This morning I received my new Tokuren keikogi from Miayako Kendogu. This is a synthetic type of keikogi and is my first time trying a non cotton keikogi.
The last few times ive been to keiko it has been extremely hot, Im talking "I think im going to faint or throw up" hot. As a result of that both my hakama and keikogi wind up completely soaked through, as if they had just come out of the wash... gross...
I have seen many of the JHS kids wearing synthetic keikogi that look like wetsuits, in that there is no texture to the material its just smooth. Now they must be good, because ive seen them everywhere, and allll the kids have them. but they look rubish, so I said id go for the Tokuren as it looks more like a real keikogi!
Initial impression is that it is really really really light!
Having of course tried it on its very comfortable, and fits very well. It looks a little odd to me, because im so used to cotton, but the weight alone is outstanding. Im really looking forward to wearing it tonight!
Few photos!
Keikogi as a whole, looks nice, solid color and nice pattern.
Went for my surname just to see how it looks. Think I prefer it to ジョン
Keikogi inside and outside
This is actually the sleeve of the keikogi, I wanted to show how thin it is and how light the material. You can actually see right through it!!
Ill edit this later once I have used it for keiko, im pleased so far!
Ok! So I have now used it for keiko!
Its amazing. Its like wearing a football jersey, it really kept me cool during keiko and I think I didnt sweat as much. At the moment temperature is around 30-34 with evening temperatures of around 28-29, but its very humid. I didnt notice the heat as much when I wore this keikogi, and I didnt feel like I wanted to get sick either!
The keikogi is really comfortable to wear and doesnt cling to the skin (which I thought it would) It looks the part compared to other cotton types and looks far superior to the cheaper synthetic keikogi.
I washed it right after practice and it was bone dry the next morning. If I was practicing everyday, it would be ideal.
I didnt notice any difference between this and a cotton keikogi when getting struck off the bogu.
Over all the initial impression is very positive. Chances are that I will end up wearing it more than my other dogi, so I will have to see how it stands the test of time. I am certain I saw cotton dogi of similar thickness (thinness really) when I was in Tokyo, so I must check out the prices there for comparison.
A good product from Miyako Kendogu. Happy out.
Price
8000 + 2000 (for name embroidery) = 10000円 with a 600 yen delivery charge. Not bad.
0 comments