Martial Arts

Uniforms that look alike on a hanger:

and are cut for very different work. A karategi is a light wrap jacket with drawstring trousers; the kumite version is a breathable synthetic blend, while a kata uniform is heavy cotton that snaps with every technique. An Olympic-style taekwondo dobok pulls over the head with a V-neck, and its collar colour shows the rank it was made for: white for coloured belts, black for black belts. A judogi is the heaviest of them, double-woven with a thick lapel built to be gripped and thrown by. A jiu-jitsu gi is cut closer, with narrower sleeves so an opponent has less to grab, and is sized by an A and a number rather than S, M or L. Boxing, kickboxing and MMA bring gloves, shin guards, hand wraps and headgear instead. Heavy bags and their stands are under exercise equipment. Most home dojos are floored with interlocking foam puzzle mats; a mat meant for yoga and pilates is too thin and slides too much to break a fall on.

The WKF label on a karategi and the scoring system behind a hogu:

for a beginners’ class, any clean uniform in the right size will do. A karateka heading into federated tournaments looks for the WKF Approved label sewn on the lower seam of the jacket and for red or blue embroidery on the shoulders, which matches the belt and mitts each competitor wears in a bout. Tokaido, Shureido and Arawaza are among the makers on that list, and approved kumite mitts carry the same mark on the back. Taekwondo sparring is scored through an electronic trunk protector, the hogu, and sensor socks, and the two main systems do not talk to each other, so ask which one the club uses before buying either. Gloves are chosen by weight in ounces: lighter pairs for pads and the bag, heavier ones for sparring, where the extra padding protects the partner as much as the hand inside.

Gloves, from a synthetic bag pair to handmade leather:

a synthetic pair for the bag costs a few hundred quetzales new, while handmade leather gloves from the premium Mexican makers run to around Q2,000. The cheap pair’s foam packs flat after a season of heavy bag work and resells for very little. Good leather gloves keep their shape for years and hold far more of their price second-hand, which is also why they are the ones that get copied.

Where a glove’s padding and a gi’s cotton give out:

press along the knuckles of a used glove. Padding that feels flat, lumpy or harder on one hand has broken down, and a torn lining or a smell that stays after airing means the inside never dried properly. Copies of big-name gloves tend to be light for their stated weight, with crooked stitching and a logo that sits slightly off. Cotton shrinks in a hot wash or a dryer, so the size on the label may no longer be the size of the jacket: measure it. Judo and jiu-jitsu gis wear first at the lapel and collar, where they are gripped, and at the knees. Mouthguards and groin guards are bought new by almost everyone, so do not expect them in a used set.

Listing a gi by its measurements and gloves by their ounces:

give the size on the label, then jacket length, sleeve from the shoulder seam and trouser length, and say whether it has been washed hot. Photograph the WKF label if there is one, the shoulder embroidery, a dobok’s collar, and for gloves the lining and the weight printed on the cuff. Air everything first; nobody wants to unzip a bag of damp sparring gear. A parent coming in from Cuilapa or Santa Elena will want the child to try the karategi on over a T-shirt and lift a knee to check the trousers do not pull, and a boxer will slide in a wrapped hand to feel where the knuckles land.