Hi pconsidine007.
Are karate Gi's standardized from one school to the next?
In one way.. yes, but in others No.. not really. My Kyokushin Gi has shorter sleeves, and jacket than my Shotokan Gi. They are both Karate Gi, but are designed with the style's training in mind. I would feel awkward wearing a Kyokushin Gi to a Shotokan training event.
Yes, you can purchase "generic" white gi. A beginner in Martial arts doesn't need to purchase as heavy a Gi as a higher belt. (However, I would recommend buying as high a quality as your finances can provide to you.) One does have to consider how much money they would like to invest in this activity. I have seen some Gi sold at as low a price as $40. These are usually a cotton/polyester blend of fabric. Pro- cheaper, lighter, doesn't wrinkle as badly as cotton Con- starts to look "shiny" with age, rips easily, does not provide good air exchange so you feel hot quickly. does not "sit" well on your body.
I would expect to pay $80 to $120 for a good quality Medium weight cotton Gi. So asking $175 for a Heavy Weight Gi looks about right. Does your school sell lower weight Gi?
www.karatekorner.com is the host of this forum, and they offer quality uniforms.. Proforce ones
http://www.karatekorner.com/index.cfm/action/displayProducts/level/6|35.htmI have also ordered from:
http://www.e-bogu.com/Karate_Uniform_s/206.htmI rather enjoyed the product that they offered... Butoku. I hope one day to buy the Hidrytex Gi and try it out.
Picking out a school tips:
a) Find a Sensei that you feel you could spend dedicated time with, someone that you would trust your children with, someone that you admire not only for skills, but also as a person.
b) Watch a couple of classes before you decide, and visit more than one dojo to get a good idea of what is available around you.
c) Watch the students of the dojo to see if these are the kind of people that you would feel comfortable training with. Ask yourself if the dojo is centered on the same goals as you are. Do you want to learn self defense?..then seek out this element. Do you want to improve yourself in other ways? Look for that instead.
d) Be careful about the "sign this year contract" type of dojo. You should be allowed a good number of months to try out the style, and chose to leave with impunity.
e) Do not be dazzled by shelves of trophies displayed at the entrance, or how many Dan ranks the Sensei has on his/her black belt. Look at the reality before you when you watch the class.. Is this the kind of place where you think that you would attain your goals, and that you would want to spend hours of your lifetime training in?
