You may be wondering what the top Karate Gi available are and where to buy one. We look at the professional World Karate Federation approved Karate Gi models, and which competitors are wearing them.
In this list, we will discuss what makes a Gi Brand great, and what to look for when shopping for your next WKF Karate Gi.
The Top 5 Rated Karate Gi cost on average $247 each. This price can vary due to sizing, we used a size 5 for the adult competitor average.
We've sampled some athletes representing our top rated Karate Gi Brands. Here are the results!
Kumite: Amir Mehdizadeh, Anzhelika Terliuga, Ayumi Uekusa, Luigi Busa, Rafael Aghayev, Junior Lefevre, Naoto Sago, Tom Scott, and Zabiollah Poorshab.
Kata: Ryo Kiyuna, Andrea Anacan, Samantha Van Lokven, Yuki Ujihara, Cassandra Sampieti, Emiri Iwamoto, Kiyou Shimizu.
Kata: Rika Usami, Grace Lau, Antonio Diaz, Ariel Torrez, Sakura Kokomai.
Kata: Sandra Sanchez, Damian Quintero.
Karate Gi (空手着 ) : The karategi , or karategui in the original Japanese katakana syllabary) is a uniform used for Karate Do.
Like any other traditional kimono, it consists of two parts: pants and jacket.
The top part is made out of cotton, satin or silk fabric traditionally woven from brown threads.
However, modern karategi are now 100% pre-shrunk cotton with an elastic waist band, making them much more comfortable to wear than the originals.
The bottom part narrows toward the ankles so that when one is kneeling, his karategi will not be easily accidentally lifted over one's head.
Karate katagi were originally worn with kyahan (袴, lit. "trousers") and a kakushi buki ("secret weapon") hidden in the koshiita (腰当, lit. "hip area").
Modern karate practitioners wear kyahan made from stretch material and carry their buki in a pocket or pouch instead of wearing them under the gi .
Fits Height Weight Size 4'8"-5'2" 100 - 120 lbs XS 5'2"-5'7" 120 - 140 lbs S 5'6"-5'11" 140 - 170 lbs M 5'8"-6'0" 155 - 185 lbs L 5’8”-6’1” 165-195 lbs XL 6’2”-6'4" 195-235 lbs XXL
The karategi is an important fundamental article of the karate practitioner's equipment.
It is a lightweight, yet strong and durable garment traditionally woven from pure white cotton cloth.
The karategi requires special care to ensure that it will last for years and not be torn during training or competition.
Karate kata gi color generally symbolizes the karateka's strength and various karateka kata gi colors have unique meanings.
There is no one “best karate gi”.
However you will need to decide what karate gi is most comfortable and fits the budget.
The most important factor in choosing a karategi may be how it looks on you, they come in all kinds of colors.
The kenpo karate uniform (even though we do not write about kenpo karate) consists of many different styles and designs depending on the governing body that issues them such as WKF or KIHON .
If your school follows either one then you would choose their affiliated karate gi brand when selecting which uniform to wear when practicing your forms and participating in tournaments.
Beginners should start by choosing karategi’s designed for karateka their size while also taking into consideration the body frame of the karateka (if you are a beginner).
Without this you will feel lost when entering the dojo because every karateka is wearing different karate gis.
High quality karate gis cost money, however they are well worth it in the long run as they will last longer than cheaper karate gis, so save up if you can until you can afford one.
For example: A child who weighs 100 lbs who stands at 5'8" would wear an A5 Gi during training and kumite.
A karate gi is an article of clothing made from thick cotton or hemp, which karateka (practitioners of karate) wear while practicing karate and competing in karate competitions.
Karate gis are similar to judogi, but typically have shorter sleeves and pants legs.
Kumite is sparring with another person that usually takes place during a karate tournament or at the end of class when your instructor is testing your skills for advancement in belt levels.
When choosing what type/style of karategi to wear it also depends on where you practice karate since they all require different types of kumite karategi.
If you are practicing karate during a kumite tournament, it is usually the case of your karategi being either blue or white.
