Karate gi
tradition uniform worn for karate practice and competition
Karate gi (空手着 or 空手衣), also called keikogi or dogi, is the formal Japanese name for the traditional uniform used for Karate practice and competition.
Description
A karategi is somewhat similar to a judogi (柔道着 or 柔道衣, Judo uniform) as it shares a common origin; however, the material and cut of the uniform is generally much lighter and looser fitting. The heaviest of Karategi is only 0.5 kg (16 oz) compared to some judogi at 1 kg (35 oz). Because of the nature of Karate training which emphasizes striking, kicking, and a more limited range of standing throws compared to Judo the karategi has evolved in a manner that maximizes mobility and speed without the extremely coarse and strong fabric required for grappling and throwing found in Judo. They are made from smooth cotton which may be brushed or ribbed for unrestricted movement and added comfort. Reinforced stitching is common, as to compensate for the stresses put on the gi.
Inferior karategi are often cut from a light fabric similar to that of a summer shirt. These karategi are easily ripped and tend to adhere to the practitioner's skin, creating some discomfort after any extensive perspiration is experienced. Such materials yield a karategi no heavier than 0.2 kg (8 oz).
Most quality karategi are cut from a light canvas-style cloth because of their ability to stand up to considerable amounts of rigorous application and abuse without restricting the mobility of the karateka.
The public source identifies “Karate gi” as tradition uniform worn for karate practice and competition. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Karate, tradition and uniform.
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This entry incorporates text from “Karate gi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.