KD Elite & Shureido Gi’s

My new gi’s came this week. Yes, I said gi’s, as in plural. I was only going to get one, but my friend over at Karate Depot asked me to give a certain gi a shot to see what I think of it (the sweet deal didn’t hurt either).

They are everything I hoped they would be and more. I know all the karate folk are wondering what I got. The decision was a difficult one. I spent a lot of time researching, asking other karate-ka and trying on the gi’s of those at my dojo. I knew I wanted to get one I would love, one that would fit nicely, and one that although heavyweight, wasn’t uncomfortable.

I went with the Shureido, and Karate Depot also hooked me up with the KD Elite.

I know, I know, Shureido’s are a lot of money, but when I tried my instructors on there was a HUGE difference between the Shureido and other gi’s. The material, although heavyweight, was very soft and comfortable. I didn’t want to buy multiple gi’s to find one I liked. I knew I’d love the Shureido and I was right.

I do LOVE IT. What I wasn’t counting on, was how much I was going to like the KD Elite. For a martial artist who likes the look and feel of a Shureido, but not the price, the KD Elite is an awesome gi and a more than suitable substitution. There are only four major differences I have found between the two of them:

1. The KD Elite pants are a little roomier in the seat and wider throughout the leg than the Shureido. That could be because the gi I got is tournament cut. (I’m not sure if this is one of the qualifiers for being considered tournament cut or not.) I was worried that the pants would be capri length, but they are long. In fact, I have to roll them up once or twice.

2. The Shureido has a blueish color to it while the KD Elite does not. Shureido’s website says this blue color will fade over time. I don’t mind it because it’s subtle, but the KD Elite feels just like the Shureido without the blue issue.

3. The stitching around the neck/collar of the KD Elite is a little less stiff than the Shureido. When I first put the Shureido on, it felt a little uncomfortable around the collar, but the KD Elite has no such side effect.

4. The price. The Shureido sells for $179.00 and up, while the KD Elite is currently on sale for $99.00.

Without the KD Elite label on the gi, one could easily be tricked into thinking that the gi is in fact a Shureido.

Having a heavyweight gi is going to take some getting used to though. Both gi’s are bigger than my lightweight gi and I feel a little like I’m swimming. My one instructor told me to go bigger though, because I can "take up some room" and have a presence. (From left to right or top to bottom depending on how this shows up on your computer, are the Century Student Lightweight Uniform, Shureido Heavyweight Uniform, and the KD Elite Heavyweight Uniform).

I’m also not used to draw string pants, although these are soft enough that they actually move. With some of the other brands I tried, I could barely pull them tight enough around me because they were so stiff. I didn’t want that.

And the jackets are much longer than my lightweight gi. I used to have to make sure I had neutral undergarments with that gi. With my new one? Break out the leopard print (o.k. if I had leopard print, which I don’t).

I figured I would spent the money and get something I really wanted and be happy. I knew if I went with some of the cardboard like gi’s, I’d be disappointed and end up spending more money trying to fix my mistake, so I bit the bullet. Plus, it was my birthday so, Happy Birthday to me, from me! I wasn’t counting on having and liking two new gi’s, but I now have a Shureido and a Shuriedo-ish gi and I couldn’t be happier.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions and warnings about other gi’s. More than anything, you helped me to weed out the ones I didn’t want and come to my final decision. Now it seems the only gi-related problem I’m going to have is with my instructor, who told me there’s a stiff penalty for a karate student who has a better gi than her instructor.

BBM gives the Shureido and KD Elite gi’s, both. . .

(This review was originally published on Black Belt Mama on February 27, 2007. If you’d like to see an alternate picture, you can now see yours truly on the Karate Depot site. Just look for the heavyweight KD Elite gi. I’m the alternate view.)