Seishin Karate Gi Review

I bought my Seishin Gi in June of 2016 during a Karate Gi production crisis for Shureido. They call it karate peak season.

I had never heard about Jesse Enkamp, The Karate Nerd, or his Seishin Gi.

‍

After using it in rotation with my closet full of gi, I have a case study of a review for you to know whether it's worth the money, how it fits, how it wears over time, and my personal thoughts.

Is the Seishin Gi worth the money?

In June 2016, I bought my Seishin Gi from their website for about $285 USD dollars. Yikes. It is quite a lot of money for a Karate Uniform, I know. I actually needed it for the USA National Karate Tournament, so there was little choice if I wanted a new gi in time.

Comparible Gi in this price range that I LOVE include my Shureido New Wave 3 and my Hirota Pinak ($252.85)

In my opinion the Seishin Gi is a good choice, but the wrong choice if you are a serious karate competitor. The quality is nice but cannot compare to the Shureido New Wave 3 or the Hirota Pinak.

Seishin Gi Quality

The Seishin Gi is a very light cotton gi, but still has a decent snap.

‍

The issue I've experienced is weird shrinkage in certain areas over time.

‍

I really like the cut of the gi in most spots but I think the knee is tailored to come in too sharply which makes the pants look like Japanese bell bottoms and the Jacket sleeves have a similar issue where the arm is skinny but it flairs at the cuff.

‍

The thing I don't like about the pants is that the high waist is just a bunch of extra material that becomes uncomfortable and looks like I have a fat midsection when it bunches up under the jacket.

They also have 4 loops for the tie closure which I find a bit odd.

‍

The cut of the top is pretty cool, nice long cape but again it bunches up at the midsection and makes me look fat. It's also a stark white material vs the Japanese blue hue cotton so when it gets sweaty it becomes a bit see through.

‍

The gi top has a little hidden cell phone pocket that's now outdated, phones are bigger so they used to fit in 2016 and no longer works.

‍

The Seishin Gi is nice but bunches up at the mid section.

The Seishin Gi has a nice length and cut, but can be uncomfortable at the mid section and thighs.

Final Thoughts on the Seishin Gi

The Seishin Gi may be too expensive for the product that you get.

‍

I think Jesse Enkamp has done a great job of monetizing his YouTube and internet fame and selling books, novelties, and his Gi brand.

‍

I will be sticking to Shureido, Tokaido, or Hirota indefinitely.