The Judogi was invented at the beginning of the 20th century by Jigoro Kano, father of Kadokan Judo. Over the years the length of the pants and sleeves have grown longer, changes made in the material and fit, traditional unbleached cotton is now a bleached white, and blue judogi have become available. Other martial arts, notably karate, have since adopted the style of uniform used in judo.
A judogi comprises three parts, generally cut from different styles of fabric. Cotton or cotton blend judogi can be very heavy weight, but the cheapest and most lightweight are cut from a woven cotton cloth. The more expensive hand-made competition judogi will often weigh several kilograms when finished. Due to the nature of Judo practice they commonly have heavier stitching and double layer knee patches to provide durability.
Judogi in competition
In competition, you can get disqualified for wearing a badly fitted judogi. It’s vital that you wear a clean judogi that is free of holes, tears or wear, get the length of the arms and legs right and the ensure the fit is not too loose or tight against your body. Judogi sizes and fit are strictly defined by the
IJF rules (International Judo Federation) of Judo.
In official national or international competition you can only wear white or blue judogi, and all competitors must have them available in both colours so that you are never up against an opponent wearing the same coloured gi.
Most judo classes will permit students to wear either white or blue judogi, although white is more traditional and fits in better with the traditions of judo and Japanese culture.
At Kicksport we stock both blue and white IJF approved judogi for men, women and children. We also stock slim-fit sizes, and due to popular demand are growing this particular area.
