February 25, 2007

It’s HERE!

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.

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.

Once I get used to my new big, bad self I’ll post some pictures. Maybe after testing next week. . .