The martial arts uniform is an essential piece of training gear. If you participate in a martial art that requires a gi or dobok like Karate, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or Tae Kwon Do, your uniform was probably the first gear you ever purchased. And it’s probably the most important piece of training gear you own. For multiple reasons.
Martial arts uniforms serve both symbolic and practical purposes in martial arts. Wearing a clean and tidy uniform demonstrates your commitment and respect for your martial art, but it also facilitates more effective training. That’s because they’re not just designed to look good. They’re also designed to address the unique demands of your discipline.
Given their importance and value, you could argue that you’re already getting the most out of your martial arts uniform by training and competing in it. But with a little ingenuity, you could give your gi or dobok a second life when its fighting days are done.
Here are 5 ways to get even more out of your martial arts uniform.
Martial Arts
Martial arts uniforms are very good at all of their actual jobs.
If you train in martial arts like Karate and Tae Kwon Do, your gi or dobok does two important things for you. First, it brings meaning to your training. Wearing your gi properly when you train and compete is a way to demonstrate your discipline and dedication to yourself, your teammates, and your instructors. It can also communicate your sense of community and team spirit to your opponents during competitions. Secondly, a martial arts uniforms helps you train better. They’ve been crafted specifically for the martial art they serve, and provide everything from comfort to freedom of movement to durability.
If you train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Judo, your gis also have a third function. They’re actually a part of some of your techniques. Many throws, submissions, and positions in both disciplines include gripping and manipulating gis.
DIY Grappling Dummy
With a little bit of creativity and craftiness, you can turn a martial arts uniform into a lightweight grappling dummy. All you have to do is fill your gi top and pants with stuffing or old clothes, sew or glue the ends of the sleeves, pants, and collar together, attach the top and pants, and start throwing or rolling.
If that’s too much effort—or too permanent—we have an even easier method for you to try. For this one, you’ll need a gi top, two towels, a large plushie, a pillow, a zip-up hoodie, and a martial arts belt.
Place your gi top on the floor. Unzip the hoodie and place it on top of the gi. Put one of the towels on top of the other, and roll them together lengthwise so you get a long tube. To make your dummy’s arms, slide the ends of your towel tube into the hoodie sleeves. To make your torso, place the stuffie and pillow on top of the towels in the middle of the hoodie. Once you’ve got everything in place, zip up the hoodie and stuff its sleeves into your gi top sleeves. Wrap the ends of the gi top around the body of the hoodie and securely tie your martial arts belt around its waist. You’ve got yourself a slightly weird but adorable new training partner!
Grip Strength Training Tool
Grips play a key role in a number of Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Judo and BJJ gis are actually designed with this in mind. And the same reinforced collars and thick weaves that help these martial arts uniforms withstand constant tugging and pulling makes them great for grip training outside of the dojo, too.
To start, you can try threading the arms of your gi through a close grip seated row handle and holding onto the sleeves instead of the handle itself while doing your seated row reps. For an extra challenge, drape your gi over a pull-up bar, hold onto the collar on each side, and try a dead hang from there. For even more of a challenge, try some pull-ups while you’re there.
Loungewear
Is your old martial arts uniform getting too worn for regular training? It’s probably just right for other parts of your life now. Gis are comfortable by design. Part of their purpose is to allow you to move as freely and without distraction as possible during training and competition. When they get too soft to handle the demands of rigorous of martial arts, they become even more comfortable. Comfy enough to become excellent loungewear or pyjamas.
Cosplay
Are you dressing up as the Karate Kid or Ryu from Street Fighter? Or maybe a generic Karate fighter or Ninja? An actual martial arts uniform like the ProForce® 5 oz. Original Karate Uniform will make your costume comfortable, affordable, and authentic.
