Osprey Judo Home

The JudoGi

About The Judogi

The uniform that we wear is called a Judogi (pronounced Joo-doh-gee) or more commonly a gi (pronounced Gee). They come in a variety of sizes and weights to suit different uses however the Jodogi would be comparable in weight to a toweling bathrobe; though generally more rigid. The Judogi is actually a reinforced version of the kimono which is the traditional clothing worn in Japan when judo was invented, and while there are many modern adaptations of techniques to work without the gi (often referred to as no-gi training), it is still the most widely used method of training and often considered the best way to start judo and understand the mechanics of the sport before adapting to no-gi training.

Colors and Sizes

The vast majority of the time a gi will be white. if you search online for a JudoGi most of them will be white, and this is the same for most other martial arts. traditionally the white gi was used to represent cleanliness and inclusivity for all practitioners.

In recent decades, however, you may also come across the blue JudoGi. Whilst this is not common at club level it is much more common in competition. This was frowned upon by traditionalists at the time of its introduction, however it is frequently used in competition and at higher levels - where a judoka is actually required to have both a white and a blue JudoGi to be allowed to compete. it should be noted that there is no difference between the two types of JudoGi's other than the color

The purpose of the blue JudoGi is actually quite sensible. In a competition, movements can be so fast or competitors can be so 'entangled' on the ground that it can be difficult for the referees to identify which limb belongs to which competitor if they are both wearing white.

JudoGi Size

The size of your uniform is based on your height. Note that the JudoGi will shrink slightly after it has been washed a few times so it is advisable to get a uniform roughly 10cm bigger than you need.

JudoGi Weight

The weight of a uniform is typically based on your age, experience level, and your weight, in addition to budget as heavier fabrics are often more expensive. Here are the general recommendations for uniform weights for an average build - if you are a lightweight you can get a slightly lighter uniform and if you are heavier then go for a heavier fabric :

The Belt

There are several belt colours available, however they typically refer to how experienced in the sport you are. if you are unsure, then you probably need a white belt however please see the Belt System article if you want more information. Note that a new JudoGi Typically comes with a white belt included.

Buying a judogi? Read Me First

The advent of the internet has brought many conveniences, including easy access to a wide variety of products and services that would previously be difficult to acquire. unfortunately, however, the most successful products tend to be the cheapest, regardless of whether or not they are suitable. In the case of the JudoGi, this is often a 'false economy' and while it is possible to source a cheap 'martial arts' uniform from several well-known online retailers they are generally designed for other martial arts and Google cannot tell the difference. This nearly always results in purchasing a JudoGi that is not designed for Judo and is too lightweight.

Judo can be a very intense sport. It is different from many other martial arts in that the techniques are focused on 'grappling' rather than 'striking'. This means that control of an opponent is achieved by 'grabbing' them and physically manipulating them in order to initiate an attack. Control of an opponent is achieved by controlling their gi which puts a lot of strain on the uniform itself in addition to the wearer. Although rare; it has been known for even a correctly weighted judogi to be ripped in half during competitive judo or even some particularly intense training sessions; speaking from experience I have personally had this happen three times, once to myself and twice to an opponent.

It should be noted that although judo is a physically exerting sport It is possible to pursue a purely technical judo career however this is typically reserved for those who are injured or physically unable to compete.

Dont Panic

Realistically, in the case of young children and/or beginners, the purchase of the wrong type of gi is not usually a major problem. These students have not yet built the strength and the technical capability to cause an issue and can generally get away with it, so if you have already purchased a lightweight uniform this is not a problem we can still accommodate you. Children frequently outgrow uniforms very quickly anyway. As students progress in age and ability, however, there is an increased risk that the uniform can fail. In a best-case scenario this means buying a new JudoGi, in a worst-case scenario, the failure occurs mid-throw, causing the student to lose control of their partner resulting in an injury.

What to Do

Now that you are armed with this information it is my hope that you can avoid the common pitfalls with purchasing a JudoGi. Have a read of the Buying a JudoGi article which will walk you through the process.

Alternatively If you are looking for a new Judo Gi or you are still lost then please get in touch. For club members we may be able to source some properly weighted Judo Gi's for a reasonable price. The trade-off is that they are not always available so it will not be next day delivery.