Don’t worry, for several reasons you will get it probably wrong the first time. And luckily – it does not matter. It will look stupid if your gi is too large but nobody will care.
I probably think about it way too much but gi sizing is so stupid.
I am 68-70 kg, 178 cm. When I look at size charts then most of the times I am between(!) 2 sizes. From my experience so far:
- Tatami A2 is baggy (pants are like a balloon),
- Progress A1L is too short (even though their size chart says it should be OK),
- Ippon A2 is OK,
- Scramble A1L is OK.
Gi size system
A – adult
F- female
number – a size bracket
For example A2 means adult sized 77-87 kg, 170-178 cm (for Tatami brand).
Every gi producer size is different
If you look at size charts then you find that for every producer the size is different.
Look at the size chart, please
Please look at size charts before buying a gi. Tatami and Manto (next to every gi) provide very nice detailed size charts. Progress as well.
Size charts allow tolerance which means their accuracy is around 2 cm.
It will shrink
If you wash your gi for the first time then it will probably slightly shrink. Gis usually have a natural shrinkage rate of about 3-6% after washing with warm water. This means that sleeves and trousers will become shorter.
It is advisable to wash your gi before the first use because otherwise it will leave rubble(?) on your partner (and your body).
Weight of the fabric
Weight of the fabric is usually show in gsm (grams per square meter). Lighter fabrics are usually around 350 gsm, thicker fabric is 550 gsm (Tatami Estilo).
If you like compact lightweight gi then look smaller gsm.
300 gsm – Tatami Elements Superlite
350 gsm – Venum Power 2.0 Light, Manto Rise, Ippon Gear Rookie
375 gsm – Progress Academy Gi
450 gsm – Scramble Standard Issue, Manto X4
550 gsm – Tatami Estilo