Which judogi you need as a beginner, what single vs. double weave means, and how the Kyu-Dan belt system really works.
Short and honest: for judo you basically need just two things — a judogi and a belt. No gloves, no headgear, no mouthguard like in striking sports. That's the nature of the sport: judo isn't punched, it's gripped and thrown. Your most important "gear" is the uniform itself — you grip on it, you get gripped by it.
That's why the judogi isn't a fashion item but equipment. It has to survive the brutal pulling forces of the grip fight without tearing. And because so much of judo runs through the fingers, the most common chronic wear is — not by chance — at the finger joints and ears; both already tell you what matters in material and handling.
The good part: the entry barrier is low. A beginner judogi is cheap, many clubs lend one at first — so you can try before you buy.
The weave determines weight and grip feel. A single weave is lighter and cheaper — ideal for learning. A double weave is much heavier and more densely woven, making it harder to grip; that's more for competitors who want to make gripping difficult for the opponent. As a beginner: single weave, always.
Judogis often shrink in the first wash — buy a size that's slightly too big at first. Sleeve and leg length matter: sleeves that are too short are illegal in competition and make the grip fight harder.
Belt colors run through the Kyu grades (student grades): typically white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown — and then the Dan grades (master grades) in black. The color isn't random and isn't about age: it stands for tested, cleanly mastered technique.
The belt (obi) is wrapped twice around the waist and closed with a flat knot that still holds after the third throw. A sloppily tied belt that keeps coming undone costs you real training time — get it shown to you on day one.
The biggest equipment risks in judo are unspectacular but real. Rings, watches and piercings have no place on the mat — they snag in the gi and tear. Long nails injure your partner. And because the fingers are one of the most chronically loaded zones in judo, finger tape is worth it early, the moment a joint starts to nag. A clean, dry gi is also a hygiene topic, not a cosmetic one: skin infections spread fast on mats.
Get a second belt or a spare gi set early — not out of vanity, but training discipline. Someone who has a fresh, dry gi after every session trains more often, and consistency is the engine of progress in judo. A damp, clammy gi in the corner of your sports bag is a surprisingly common, honest reason people skip sessions.
No. Many clubs lend you one for the first weeks. Buy only once you know you'll stick with it — then a cheap single weave is perfectly fine to start.
The colored belts are the Kyu student grades (white to brown); black and above are the Dan master grades. Each color stands for a tested technical level — it shows skill, not years of training or age.
Single weave. It's lighter, cheaper and more comfortable to learn in. Double weave is heavier and denser so the opponent has a harder time gripping — that's a competition topic, not a beginner topic.
Far less than in equipment-heavy sports: judogi plus belt are the one-time base investment; after that it's mainly club or course fees. There's no expensive protective gear like in striking sports.
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