me! i am a coward though so i think i will stick to the good-old rolling of the sleeves every minute or so :P
no way i am going to torture myself with all those threads and niddles :D