If your instructor does not have an official kumite karategi that he/she requires to be worn then it is up to the karate ka if they want to wear one, but it must still be within reason of what would allow for them to win kumite matches against their opponent.
There is no rule as such as to which color uniform the karate ka should wear in the dojo, but there are some colors that symbolize certain things.
It also depends on whether you are competing in karate.
White karate gi signify humility, strength, and purity while blue karate gi are often worn by instructors because it symbolizes wisdom whereas black karate gi are often worn during kobudo.
When choosing a gi to compete with you should look for which one has the most points that you agree with.
Karateka will wear a karate gi that is long enough to cover their entire legs without tripping on it while performing kata.
This karategi will also have a re-inforced stitching around the waist and wrists to prevent a belt from being tied too tightly or coming loose during kata.
For karateka who prefer competing in official karate tournaments they usually wear a white karategi for kata and Kumite due to tradition/history of Japan’s Bushido code of ethics where each color represents something different depending on who you ask.
Jackets for kumite are made of a Dri-release fabric that allows the karateka to have an extra layer for warmth, but gives them freedom of movement.
Karate uniforms come with your choice of embroidery designs so you are able to have the katakana character for your name or any other design you choose on it.
They often offer free shipping and great product reviews from their customers who buy their products.
Karateka who wear karate gi for kumite competition will usually wear a white karate gi because it symbolizes purity, strength, and humility which are traits that karateka strive to have when competing in tournaments.
This uniform is made from top quality materials by being 100% cotton giving the karateka comfort while performing during kata or kumite competitions.
Martial arts uniforms for kumite competition are made of 100% cotton twill giving the karategi tear resistance during kumite.
The traditional embroidery on the upper left hand chest area of the karategi is usually done in either gold or silver depending on your school’s uniform color.
Shureido offers karate gi's made by top quality fabrics/materials which provides an extra layer for warmth, but gives them freedom of movement.
Unlike other karategi brands they offer customers a choice of either white or blue stitching on the karategi kumite karate competition.
Shotokan karate karateka kumite kataginu is made of 100% cotton giving the karateka comfort with warmth when performing during kata or kumite tournaments.
This brand has been in business for over 30 years meaning they are reputable in the field of karateka uniforms/weapons.
Kumite Gi are typically much lighter weight, breathable and flexible.
The Kata Gi are made with extra thickness for snap, but often limit some mobility.
Kata Gi typically require custom measurements for Competition fits.
Kumite karate karateka are required to wear white karategi kumite karate, while kata karateka are allowed to wear darker color karategi.
Kumite Karate Gi's have more reinforcement on the stress points for improved durability during high impact kumite contact.
Kyokushinkai karate gi are made of 100% cotton giving the karateka comfort with warmth when performing during either kata or kumite tournaments.
Tokaido has been around since early 1920s making them one of the oldest karate companies on this list.
Other Articles You Might Enjoy:
Free Memberships Offer Access to Hidden Martial Arts Content including Beginner Level Karate Training Videos, The History Section, Work Out Instructions, Testing Requirement, and the ability to Join Our World Renowned Tournament Team.
.PNG)
Ads Free
Premium Memberships Unlock Hidden Content including All Levels of Training Videos (White Belt to Black Belt), The History Section, Work Out Instructions, Testing Requirements, The Ability to Test for Rankings, Weapons (RyuKyu Kobudo) Training Instructional Videos, Iaido (Sword) Instructional Training Videos, Self Defense Videos, and the ability to Join Our World Renowned Tournament Team.
About the Author:
Colton Woodard is a 7th Degree Black Belt in Kuniba Kai Karate Do and holds the title of Kyoshi as well. He loves to teach Karate, Kobudo, and Iaido and considers himself a lifetime student in pursuit of self improvement in both Martial Arts and in Character. Colton loves to visit Japan and speaks conversational Japanese and can write quite a few Kanji. He is a Karate competitor and coach and loves to exercise and make new memories with people all over the world.
Instagram
Twitter
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn commissions by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
