Gi (martial arts uniform)
A durable jacket-and-trouser uniform worn in several grappling and striking martial arts.
Overview
A gi is a traditional martial arts uniform made up of a heavy cotton jacket, drawstring trousers and a belt that is often used to show rank. The sturdy fabric is built to withstand pulling and gripping during training.
Gis are worn in arts such as judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and karate, though the exact cut and weight vary between them to suit each art’s style of movement.
Good to know
- The belt often indicates the wearer’s rank.
- Heavy fabric withstands gripping and pulling.
- Cut and weight differ between judo, jiu-jitsu and karate.
Where it’s used
Sports that use gi (martial arts uniform):
Judo
A grappling martial art based on throws, holds and control, practised on mats with a partner.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
A ground-focused grappling art that uses leverage, position and technique to control a partner.
Karate
A striking martial art of punches, kicks and forms, structured around steady progression for all ages.
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Playing surfaces
- MatA cushioned, padded mat surface for grappling, striking and floor work — it absorbs falls and throws and grips underfoot, cushioning grappling, throws and floor work.
- Artificial turfSynthetic grass, often filled with sand or rubber, that gives a firm, even, all-weather surface. It plays faster and truer than worn natural grass.
Disciplines
- KataKata is the solo karate discipline of performing set sequences of blocks, strikes, kicks, and stances against imagined opponents.
- KumiteKumite is the sparring discipline of karate, in which two athletes exchange controlled strikes and kicks under judged rules.
- Snowboard CrossSnowboard cross is a racing discipline in which several riders descend a terrain course together, with the fastest advancing through rounds.
- Short TrackShort track speed skating is contested on a compact oval of about 111 metres, where several skaters race together in a pack and finishing position decides the result.
Sport categories
Rules
Skills
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Equipment
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-09
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