Best places to buy an aikido gi in the UK?

Hi,

I would really like a gi with 3/4 length sleeves as I keep needing to roll mine up but I'm struggling to find one. I was looking at Tozando but although it looks high quality, it seems with the shipping and duties it'll come to a fair amount of money.

I also was wondering if there are any slim women here, and whether you get your gi tailored? I'm 5'7 and about 110lbs, and I have a second hand gi the dojo kindly donated to me and the top is 170cm and the bottoms are 160 - a bit short but too baggy. Hoping to bulk up a little bit anyway but I'm still not sure what size gi to buy!

https://www.ninecircles.co.uk/Clothi...shiko_Ori.aspx

Our little club has bought many of these keiko-gi's. They suit the girls as well as the boys, and yes they have 3/4 length sleeves.

From our experience, the size you choose will seem a little too large when you first try it. They do shrink with washing and drying of course, but if you're quite slim it might be worth trying a size smaller. The intermediate weight is recommended for durability and holding its shape. It's not Tozando, Seido or Iwata quality, but it's a good working keiko-gi.

Certainly you can email NineCircles to get their recommendation for your proportions. They're pretty responsive.

I second ninecircles, I have a dojo wholesale account with them and they're really good. Also blitzsport seem to do ok judo keikogi but I've found the quality variable over the years, my first ever gi fits fine but same make and size doesn't, or I've had it that people order them and they get something so long it may as well be a lab coat.

Been a while since I shopped around so I'd love some new places to try, there was a place called budo-design someone recommended to me but I looked and they had the kanji for aikido embroidered on the back of the neck of the gi.

Thank you both!

I did buy a 160cm gi from ninecircles, the sleeves were the right length but the pants were too short (legs were 3/4 length on me) but it was way too wide so I wasn't sure if shrinking in the wash it would help. I bought the zen cotton gi (£28 without VAT) so maybe the other ones work out better.

I am very tempted by Tozando but it'd be even worse if the gi I ordered from Japan didn't fit, not sure how much returns would cost!

Has anyone had any luck buying a judo gi for example and just taking up the sleeves to make them 3/4 length?

Melissa Burke wrote: Thank you both! I did buy a 160cm gi from ninecircles, the sleeves were the right length but the pants were too short (legs were 3/4 length on me) but it was way too wide so I wasn't sure if shrinking in the wash it would help. I bought the zen cotton gi (£28 without VAT) so maybe the other ones work out better. I am very tempted by Tozando but it'd be even worse if the gi I ordered from Japan didn't fit, not sure how much returns would cost! Has anyone had any luck buying a judo gi for example and just taking up the sleeves to make them 3/4 length?

Done that. Easy

Robin Boyd wrote: Done that. Easy

Is there a tutorial somewhere for taking up a gi? I might have to take it to a tailors lol