Gi pants, zubon in Japanese, are the heavy cotton trousers of a judogi or BJJ gi, with reinforced knees and a drawstring waist. The judoinfo.com terms list gives zubon simply as "pants".
- Japanese name: zubon.
- In judo: part of the judogi, with length and width set by the IJF rulebook for competition.
- In BJJ: part of the kimono; IBJJF rules set the length and allowed colours.
How are gi pants built?
Judo pants are usually a single layer of thick cotton with double-layer knees, because judo is hard on the knees from throws and kneeling entries. BJJ pants come in cotton twill or ripstop, lighter than judo pants, often with a longer rise and more reinforcement where a partner grips. Both have a wide waist closed by a drawstring, with belt loops on most BJJ pants and an elastic or rope cord on judo pants.
In the gi game the pants are a handle. Opponents grip the knee and the cuff to control your legs in guard passing and to set up foot sweeps standing, so the fabric and stitching at those points decide how long a pair lasts.
How long should gi pants be?
For BJJ, the IBJJF Rules Book says the trousers must end no more than 2 cm above the ankle bone, with 7 cm of slack in the leg. For judo, the IJF Sport and Organisation Rules allow at most 5 cm between the hem and the outer ankle bone and set the leg width at 10 to 15 cm at the knee. Cotton shrinks, so measure after washing.
Can you wear spats under gi pants?
Not in every competition. The IBJJF bans any trousers under the gi pants in the men's divisions and allows women stretch leggings shorter than the gi pants. The IJF allows underwear or shorts from the waist to the knee under the judogi and forbids tights.
How do you care for gi pants?
Wash after every session in cold water and hang to dry; hot water and a tumble dryer shrink cotton past the competition minimum. Retie the drawstring loosely before washing so it does not pull through. Repair the crotch seam and knee panels as soon as they open, because a small tear becomes a big one the next time someone grips it.
For no-gi days, our rash guards are made for training.
Sources
- Judoinfo.com terms list, JudoInfo
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation