Century Ironman 14 oz. Uniform Review

Back in 2000 I had my first Century Ironman 14 oz. Uniform, or 'gi', for numerous reasons. First, it just looks professional. Being an instructor (or 'sensei') at my school, it is important to look your best and be a good role-model for our students. This uniform is made of heavy weight cotton so it stands the tests of time while still looking sharp. Secondly, to say that it is rugged is an understatement. Each and every stitch is reinforced numerous times and can hold it's own after years or intense training and grappling.

Lastly, my kicks and punches never sounded better! Back to being an instructor. We are here to engage our students and show them perfect form and technique. What better way to hit home than with the snap of your uniform after each move you demonstrate? Back then, our school, or 'dojo', required the instructors to wear a black top and white bottoms which was perfect because the Ironman outfit comes in either black or white. There is also an option to buy the top and bottom separately but keep in mind that it does cost more to mix-and-match as opposed to buying the uniform as a set.

I bought a brand new black Ironman Uniform online from Karate Joe's a couple weeks ago because they had some of the best prices that I have seen for this style of gi. I think they beat any other site's prices by $50 USD or so. Not only that, it came with a really nice mesh bag that I now have my sparring gear in.

Now you may be asking wondering it handles during my training. The gi starts off very firm but begins to break-in after a couple weeks of wear yet still retains its snap. If you dry clean only like the instructions say then you can expect the blacks to stay true to the original color. Otherwise (like my old uniform) the color begins to bleed and thus fades the original color some. The biggest thing that struck me was the pants. The Ironman pants have a draw string which, when compared to the elastic waist bands, holds up so much better and feels so much more natural. I no longer have the waist band folding over on me or have that feeling like they are falling on me. That is the worst when sparring because if your pants are slipping then you are not able to do kicks as high as you want.

I personally have short legs. So like all my uniforms, I need to have my uniforms hemmed. But such is life...

All-in-all, this is a great uniform to own. It is quite an investment coming in at $100 so I would recommend this gi to adults who are a purple belt or above due to the more intense training and throws that begin to sneak into your curriculum. As mentioned before, if you are a karate instructor then high consider picking up this uniform!

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael