Gi Color - Does it really matter?

Tengu88

Tengu88

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Hey all,

I'm going to begin my BJJ training soon at a local gym, and had a question about Gi color. I'm trying to decide on a color, other than white. I want to avoid white to avoid stains, blood etc. And am considering getting a blue or black one, but was wondering if people will think I'm some wannabe ninja-douche if I show up with a black gi.....


what are your personal experiences and what do you think?
 
If you show up in a black gi on your first day of training.....damn I wouldn't want to be you.

I mean...it doesn't matter....but a black gi says "Look at me!!!!!"

That's not really something you want to be saying on your first day.

Stick with blue or white (and white actually stays pretty clean if you wash the damn thing).
 
id stick with white... ya cant go wrong with it...
 
White is actually one of the cleanest appearing colors for some reason. I think it's something psychological. Black, on the other hand, tends to show a lot of dirt and stains.

It's the same thing with cars. People are afraid to buy white cars because they think they will look dirty all the time. However, white cars always look the cleanest. Black cars are really the ones that need to be kept perfectly washed because otherwise they show every little piece of dirt.
 
Thanks for the advice, I was thinking similarly


I'll just stick to blue

or maybe the kyra gracie pink signature one


:icon_twis
 
I would choke the everliving shit out of you if you show up in a black gi on the first day. Just saying.
 
I don't really think it matters. Guys show up with different color tops and pants. First day though, stick with blue or white, humble yourself as much as possible. After a while if you get a new gi and its red, grey, black, pink, or green, it's no big deal.
 
Balto said:
White is actually one of the cleanest appearing colors for some reason. I think it's something psychological. Black, on the other hand, tends to show a lot of dirt and stains.

It's the same thing with cars. People are afraid to buy white cars because they think they will look dirty all the time. However, white cars always look the cleanest. Black cars are really the ones that need to be kept perfectly washed because otherwise they show every little piece of dirt.
Click to expand...

Really?

I have found the exact opposite.

could just be me though...and the fact that i wash my gi on a regular basis, where as some of the cats in white gis do not!:icon_chee
 
Tengu88 said:
Hey all,

I'm going to begin my BJJ training soon at a local gym, and had a question about Gi color. I'm trying to decide on a color, other than white. I want to avoid white to avoid stains, blood etc. And am considering getting a blue or black one, but was wondering if people will think I'm some wannabe ninja-douche if I show up with a black gi.....

what are your personal experiences and what do you think?
Click to expand...

I would check with the instructor 1st. Some places only white or white and/or blue only. Check to see if your club has any restrictions.
Also some clubs will only allow the coloured belts to wear gi colours other than white/blue

barring that...
personally, i say wear whatever you want. At the end of the day you still have a white belt on...i say whatever gi colour you want...
just get out there and roll!
 
Bucketbot said:
Really?

I have found the exact opposite.

could just be me though...and the fact that i wash my gi on a regular basis, where as some of the cats in white gis do not!:icon_chee
Click to expand...

The dye on the black gis tends to fade quickly in my experience. It ends up looking splotchy, uneven, and gray. It also tends to show all of the mat dirt since it the dark color doesn't reflect much other light to obscure it.

White just seems to stay cleaner with less maintenance. If it is badly stained, you can always bleach it even though it will damage the fibers. In general though, the fact that the white color is reflecting a lot of light tends to hide the dirt and make it appear cleaner than it truly is.

I think for some reason, people naturally associate the color white with cleanliness. So for any given amount of dirt and stains, the white colored version will be perceived as the cleanest even though they are all really the same.
 
dude you're right about white/black thing when it comes to cars...


...but you are way off if you think that applies to clothes, shoes or gis


the exact opposite is true, white looks dirty the easiest. just my opinion.
 
Blue ages the best, I have a 3 year old Gameness Plat that looks good still (color wise).

Black - fades to gray rather quickly, not only the center of the cloth from washing, but wear at the seams and primary gripping/contact points.

White - shows all the grime and stains from BJJ mats/training.

Blue - you get the stain/dirt hiding benefit of black without the fading problem

Some gyms want all white gis (like mine, but screw them, if I'm paying for something I'll get the one I want). Black carries a certain stigma, so would red, navy blue, green, camo, etc. You can't go wrong with regular blue.
 
lolbjj said:
I would choke the everliving shit out of you if you show up in a black gi on the first day. Just saying.
Click to expand...

You are a douche. Who cares if they have a black gi? I choke all gi wearers equally unless they wear a camo then its game on lol.jk
 
You can keep white clean easily. I actually throw in javex with it too every time. My gi still looks like new nice and shiny white and is as strong as ever (contrary to what many would have you believe).
 
SpunK238 said:
White or Blue, nothing else unless you know what you're doing. As said earlier, any other colour says "hey, look at me!". People might not think your a douche per-se, but you will ultimately attract negative attention.

I just came back from a Royler seminar (more on that in a minute), nothing but white gi's, and thats how it should be. Every other colour says "hey, look at me". And at the end of the day, when people are looking at the class picture are they gonna think it was Royler's seminar or "That guy with the black gi".

BTW Black gi's show EVERYTHING. Not exactly blood or stains, but dandruff or any other flakey's lying about the mats. If you guys are staining your white gi's you need to wash them more...no wonder so many people end up with ringworm. Blood comes out if you wash it the same day ;).
Click to expand...

In cold water.

Hot water sets blood stains.
 
Also, if you plan on competing, you may want to do some investigation as to the tournament requirements. Some tourneys don't allow certain colors. So for example if you live near a location where they host a GQ tournament semi-annually but don't allow black gi's, you may want to get another color.

having all three of the primary colors, white, blue, and black, I would say dirt-stain-wise, they are all fairly equal. Then again I wash each right after training. If I had to pick one for staining the worst, it would have to be the white one, but even then, not so much. I have had very little fading issues too, I do the vinegar and salt wive's tale every so often. I try to avoid the dryer at all costs and followed the manufacturer's instructions for the first few washes.
 
black gis have a button that automatically triangles from any position. Don't ask me how but it just happens
 
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