HANDOGI HISTORY

It started with a pair of scissors!

Old photos of Okinawan masters like Choki Motobu, Hanashiro Chomo, and Kinjo Hiroshi tell a story most people miss.
Short-sleeved jackets. Mid-length shorts.
Sometimes, no jacket at all.

They trained for movement, for heat, for practicality — not for show.

Somewhere along the way, as karate moved to mainland Japan, the uniform changed. It became heavier, thicker, more formal — better suited to cold dojos than to the tropical humidity of Okinawa… or Australia. 

After years of training and teaching in that same heat, I wanted to return to what those early karateka understood so well — simplicity, comfort, and purpose.

So I began developing a uniform that honoured that original spirit but was refined for today’s practitioner. It took years of testing — countless cuts, fabrics, and prototypes — before I found the premium cotton that felt just right.

That’s how the Handogi (半道着) was born.

The Ultimate Old-Style Training Gi — between Okinawa and Australia, between old and new, between tradition and innovation.

Short sleeves. Mid-length shorts. 100% premium cotton.
A return to karate’s roots — reimagined for the way we train today.