Why A Good judo Gi Is Needed And The Importance Of Caring For It

Judo is a martial art that requires self-discipline and pride, so the uniform a person wears can say a lot about their attitude to the art. So how does a person go about keeping their gi in tip-top condition?

The gi is an expensive uniform and needs to be kept a bright white color and clear of any creases or marks. As most of the uniforms are made from cotton, they tend to discolor quite easily. This is normally due to the sweat that the cotton absorbs during training. On top of this, the uniforms become heavier during use, because of the sweat, and rips and tears along stitching can sometimes occur.

The most effective way to ensure that the judo gi lasts for as long as possible is to wash it as soon as it has been used. This will prevent any sweat from embedding itself into the cotton. The gi should be washed only with other white items, as this will minimize discoloring of the material. A powerful detergent should be used when washing as sweat can stain quite easily, especially in the armpit and groin areas.

Once the wash cycle has finished, the gi should be dried on the washing line or, if it's raining, inside on a clothes horse in front of a radiator, but not directly on the radiator. This is because the tumble drier, or the direct heat from a radiator, can cause the material to shrink and go out of shape. When the gi is dry, and this should be achieved as quickly as possible, it will need to be folded.

If it has been dried as quickly as possible, there shouldn't be many creases on the gi, and this is a good thing as ironing should be avoided unless necessary. This is because the heat from the iron can damage the material if applied too often.

The folding of the gi is important to avoid creases and this process is relatively simple. The jacket can be folded as any other shirt would be, by folding one side over, followed by the other side, and then the sleeves. The pants should be folded by placing the legs together and folding into thirds to make a small bundle, about a third of the length of the pants themselves.
The belt should not be washed with the gi unless it is a white belt. Ideally, the belt should be hand washed and left to dry on the washing line. The belt can then be straightened out and tied around the pants during the folding process.

An important point to remember when caring for the gi is not to use bleach, as even though this will make the material seem white, the properties of the bleach will actually damage the material and the gi will not last as long as it should do.

The quality of the belt will determine the length of time it will last. The best type of belt to buy is one that is double woven, as this will withstand more rigor when it comes to washing, folding, and tying. The uniform will have the best chance of lasting for a reasonable period if these steps are followed and if any stitching becomes loose or frays, then this should be addressed as soon as possible.

The most common areas to fray on the gi are the groin area of the pants, and under the arms in the jacket. This is because of the movements that occur during the art of judo. The stitching of the material is usually white and as such only white cotton should be used to repair damaged stitching. The quality of the stitching will depend on the quality of the garment as a whole, and the rule of thumb is that the more expensive the garment, the better the quality.
When choosing which garment to buy it is important to recognize that there are several different qualities of gi available. If a person is just starting then a mid-priced garment should suffice, as the keenness of the competitor should be established before spending vast amounts of money on custom-made garments that can be very pricey.