May I please have help on if a Summer Keiko-gi is useful?

[Kaoru]

Hi minna-san,

I have a question about what kind of keiko-gi to get for the Summer, since Summer will be here soon. Our dojo does not have air conditioning, so, I have been looking for a Summer Keiko-gi that is really good, if they really do work. I found one at bogubag.com and another at Tozando.com.

http://bogubag.com/Uniforms/Kendo/uniforms_kendo_gi.html

Please scroll down for Summer Keiko-gi.

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http://kendo.tozando.com/gi/kc2.html

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These are the only two I know of so far.

If they aren't worth getting, I will just deal with my usual Keiko-gi, though I'd much rather have a cooler uniform since I don't have good circulation to begin with, and I get hot easily and don't cool down well.

So, does anyone know if they are worth buying and are cooler than the normal single weight Keiko-gi, which I currently have?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post. :)

Kaoru

[kanyil]

Hi Kaoru,

I have no experience with the Bogubag summer keikogis, but I own one of those Tozando CoolMax keikogis and have been using it for around 4 months now.

Frankly speaking, don't waste your money with the Tozando CoolMax keikogi. It's a nice enough concept but I find it to not work all that well for me in practice.

The main problems is that while the CoolMax lining is suppose to wick moisture, the supposedly "wicked" moisture has to go somewhere, and that's where gravity comes in. Oftentimes the inside bottom half of the keikogi will feel soggy midway through practice.

The second problem is that the CoolMax linings are very fragile, wayward strikes and tsukis will wreck havoc with the Coolmax linings. I started noticing significant wears and tears just 2 weeks after I started using it. This is plainly unacceptable given how pricey those CoolMax keikogis can be, especially since I rotate the CoolMax keikogi with another keikogi.

In my opinion, the Mitsuboshi keikogis are simply better, and softer too. Just my experience. Others may have different experience.

[stuartwilson]

I have on occasion used a mositure wicking t-shirt (Nike, et al, at sports stores) under my keikogi. I found that they did help keep me cool.

A cotton t-shirt underneath is worse than none at all - it just holds more water.

But sensei told me that they were inappropriate, so I stopped. I was planning to get one of those lined keikogi. Now that I hear they don't work so well, I'm bummed.

Maybe I need to find V-neck polypropeline t-shirts.

[Catherine]

Hi Kaoru,

The summer keikogi seems to be of the type that has an inner layer that is supposed to draw moisture away from the skin. A friend of mine has one and he let me know that in his case the inner layer would stick to his skin and didn't breathe. This made it hotter than a regular keikogi.

The normal single layer lightweight keikogi are fine for training in summer. They work well because they breathe and also soak up the sweat. Because they are still reasonably heavy, they don't tend to cling to your skin.

I went to summer school in Kitamoto in high Japanese summer and found that the normal keikogi worked very well. Although I had to get used to training with Niagra Falls flowing down my face!

Good luck!

Catherine

[LNGUYEN]

The funny thing is Summer gi and winter gi, etc.. is for richies. For others, just one gi is all they need. When I lived in Vietnam, the temperature is hotter than hot and air conditioning was only existing in heaven and Judo gi is thick and nobody seems bother about it. After awhile, we get used to it. I think no matter how hot the body is, the head in the Men is still screaming for cool air and that is all you're going to think about.

[Keenan]

I have found that having a light-weight hakama that is just a little too short is the best for me. There is a lot a blood flowing though the legs and getting some air up there to evaporate the sweat, thus cooling the blood, really helps to keep me from dying.

[Paikea]

I bought a lined keikogi from e-bogu that I really do like. The weave in the lining is very open, much like a football or soccer jersey and it seems to do the job without creating a gravity sump as was mentioned below.It was this one: http://www.e-bogu.com/Super_Keikogi_Shoaizome_Size_ALL_p/tak-ken-kei-sk-shoai-all.htm

Also, I have used both the tetron and cotton hakama (7000), and while the tetron is lighter than the cotton, it does not seem to let the heat out and feels like wearing a hefty-bag. I much prefer the cotton.

[Neil Gendzwill]

3 or 4 of us have the bogubag lined ones and we all really like them. In addition to having a lining, the weave is different and they look really neat.

[Kaoru]

Hi Minna-san,

Thank you very much for all your replies. I really appreciate it! Now I need to go think, since there are two opinions on the lined Keiko-gi. I'm not sure what to think just yet. Regular Keiko-gi like I have, or lined. Hmmmm.... *thinking*

I need a new hakama too, as mine is way too short. I have currently, the bogubag tetron hakama. I've been considering cotton for a while, but haven't made up my mind yet, but need to soon. If cotton is really cooler, I might get that.

Well, now that I have been given good information on them, I can make a better decision. Thank you so much! :) *rei*

Kaoru

[Musha]

I read that if you want to look better you can buy a hade-jupan and obi to put under your keikogi this might help with sweat and for girls be better than a boring tea-shirt.

I've always worn a normal single layer keikogi. Sweating is good to get all the of your system, I think;).

[Catherine]

Hi Kaoru,

If you are thinking about getting a new hakama, I recommend the cotton ones.

Because they are heavier than the tetron ones they stand away from your body rather than clinging to it. They also look cool (from a kendo fashion point of view).

Catherine

[Andoru]

Hey Kaoru - thanks for posthing this thread! I overheat easily and cannot cool down efficiently too. I've been wondering about getting a summer gi for myself too. I have a single-weave and a double-weave gi. The former is like sandpaper when it's dry, while the latter is just not suitable for Sydney conditions in my opinion (though it worked really well when we were at Canberra for the nationals :D). The single-weave gi is an effective sandpaper I tell ya - the outside leather of certain parts of the back of the mune are worn off!

I've been asking around. So far, the concensus is that Koei's summer gi is good value and does a good job.

[kanyil]

Hi Kaoru,

Just adding to Catherine's learned comments. Cotton is cool, although some may prefer cotton hakamas with a smaller thread count if coolness (aka ventilation) is a factor.

I had experiences with the tetron hakama, the 5,000 thread hakama and the 10,000 thread hakama before, and I must say that each have their respective pros and cons.

The tetron hakama wins when it comes to ease of use, you can abuse it, stomp on it, stuff it into the bogu bag and the pleats will still be there. The 10,000 hakama looks great and also keeps their pleats well due to the thickness of the cloth, but tends to be too hot for me except on cooler days (I reserve this one for shinsa). The 5,000 hakama is what I use for everyday training now, it offers a nice balance between comfort, looks and is not too pricey. Only thing is that you have to fold it carefully (as you do anyways), otherwise the pleats will disappear.

[senki-kendo-jos]

I would say yes... in Japan my sensei gave me a lightweight summer gi and I have to say it was the most comfy thing i've ever worn to practice in. It's really thin and feels like loosely woven denim. Shame that English Winter/spring/autumn is too cold to wear it then!!

[Lazken]

well my first kendo-summer is coming up ... quite curious as how it will feel in hot weather :)