Do you fold your gi?

Do you fold your GI?

I always fold it properly after washing it however I must admit that sometimes I just kinda fold it and throw it in my gear bag after class.

Of course - here in Japan, everybody is watching.

I never iron it but yes I fold it.
Do respect your tools and they will respect you.
And a folded gi takes less space in my bag than a messy stuffed one. And of course it is in better shape when you use it the next time. And unless it smells I only wash it after wearing it twice or three times.

Regards

Dirk

The only time my gi is not folded is when 1) I am wearing it 2) it is hanging up in my closet or the dressing room 3) it is in the laundry basket.

In gassho,

Mark

I wash mine after every use. I have three (all Judo style GI) and I like to use my KI brand. If I don't wash it after every use you can tell.

My least favorite is an unbleached GI that is my back-up as it doesn't seem to feel right on me even though it fits.

As for folding, traditional folding involves tying your belt around the folded GI right? That's how I was tought.

Mine generally remains on a cloathes hanger till I wear it. I have a kit bag thats big enough for me to transport it whilst still on the hanger, but I would fold it if that was not the case.

I never fold mine. I have no time to fold it.

When I wash it, it hangs dry. It goes from that into a gym bag to get to the club. Then after practice it is so covered in sweat and god knows what else that I wouldn't dare wear it again without washing. So folding is just a waste of time. It goes back into the bag, then straight into the washer or hamper.

Always fold my Gi. The cotton over time will develop habits. By keeping the Gi folded I hope to encourage good habits. Many of my Gi(s) don't need to be ironed as they have developed good habits.

It is also part of the practice for me. A reminder of why I am at the dojo, to work on myself. The simple practice of folding my Gi is a reminder to slow down and concentrate on the task at hand. The folding becomes a disconnect from the multi tasking lives we live these days.

The only time I don't fold my Gi, usually happens after my private weapons practice. In which case, I don't sweat a lot and plan to re use that gi for training later that day. I will hang it up to air dry. Training in a dank Gi is zero fun.

Never fold my Gi (I own 3). After using it I put it in the dirty basket from where it goes streight to the washmachine. Once it is washed I hang it in my living room area to dry and it stays there till I need it (as soon as in my home you see Gi's everywhere LOL). I wear the Gi bottom from when I leave home, while I carry my Gi top with me in the car with no bag. I take the Gi top to the dojo (10 seconds away from where I park the car), wear it, use it and then take it back home to redo everything again.

William Oakes wrote: Always fold my Gi. The cotton over time will develop habits. By keeping the Gi folded I hope to encourage good habits. Many of my Gi(s) don't need to be ironed as they have developed good habits..

Funny, my sleeves are developing almost dangerously-pronounced creases along the length of the sleeve (from shoulder to cuff) from being folded. Not so sure that is all that good, either for the fabric (seems to be fraying along crease) or for me.

folded to and from home, hanging on the hook in my locker otherwise, or wadded in the hamper in the laundry room.
no fuss
Lan

If I didn't fold it , it would never fit in my dojo bag.

At home, if I left it laying around unfolded, the cats would sleep on it (yuck)

Erik Jacobson wrote: As for folding, traditional folding involves tying your belt around the folded GI right? That's how I was tought.

I used to carry mine on a hanger but the it kept slipping off. Now I roll it up instead of folding.

David

Erik Jacobson wrote: Do you fold your GI? I always fold it properly after washing it however I must admit that sometimes I just kinda fold it and throw it in my gear bag after class.

Is this because you are tired, lazy, or plan to wash it?

In our dojo the yudansha fold up their own hakama after class (unlike in the university club, where a kohai wil do it for you) and they also fold up their keikogi. Many kyu grade students fold up their kit very carefully after practice. I think it has become part of the 'dojo culture'. It is part of the training.

In the Aikikai Hombu Dojo I believe you can leave your keikogi hanging up. This is also a custom in our university kendo club and in some other aikido dojos.

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: Is this because you are tired, lazy, or plan to wash it?

I wash my GI after every use. I fold it properly after I wash it and dry it and pack it into my gear bag so it will be ready to grab on my way to the dojo.

After class, most of the time I fold it up and place it in my gear bag but I don't fold it properly. Once in a while I don't fold it at all; I just throw it in my bag. It is not because I am tired. It is mostly because I am lazy. I will admit that.

After reading some of the responses here, I think I will properly fold my GI every time I am not wearing it. Out of respect to my gear as well as to give me time to slow down and take in the formality of the atmosphere and training I received.

Frankly, by the time I get my hakama wrestled back into some semblance of order, I'm too worn out to worry much about the gi.

I developed "my own" packing system, so all fits in an standard small east... äh... back-pack.
I think folding is the key for fitting :-)

The towel nearest to the back. Then the uwagi. Then the zubon... to give a clean and dry base for the hakama. The last layer is build by my zori. And there is always left enough space for my obi at the top of the backpack.

Building a shell for the hakama is the second major idea of this module-system.

But packing is just for transportation.
At home gi and hakama are hanging.
And in the dojo they are used...
...that means folding before AND after training...
...so keep on folding ;-)

Hello Erik,

I used to do everything you did in Post # 5, but when I became a yudansha, the hakama prevented the neat parcel of uwagi and zubon tied together with the obi. In any case, I now use a wider obi, which is not tied in a knot and does not lend itself to being wrapped round the keikogi.

So, after class I fold my hakama in one of a wide variety of ways: the way I prefer is the Yoshinkan style, I believe. Then the uwagi and zubon are folded and put in my bag. I think I do this because I am the head of the dojo and need to give an example, especially to younger Japanese males, who probably have never had to fold anything in their lives: their mothers always did it for them--it was a sign of successful Japanese motherhood.

Best wishes,

I don't fold my keikogi the way the picture in the beginning showed, but I do fold it to fit it in my bag. Unless I'm in a real hurry for some reason. At home the keikogi goes on a hanger to air or after washing to dry. The folding doesn't have any special meaning to me, I'm a girl and accustomed to folding my clothes in general...

kvaak
Pauliina

I fold my gi. Looking at the fudebakudo hakama fold on youtube I came across this shirt fold that's also handy.

Kevin Morrison wrote: I fold my gi. Looking at the fudebakudo hakama fold on youtube I came across this shirt fold that's also handy.

Nice. Not sure if I could use it to fold my GI though.

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: the way I prefer is the Yoshinkan style, I believe.

Okay -- so I have to ask. The Yoshinkan style?

I have a variety ways of folding/rolling up my gi, depending on the mood I'm in and which bag I'm using. I have gi's of various thickness so that factors in. But I always store it neatly whether in my bag or at home.

Now my daughter on the other hand....

I hang it. Washer to the hanger. My changing room is just off the mat.

Since this thread, I have started to fold my GI after practice slowly but not ritualistically.

It is starting to catch on as other kyu students are starting to do the same at the dojo.

It kind of adds a closing to the day's training as well as reminds me of the formality of the GI. I have begun to reflect on what was taught during class during that time without letting it become repetitious or ritualistic.

I hope this feeling doesn't wear off.