The Jujitsu Gi

When training in Jujitsu, students traditionally wear a standard martial arts kimono, often referred to as a 'gi'.

This gi consists of a jacket and trousers. When wearing the jacket, the right-hand side lapel should be placed underneath the left-hand side as shown, and the trousers should be loosely fitted to eliminate the possibility of any restrictions. Gi jackets often have additional tassels on the inside, helping to further secure it in place.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gis differ slightly in that they are designed to be more robust. A stronger fabric and double stitching are utilised to withstand the sharp pulls, grabs and grips which occur during a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu match. You will not find supporting tassels on many Jiu-Jitsu gis, as many participants will often make use of their loose clothing as a weapon during combat.

Tying The Belt

First off, you must ensure that your kimono (gi) jacket is correctly in position, with the right-hand side lapel tucked neatly under the left-hand side. Some people use their elbow to hold the jacket in position while they tie the belt. With the kimono jacket in place, hold the middle of the belt in front of you, as shown.

Place the belt across your stomach, with the middle of the belt against the middle of your stomach. For most people, both ends of the belt will be touching the floor.

Wrap each side of the belt around your back, and swap hands to cross them over as shown.

After you have switched hands, bring them back round to the front.

Cross the ends of the belt over in front of you, as shown in the image. The left-hand side should always be placed over the right-hand side.

Keeping hold of the belt with your left hand, tuck your left thumb underneath the part of the belt which is wrapped around your waist, securing it in position. Now you are free to hold the other end of the belt with your left hand.

Now, grab the belt on the right-hand side and pull it up between the rest of the belt and your jacket. You can use your left thumb to create some extra space, facilitating this process.

Using your right thumb, hook the belt from underneath, and pull it all the way through.

You can now remove your left thumb from between the jacket and the belt and hold it in front of you as shown.

With one end of the belt in each hand, place the right-hand side over the left and pinch the crossing with your left-hand thumb and fingers as shown.

Take the part of the belt in your right hand and thread it towards you, through the space created. Make sure this end of the belt is pulled fully through the gap.

Grabbing each side of the belt, pull tight as shown.

And there you have it, one nicely tied belt.