opr1945
Green Belt
As you may know I am new to Karate, 5 months now, and have been obsessed with Karate GI's, see threads I have started. Well, I purchased a used Kyokushinkai GI Jacket only in my size #4 off ebay. When I got it I tried it on I noticed that it had no ties on it. I thought that unusual but got my wife's sewing machine some white bias tape and sewed 4 ties on it. Then I descovered I was to fat around the middle to tie it. The Sun Gi I was given by the Dojo was a size 4 and it fit nicely. Note: the #4 belt that came with it was to small so they gave me a #5 belt. I assumed that that meant that I was at the top range of the size #4 coverage. I didn't know if the Kyokushinkai GI didn't fit because it was a different company and their sizing was different from SUN's or if it had shrunk. But all that mattered was it didn't fir.
So I took it to the Dojo found a couple people who were smaller then I am and offered it to them. It was big on both of them and much heaverier than my Sun. and they both declined it. I am 5'6" and another student who was about 6' but skinny asked to try it on. So I said sure. It fit him and he actually liked it. So I said he could have it for free. It was no good to me. He said he would't take it for free. He picked up the Gi top he had been wearing and offered to trade Gi tops. His top was a Ronin heavy weight 16oz competition Gi, Size 6. It was way to big for me but I took it and he was happy.
When I tried it on to show my wife she was appalled. She said why would I want a very large very stiff GI top when I had the Sun lightweight free gi that fit so well and looked nice in her opinion. I said it was the only was the student would take the size 4 Kyokushinkai gi. I asked her to wash it. And low and behold it shrunk enough to where it actually fits me pretty good!
So I traded an unbranded shrunk size 4 that was to small for a Ronin size 6 which my wife promply shrunk to a actual size 4. Weird Huh!
The Ronin web site list the whole Gi for $134.00 and the pants for $44.00 meaning the Top is worth $90. My ebay purchas was about 1/6 of that price. But we both ended up happy! My wife, however, was not happy. She just walked out of the room mmumbling something about men under her breath. I idn't complai about her shrinking it though. Oh well, life goe on.
So I took it to the Dojo found a couple people who were smaller then I am and offered it to them. It was big on both of them and much heaverier than my Sun. and they both declined it. I am 5'6" and another student who was about 6' but skinny asked to try it on. So I said sure. It fit him and he actually liked it. So I said he could have it for free. It was no good to me. He said he would't take it for free. He picked up the Gi top he had been wearing and offered to trade Gi tops. His top was a Ronin heavy weight 16oz competition Gi, Size 6. It was way to big for me but I took it and he was happy.
When I tried it on to show my wife she was appalled. She said why would I want a very large very stiff GI top when I had the Sun lightweight free gi that fit so well and looked nice in her opinion. I said it was the only was the student would take the size 4 Kyokushinkai gi. I asked her to wash it. And low and behold it shrunk enough to where it actually fits me pretty good!
So I traded an unbranded shrunk size 4 that was to small for a Ronin size 6 which my wife promply shrunk to a actual size 4. Weird Huh!
The Ronin web site list the whole Gi for $134.00 and the pants for $44.00 meaning the Top is worth $90. My ebay purchas was about 1/6 of that price. But we both ended up happy! My wife, however, was not happy. She just walked out of the room mmumbling something about men under her breath. I idn't complai about her shrinking it though. Oh well, life goe on.
