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8/12/2023 What to Wear during Practice The typical garment traditionally worn in the Aikido dojo as well as in most Japanese martial art dojos is the gi (着),)which in Japanese simply means "garment", "uniform" and "outfit" or also called dogi (道着) "dojo uniform" or keikogi (稽古着) "practice uniform/suit." The dogi in aikido is very similar to the one used in judo. It is white and it consists of a heavy and thick jacket (uwagi), a pair of cotton pants (shitabaki or zubon), and a thick cotton belt (obi). In Aikido, unlike most Japanese martial arts, students wear a white belt until they obtain a black belt. Once a student holds black belt rank, s/he will also wear a hakama, which is a traditional Japanese clothing consisting of a long black or navy blue pleated loose trousers. The hakama covers the white pants.
The keikogi accepted at the Lakeshore Aikido Club:
Why do we wear a gi in Aikido? When it comes to beginners starting Aikido for the very first time, there is no need to immediately purchase a dogi. For the first couple of classes or while purchasing a dogi, one can wear a loosely fit clothes or track pants and a long-sleeve shirt. However, this being said, the sooner one gets a dogi the better. The reason is that Aikido practice requires rolling, falling, and knee-walking on the floor mats (tatami) and the judo/aikido pants are reinforced on the knees and very resistant to that kind of friction. Also, some of the most frequent techniques in Aikido require grabbing the shoulders, the lapel, and sometimes the sleeve at the elbow level. Therefore, the keikogi is ideal for that type of practice. In aikido the preferred dogi is basically the judogi. The jacket (uwagi) includes traditional rice grain pattern on the upper part and diamond pattern stitching on lower jacket. It has reinforced shoulders and lapel, and the canvas pants (zubon) have quilted and reinforced knees. Wearing the keikogi is part of a century-old tradition in Japanese martial arts and it conforms to a ritualized etiquette shared by all dojos and styles of practice. While the most relevant benefits are durability and resistance to grappling, wearing a dogi increases various aspects of one's dedication to the practice of the art, namely aesthetic homogeneity in the dojo environment, a sense of belonging to a community, a sense of pride, and a sense of commonality and sharing. It also creates an important sets of boundaries between the dojo, a place of practice and training, and other places where one does not need to wear a dogi. There are many different types of dogi as well as brands on the market. The dogi varies in thickness, quality, manufacture, place of origin, color, purposes, and fabric. While thinner cotton dogi are cheaper (even if of good quality), they will not last as long as thick ones. Thin dogi also tend to get immediately wet, which can be uncomfortable during practice. Single-weave or double-weave keikogi? When it comes to durability there is a difference between single- and double-weave gi in some martial arts, especially judo, ju-jitsu, and aikido. Single weave gi are made with one layer of cotton and are light, easy to grab, and reasonably comfortable to wear. Being thin, it also means that it can wear easily and absorbs sweat quickly. A double-weave gi is made with two layers of cotton, and is therefore thicker than the single-weave gi, much heavier, it can be hard to grab, and for some quite uncomfortable to wear because of a level of rigidity. For competitive martial arts such as judo and ju-jitsu, a double-weave gi might be ideal as the opponent would have harder time to get a good grip. When it comes to aikido though, the advantage of a double-weave gi is about durability. What is important is to be sure to purchase and use a dogi that is specifically made for judo or aikido training. Karategi tend to be thinner, immediately absorb sweat, and are not as durable for aikido practice. Below I suggest a few types of dogi from various brands that I think would work well for the practice of aikido. These are just suggestions and are not meant to be preferences. Students should purchase the dogi of their choice and to their convenience, as far as the dogi corresponds to the essentials above. Low Budget aikido-gi Low budget dogi are cheaper than high end ones, but they are good for beginners and advanced practitioners alike. There is an additional difference in price between unbleached and bleached gi. In aikido there seems to be a preference for bleached gi, which are white. Unbleached gi, meaning that their color is slight ivory or sometimes even beige, are obviously not bright white but tend to last longer since their fiber have never been bleached and are stronger. I personally prefer the bleached gi, but at the Lakeshore Aikido Club students are allowed to purchase the gi they most like as far as it is white, not colored. Even if purchasing a low budget gi, it is important that pants come with quilted or reinforced knee areas and drawstring at the waist (not an elastic). Ronin https://roninbrand.com/collections/judo-gis
Nippon Budogu https://www.nipponbudogu.com/collections/judo
Tozando https://tozandoshop.com/collections/aikido-uniform-sets
High budget aikido-gi High budget gi tend to be very durable, bleached, double-weave, often are constructed with a back seam, and are pre-washed / pre-shrunk. The quality of the cotton is higher and wear comfortably. Advanced practitioner might enjoy having a gi of this type in their wardrobe, Obviously, high-end and good quality dogi can be very expensive. Nippon Budogu https://www.nipponbudogu.com/collections/judo
Tozando https://tozandoshop.com/collections/aikido-uniform-sets
Iwata This is a Japanese company based in Tokyo that manufactures high-quality martial arts uniforms, especially aikido-gi. https://iwataco.com/# |
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