How to Fold & Tie a Judo Gi

The true art of any martial art comes from the beauty, technique, style and effectiveness of its movements, but there is also a lot of honor and respect rooted in the traditions, including the uniform. The Judo gi, the full uniform, includes the cross-body top, the pants and the belt. Properly folding your gi for storage helps prevent wrinkles and keeps the uniform looking its best, while tying it properly is a necessity to learn from the start to improve your appearance and earn respect at first glance from other students.

Instructions

  1. Folding

    • 1

      Lay the top piece of your gi flat, with the opening facing up and the arms sprawled out to either side. Cross the left flap of the gi over the right side and line up the bottom so that it is completely even.

    • 2

      Fold your pants over in half so that the two legs line up. Lay this piece flat over top of the upper portion of your gi so that the bottoms of the pant legs are even with the bottom of the upper portion. The top of the pants should be just about even with the collar of the upper piece as well.

    • 3

      Fold the bottom of the pants upward to line up with the top of the pants, forming a small rectangle with your pants that lines up with the top of the upper portion of your gi. Cross the left arm fully across the pants, moving from the shoulder seam of the arm across. When you fold the arm over, a portion of the upper piece of the gi should come with it; crease this along a straight line running from the shoulder seam to the bottom of the upper portion of the gi.

    • 4

      Pull the end of the left arm back in half, so that the arm forms a small square over top of the pants, folded back on itself. Then fold the right arm over the mound at the center of the gi, pulling it back in half as well so that it forms a single pile of fabric at the center of the gi.

    • 5

      Grasp the gi at the point where the pile ends and fold upward, bringing the bottom portion of the top piece up to cover the pile of fabric. Fold this whole piece in half once more to create a secure pile of fabric.

    Tying

    • 6

      Pull on the gi pants as you would any normal pair of pants, with the cord or ribbon to tie facing the front. Tie the cord or ribbon in a simple knot and pull it tight until it is comfortable against your stomach. Remember, you must be able to move freely with these pants on, so don't tie them too tightly.

    • 7

      Thread your arms through the gi jacket so that the opening is facing outward. Cross the right half of the gi directly over your body, under the left flap of the gi. Each flap features two sets of strings: one at the front and one toward your hip area. Tie the front strings of the right flap to the hip strings of the left flap, tightly but comfortable.

    • 8

      Wrap the left section of the gi around in front of the right and secure the front strings of the left flap to the hip strings of the right flap. This will hold your gi in place while you train. When tying is complete, your gi will feature the left side over the right side.