Martial Art Clothes For Today's Warriors

Posted by Hridoy Ahmed on November 16th, 2021

As of January 1st, 2011, the International Judo Federation\'s new rules on Judo Kits came into force. Nothing too unusual with rule changes, but this particular change has far-reaching consequences in terms of the choice available, and increased cost to the practicing Judoka, especially at the Top Levels of the sport.

But a Judo Uniform is a Judo Uniform you might think.....Yes, but not if you are intending to compete, in which instance you need to ensure your Judo Suit meets the latest approvals.

The smart move is to certify that the uniform you buy is IJF Approved, For instance, competing in a famous brand name that has their complete range approved by the International Judo Federation, such as with Adidas Judo Gi. All Adidas uniforms are manufactured to the latest IJF specifications, and therefore are 100% guaranteed acceptable in all Judo competitions.

How have the rules been changed? Well, holding up your old Judo gi and comparing it to the new model Uniforms won\'t tell you much. The If mark should be adequate to be certain it is the correct gi, but you need to confirm with your provider that they are not retailing old style judo gi!!

The most distinctive changes are to the fabric of the Judo uniforms, from a historically 100% cotton model to a blended polyester/cotton. Why? Well, shrinkage is decidedly reduced using polyester cotton, and the strength is immediately augmented, so in theory, at least you do get a stronger Gi.

As anyone who has owned a Judo gi before, 100% cotton shrinks....more than you might think!! Getting the right fit was an art form as you had to buy your Uniforms slightly bigger to compensate for shrinkage. To make up for this shrinkage, manufacturers made their uniforms a little larger, and it almost always worked out ok.

Now, however, with the changes to the fabric, the gi shrinkage is minimal or even nonexistent, so changes to sizes have had to be made to ensure as near-exact fit right out of the packet!

The other additional change is cost. The IJF has altered how manufacturers are approved and has raised the cost of the approval process hugely! From an inexpensive 00 per year to have your Judo uniforms International Judo Federation approved, has now ballooned to an eyewatering ,000 not just for the approval, but to become an IJF Approved supplier.

This has seriously affected the choice on offer, as smaller manufacturers are priced out of being able to compete and offer an IJF Approved Judo gi, leaving just the bigger players with the money to invest in International Judo Federation approval.