Aikido has its own uniforms, just like all other sports and martial arts. The aikidogi, which is the aikido uniform, is similar to the keikogi, which is the uniform used in most martial arts. Keikogi is a word for the clothes you wear to train.
This is a general term for the clothes that traditional martial arts students wear to class. For Aikido it's the aikidogi, for Judo it's judogi, for Jiujitsu it's the jujutsugi, karategi for Karate, kendogi for kendo and the shinobi-iri and shinobi shozoku for Ninjutsu arts. In martial arts, the uniforms used to train are often called mere gi or dogi.
The aikid?gi is made up of simple pants and a white jacket, called a uwagi. Wrap-around jackets like those used in judo and karate are fine for aikidogi. Judo jackets are thicker and made to last longer because techniques like grabbing and throwing put a lot of pressure on the jacket.
Aikidokas might want to wear judo jackets because some aikido techniques involve grabbing the keikogi, which could tear the cloth while practising. Sometimes, aikido uniforms are made so that they can handle the stress of certain moves. Personalized or specialised aikodogis are rare, but they do exist. If you find keikogi that was made especially for Aikido training, you'll notice that the kneepads are stronger.
The jacket is also a little longer around the waist, which makes it easy for aikidoka to tuck it into their hakama. Since wrist grabs and twists are important in Aikido, the jacket might have shorter sleeves as well. The uwagi could be made of heavy, tightly woven terrycloth like the uwagi used in Judo, or it could be made of heavy canvas like the karategi. No matter what, they are both strong enough to handle the regular grappling and throwing that are part of Aikido training.
Aikido schools add hakama, which looks like a dress or skirt, to the uniform. This is in addition to the pants and jackets that wrap around the body. The idea behind wearing a hakama is that it will hide how your feet move. The hakama is usually black or blue, and only aikidokas who have reached the dan rank wear them.
Most styles or schools of Aikido use the ky?/dan ranking system, which is the standard in the world of martial arts. But each style has its own requirements for each rank, and some use coloured belts for ky? levels while others don't. In some schools, all students, no matter their rank, wear the hakama. In other styles, only women who practise aikido have to wear them.
It's important to get the right size and fit when buying your first aikido gear. If your uniform is too small, it will make it hard to move, and if it is too big, it will get in the way of doing techniques. As was already said, there is a lot of pulling, stretching, sliding, jumping, and throwing in Aikido. Because of this, you need a uniform that won't tear easily from the regular training. Most uniforms that are double-stitched are stronger and can handle the stress.
Extra padding on the knees is also a plus. But keep in mind that these things will cost a little more, but it will be worth it because your uniform will last longer. This is much better than having to buy a new one every time you wear it out while training.
