Sage-Tips

Can karate gis be black?

If your gym and your prospective tournaments allow both black and white karate gis, you can start to think about personal preferences in karate uniforms. Both black and white karate uniforms come with their own laundry challenges.

Why do martial artists wear white?

First and foremost, white is the most traditional uniform color for many martial arts with Japanese roots. In Japanese culture, the color white signifies “purity” or “truth”, which is likely why it was adopted as the color for martial arts training, particularly judo and jiu jitsu.

What color is karate gi?

While karate gi come in many colours white is the most traditional. Some dojos have different coloured karate gi for students and instructors. Other dojos may have coloured gi that they use during competition to stand out from other schools.

What do karate gi colors mean?

The gi itself symbolizes your spirit and readiness to train. Most traditional Karate and Jujitsu school will use white when practicing empty handed to represent a pure heart and good intentions. Most Kobudo schools choose black as their color, however in Shugoro Nakazato Sensei’s chose brown for his system.

Why is judo gi white?

Originally the judogi or the keikogi were white. Specifically, they were off-white, as it was the colour of the woven cotton of the time and was bleached through washing. The whiteness of a judogi therefore demonstrated the involvement of a student.

What is a white karate suit called?

Karategi
Karategi (空手着 or 空手衣) is the formal Japanese name for the traditional uniform used for Karate practice and competition. 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.

Can white belts wear a black gi?

You can wear a black gi as a white belt. In some training facilities, it may not be allowed for you to train with a black gi, so check with your school before getting a black gi.