Karate Gi

A karate gi (karategi) is the jacket and trousers you train in. Before you buy your first one, ask your club what to wear and whether it sells its own gi. Gis are sized by height, so check the maker's chart, especially for a child: Blitz's adult gis, for example, start at 160cm.

Gis differ in fabric weight, fabric and cut. A light student gi is the inexpensive first option, and some come with a white belt. Blitz, for example, aims its heavier 12oz and 14oz cotton gis at more committed karateka. Makers also name the cut: Blitz's Japanese cut, with shorter sleeves and trouser legs, is tailored for kata (forms), and adidas's kumite cut is made light for sparring.

Under WKF rules, athletes in kumite and kata wear a white, WKF Approved karategi. Its jacket must have ties, and its sleeves and trousers must fall within set lengths (WKF Kumite Competition Rules 2026, Art. 2.2.1; WKF Kata Competition Rules 2026, Art. 2.2.1). So for WKF events, a coloured gi, or one from a brand WKF doesn't list, is a training gi.

WKF's approved list names brands for kumite and kata gis, and names models for only some brands: for adidas, it names the brand, not the model. WKF's approval procedure puts the WKF logo at the edge of the seam at the lower part of the jacket. Other event organisers can set different rules, so check the rules of any event you enter.