Judogi (uniform)

The judogi is made from a heavy weave to withstand the strength of throwing and grappling.Judo practitioners traditionally wear white uniforms called judogi (judo uniform), sometimes the abbreviated as gi. The judogi was created by Kano in 1907, and similar uniforms were later adopted by many other martial arts. The modern judogi consists of white or blue cotton drawstring pants and a matching white or blue quilted cotton jacket, fastened by an obi (belt), coloured to indicate rank. The jacket is intended to withstand the stresses of grappling and, as a result, is much thicker than that of a karategi (karate uniform). Judogi are designed to allow an opponent to hold onto it, while karategi are made from slicker material so that an opponent cannot get a grip on the material.

The modern use of the blue judogi was first suggested by Anton Geesink at the 1986 Maastricht IJF DC Meeting. For competition, a blue judogi is worn by one of the two competitors for ease of distinction by judges, referees, and spectators. In Japan, both judoka use a white judogi and the traditional red obi (based on the colors of the Japanese flag) is affixed to the belt of one competitor. Outside Japan, a colored obi may also be used for convenience in minor competitions, the blue judogi only being mandatory at the regional or higher levels, depending on organisation. Japanese practitioners and traditionalists tend to look down on the use of blue because of the fact that Judo is considered a pure sport, and the replacing the pure white judogi for the impure blue, is an offence. For events organised under the auspices of the International Judo Federation (IJF), judogi have to bear the IJF Official Logo Mark Label. This label demonstrates that the judogi has passed a number of quality control tests to ensure it conforms to construction regulations ensuring it is not too stiff, flexible, rigid or slippery to allow the opponent to grip or to perform techniques.  click here to link Judogi