Welcome to AikiWeb Aikido Information
AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information
AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

Sections
home
aikido articles
columns

Discussions
forums
aikiblogs

Databases
dojo search
seminars
image gallery
supplies
links directory

Reviews
book reviews
video reviews
dvd reviews
equip. reviews

News
submit
archive

Miscellaneous
newsletter
rss feeds
polls
about

Follow us on



Home > AikiWeb Aikido Forums
Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > General

Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history, humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced features available, you will need to register first. Registration is absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 04-23-2003, 03:18 PM   #1
bob_stra
Location: Australia
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 641
Australia
Offline
Making your own Gi and Hakama

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?
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2003, 03:27 PM   #2
otto
Dojo: Independent
Location: Maracaibo/Zulia
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 149
Venezuela
Offline
Hakama Pattern

You can find Hakama Sewing Kits here:

P A T T E R N S & K I T S

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!.

"Perfection is a Process"
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2003, 08:13 AM   #3
Bronson
 
Bronson's Avatar
Dojo: Seiwa Dojo and Southside Dojo
Location: Battle Creek & Kalamazoo, MI
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,677
Offline
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

"A pacifist is not really a pacifist if he is unable to make a choice between violence and non-violence. A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence."
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-25-2003, 12:36 PM   #4
JJF
 
JJF's Avatar
Dojo: Vestfyn Aikikai Denmark
Location: Vissenbjerg
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 803
Denmark
Offline
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

- Jørgen Jakob Friis

Inspiration - Aspiration - Perspiration
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2003, 04:49 AM   #5
Anne
Dojo: Kiel University/VfL Fosite Helgoland
Location: Helgoland, Germany
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 113
Offline
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 ) But if you'd like to know some more details, feel free to drop me an email.

Good luck & have fun

Anne

"You have to do difficult things to grow." (Shoji Nishio Sensei)
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2003, 08:30 AM   #6
KaitlinCostello
 
KaitlinCostello's Avatar
Location: Commerce City, Co
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 47
United_States
Offline
Quote:
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

~~No smile is as beautiful as the one that struggles through tears.~~
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2003, 08:34 AM   #7
KaitlinCostello
 
KaitlinCostello's Avatar
Location: Commerce City, Co
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 47
United_States
Offline
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

~~No smile is as beautiful as the one that struggles through tears.~~
  Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2003, 09:27 AM   #8
erikmenzel
  AikiWeb Forums Contributing Member
 
erikmenzel's Avatar
Dojo: Koshinkai Leeuwarden
Location: Leeuwarden
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 594
Netherlands
Offline
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 ) to replace the stiff and inflexible koshiita.

Erik Jurrien Menzel
kokoro o makuru taisanmen ni hirake
Personal:www.kuipers-menzel.com
  Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2006, 05:24 PM   #9
Guilty Spark
 
Guilty Spark's Avatar
Location: Flordia
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 300
United_States
Offline
Re: Making your own Gi and Hakama

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.
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2006, 01:30 AM   #10
Dirk Hanss
 
Dirk Hanss's Avatar
Dojo: Aikidoschule Trier
Location: Merzkirchen
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 470
Germany
Offline
Re: Making your own Gi and Hakama

Quote:
Grant Wagar wrote:
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
  Reply With Quote

Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Wearing Hakama Shouri (Steve) General 92 11-20-2014 09:32 AM
Hakama for non-yudansha SeanToner General 78 11-20-2008 01:27 PM
Hakama FAQ DaveO Humor 24 11-02-2004 05:22 PM
care of hakama and how to wear it. Steven Tame General 5 09-15-2003 01:52 AM
Hakama or no hakama. nmarques General 40 06-13-2002 06:57 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:20 AM.



vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
----------
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
----------
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
plainlaid-picaresque outchasing-protistan explicantia-altarage seaford-stellionate