How To Choose The Best Karate Gi!

Are you choosing the best Karate Gi for yourself? Find out the six components that you should be looking for in this video. Hi, I'm Yusuke, a karate coach in Japan, and thank you so much for checking out today's video. The first half is going to be dedicated to Kata and Kihon Dogi, like I'm wearing right now. And the second half is going to be for Kumite Dogi. There are slight differences in the aspects that you should be looking for, so let's get right into it. So, as for your Kata or Kihon Dogi or Karate Gi, these four are what you should be looking for. Let's start from the top. So, the first point is how long this arm part is. To give you a brief answer, the length should be around the wrist area to the elbow, in between these areas. If it's longer than your wrist, then... Actually, I'm bending this, so it was too long for me. When I punch, it comes around here. And it's very, very bothering when you have this part hitting your hand every time you do a technique. So, make sure at the longest, you have it here. And the shortest, here. Yeah, I understand that depending on your style, some people have it like here. But usually, when you do competitions, it's around these areas. The second point is about the jacket part, but how long the bottom should be. Take a look at this photo. This one, I would consider it to be a little too long. When you do stances, I'm pretty sure it's going to be flopping around your knee area. And that's going to be also very bothering when you move. But take a look at this one. This one might be too short that the Dogi might come up as you train. Therefore, I recommend the length to be around this photo. So, around the middle part of your thigh. That way, it's not going to come up or come down too much. And you're not going to be bothered by those parts. The third component is how wide each part of your Dogi is going to be. Especially your arm, your thigh, around your pelvis area, and your shoulders, you should be considering a lot. In my case, my shoulder ends right here. However, the shoulder line of my Dogi is here and here. Therefore, I'm able to move around. In the recent, you know, the big silhouette kind of trend, right? They have that bulky clothes trend. It's the same thing. So, when the shoulder line is around here, it's easier for you to move. However, let's say my shoulder is here. But if the Dogi shoulder line is here, it's going to be tight around my shoulders. Same thing for the arm. Right now, my arm ends like this. But the Dogi comes all the way here. So, I'm able to, you know, move around freely. Another important point is your thigh. Make sure you have enough space in your thigh area, so that when you take stances, it's not going to be sticking to your leg. The last part is how well-made each end of the Dogi is. Meaning this part, okay? When you have a good Dogi, this end and normal material should be made differently. For my Dogi, I think it's bent over once and stitched together. When you have this part well-made, it's not going to be worn out so easily over the years. However, if this part is just normal, just the same material as these parts, it's going to wear off very easily. So, make sure you look at that part very clearly. However, don't have it too heavy. If there's a too large of a difference between this part and this part, it's going to feel unnatural. So, make sure you look at that as well. Also, a small preference that I have as a Shotokan practitioner is to have the Dogi a little bit narrow compared to Goju-Ryu and Shito-Ryu people. Their Kata is very dynamic, and I guess it's easier for them to move. It looks better when they have bulky, big Dogi. However, Shotokan has more linear movement, and it has like a very... How do you call it? Like a spear-like imagery. Therefore, I think it looks better and it's easier for you in Kata competitions to have your Dogi a little bit thin. So, if you already own a Kata Dogi, please let me know which brand you guys wear. I'm interested in what parts of the world has different preferences for Dogi brands, so let me know in the comment section below. If you still like to improve karate in this difficult era, then please consider looking at my online group lesson from up here. You can join the first lesson for free, so I consider you taking a look and decide if you want to join or not. So, moving on to the Kumite Dogi. There are two more aspects that you should be looking at. I added on to the four components we've talked about in the first half, so let me introduce them. The first component is the weight. The lighter it is, the easier it'll be for you to move in Kumite. For this one, I believe this one is around half or one-third the weight of my Kata Dogi. It's very light, and it dries very quickly. So, make sure you go to the website of each brand. I'm sure they have the weight, so compare it and see which one suits you better. The second component is the thickness of your Dogi. Make sure your Dogi is not too thin, because people can see through them once you get sweaty, and that's not good. So, for this Dogi, you can't really see through it. However, I remember a Dogi from, I forgot, maybe it was Shureido. It was called Tsubasa, and they made it so light and so thin that after you're getting sweaty, they can see through you, and your underwear too, so I don't want you to have that trouble. So, make sure if you can, go to a retail store and look at the clothes and see if it's not, you know, too thin or not. Well, overall, tailor-made Dogis are the best options for you. However, it's difficult to get that in certain countries, or it gets pricey at some point, so make sure you go to the website. Measure yourself first, go to the website, see if it matches your body, and try it out. So, if there's a certain Kumite Karate Gi that you like to wear, then please share that with the Karate Dojo Waku family, so everybody can learn from you. Also, check out these two videos, like my video, subscribe, and share this with your friend who's trying to look for a new Dogi. Well, I'll see you guys next time.