Keikogi
稽古着
Training garment of Japanese martial arts: the jacket uwagi, trousers zubon and belt obi. Kano Jigoro established the white garment in judo in 1907.
Quick Facts
Word breakdown
Definition
Keikogi (稽古着) means “practice clothing”: keiko is practice, training, gi clothing. It consists of the jacket uwagi, trousers zubon and belt obi. By art it is called judogi, karategi or dogi. In the West it is commonly called kimono, though in Japan the kimono is traditional everyday dress. Today's training garment was established by judo's founder Kano Jigoro: in 1907 he introduced a white garment with a white belt for students and a black one for dan holders. The judo jacket is made of heavy reinforced fabric to withstand grips, the karate jacket is lighter.
Relations to other terms
Narrower terms
The jacket of the keikogi training uniform. It is wrapped left over right and held by the obi belt. In judo it is made of heavy fabric to withstand grips.
ZubonズボンThe trousers of the keikogi training uniform. The word came into Japanese from the French jupon, so it is written in katakana as a foreign word.
Obi帯The belt of the training garment, which holds the jacket and shows rank by its color. It is tied with the koma-musubi knot, similar to a reef knot.
Equivalent in another art
See also
Wide pleated trousers with seven pleats, worn in kendo, iaido, aikido, kyudo and other Japanese arts.
KurtkaКурткаJacket for sambo, red or blue, with shoulder epaulettes and belt loops. It differs from the judo jacket.
Tabi足袋Japanese socks with a separated big toe. In martial arts they are worn mainly in kyudo and in some weapon schools where people do not train barefoot.