As of January 1st 2011, the International Judo Federation's new rules on Judo Kits came into force. Nothing too unusual with rule changes, but this particular change has far reaching consequences in terms of the choice available, and increased cost to the practising Judoka, especially at the Top Levels of the sport.
But a Judo Uniform is a Judo Uniform you might think.....Yes, but not if you are intending to compete, in which instance you absolutely need to ensure your Judo Suit meets the latest approvals.
The smart move is to certify that the uniform you buy is IJF Approved, For instance competiting in a famous brand name that has their complete range approved by the International Judo Federation, such as with adidas Judo Gi. All adidas uniforms are manufactured to the latest IJF specifications, and therefore are 100% guaranteed acceptable in all Judo competitions.
How have the rules been changed? Well, holding up your old Judo gi and comparing it to the new model Uniforms won't tell you much. The Ijf mark should be adequate to be certain it is the correct gi, but you really need to confirm with your provider that they are not retailing old style judo gi!!
The most distinctive changes are to the fabric of the Judo uniforms, from a historically 100% cotton model to a blended polyester/cotton. Why? Well, shrinkage is decidedly reduced using polyester cotton, and the strength is immediately augmented, so in theory at least you do get a stronger Gi.
As anyone who has owned a Judo gi before, 100% cotton shrinks....more than you might think!! Getting the right fit was an art form as you had to buy your Uniforms slightly bigger to compensate for shrinkage. To make up for for this shrinkage, manufacturers made their uniforms a little larger, and it almost always worked out ok.
Now, however, with the changes to the fabric, the gi shrinkage is minimal or even non existent, so changes to sizes have had to be made to ensure as near exact fit right out of the packet!
The other additional change is cost. The IJF have basically altered how manufacturers are approved, and have raised the cost of the approval process hugely! From an inexpensive $6000 per year to have your Judo uniforms International Judo Federation approved, has now ballooned to an eyewatering $50,000 not just for the approval, but to become an IJF Approved supplier.
This has seriously affected the choice on offer, as smaller manufacturers are priced out of being able to compete and offer an IJF Approved Judo gi, leaving just the bigger players with the money to invest in International Judo Federation approval.
The effect is that your Uniforms are costing you more.
As if Judoka need to be spending even more on their Judo Kit, how about a condition that you now need a separate uniform as well? Where, previously, you could just take a different colour belt to competitions you now need to take a complete additional uniform. The new rules stipulate competitors to pack both a blue suit and a white suit to differentiate competitors.
So, having just bought your lovely new top of the range Judo gi for that important competition, you now have to spend at least double to ensure you have both colour options available.....or face the real prospect of disqualification!
By Steven M Turner
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5902819
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