Seishin Gi Review

singularity6 · Pre-Black Belt

It's really looking like that brand isn't worth it, doesn't it?

I'd write a review on Amazon (be sure to share those pictures!) Also, it might be worth making a Facebook or Twitter post about it. Again, my Meijin gis have some of the same flaws to a lesser extent, but cost half as much. Heck, they're probably made in the same factory!
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5th Geup Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do/Hap Ki Do

(Never officially tested in aikido, iaido or kendo)

Nidan Melbourne · KF Sempai

Either it is a knock off or you were just unfortunate to get one with some faulty stitching.

May be worth shooting an email to Seishin or where you bought it from. Especially Seishin, as they take it seriously that there is an issue.

Spartacus Maximus · Black Belt

if reputable quality is what matters, it will be very hard to find a gi that is not made in Japan. There are quite a few Japanese brands and they all have one thing in common:quality! Shureido is a prime example and their products are made to last for years.

Pakistan made gi are known to be cheap, but as the pictures clearly show, there is a reason. Poor quality and shoddy craftsmanship from mass-production under questionable conditions.

shuriway · White Belt

I bought a Seishin Gi, unfortunately I ordered the correct size for my height and it was way to small. I had to reorder and get 2 inches more. When the Gi arrived I was quite impressed. I have tried so many Gi's in the past and wanted to try something new. The fit was pretty good for a Gi that was meant for someone actually 2 inches taller than me.

The Gi jacket is very long which I quite like. The sleeve length a little short to what I prefer but not to bad. The pants have a high waist which I like too and the weight was much lighter than I am used to. Again this was okay too.

The problem came after the first wash. I followed the washing instructions to the letter and washed in the coldest wash. No fabric conditioner and I hung dried, and no tumble dryer.

Guess what? The Gi has shrunk beyond belief. Of course I understand that cotton shrinks but the pants alone have shrunk at least three inches in length and the crotch feels like I am being strangled. The jacket sleeves have now lost at least 2 inches in length and the whole Gi just feels uncomfortable to wear.

The Seishin website states that the Gi doesn't needed ironing and comes out of the wash almost wrinkle free. Really? No. It is a mess of wrinkles. Not a big issue as I can iron it, but they recommend not doing that too.

I too have the, made in Pakistan logo written in Japanese. I'm not happy about this, as if I had known this I would not have purchased, as I have had issues with Gi's form there before.

In conclusion. I loved the Gi before it was washed. After just one wash, I am hugely disappointed as it feels so uncomfortable to wear, especially as I ordered a larger size too. For the cost I was expecting much more. Very disappointed.

Nidan Melbourne · KF Sempai

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

JR 137 · Black Belt

I’d contact them too. Give them a chance to make it right.

For what it’s worth, I buy every gi a full size larger to account for shrinkage (cue George Costanza’s voice here

). All 100% cotton gis shrink quite a bit initially, then I’ve found most continue to shrink a very little bit over the course of a year being washed 1-2 times a week. I always wash cold and hang dry.

The Seishin gi seems to have changed in some ways since the initial run, and not for the better. No one had a single negative thing to say about them. Now seemingly all of a sudden things have changed. And the price went up about $100. The ads used to say one of the goals was to make it affordable for the everyday person. They missed that goal IMO as the initial crowdsourcing run was $150 USD for one and $260 USD for 2. At the current $269 USD from their website, the price is currently $9 more than doubled. I don’t think everyday people are wearing a $150 gi, let alone a $269 gi. Call me crazy.

And writing Made in Pakistan, but using Japanese katakana? An absolute disgrace IMO. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t be too happy if they knew it was Pakistan written instead of Japan. In my mind there’s no way that couldn’t have been a conscientious decision to deceive people. I know I’d have assumed it said Japan had I not seen this. Before all of this I was considering buying a Seishin gi. I’m glad I bought a second Shureido K-11. And I saved about $100 over the Seishin.

singularity6 · Pre-Black Belt

I contacted the folks at Seishin about a year ago. They claimed their gi were made in Sweden!

My experience also says that cotton gi will shrink substantially at first. When it comes to the sleeve and leg length, I don't mind a more "traditional Japanese" cut. I'd definitely worry about the crotch riding up, though.

I'll say it again: My Meijin Tropical (which is fairly similar to the Seishin gi, from what I can tell) cost me about $100 after shipping. I still love it, even after a year!
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5th Geup Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do/Hap Ki Do

(Never officially tested in aikido, iaido or kendo)

shuriway · White Belt

As many of you had suggested I had already contacted Seishin about the shrinkage etc with my Gi. I was told that they had not had an issue with the batch of Gi's that my order was part of. (does that suggest maybe they have issues with other batches?)

They agreed to send me another Gi after they had received my Gi back in Sweden. As I teach most days I asked if they could send the replacement Gi prior to mine being received, and they also agreed to this.

Unfortunately this went completely wrong. I sent my Gi back but then all contact with Seishin was lost. I sent email after email and got no response. Gave them the tracking number on the Gi I returned, still no response. I had orders for other items with Seishin too, which I had not received and it got to the stage where I had to make a decision to buy a Gi elsewhere. I just couldn't wear the same Gi everyday.

To cut a long story short. I am still waiting for a replacement Gi to arrive, I have cancelled the orders for the other items.

I did get a very nice reply from Jesse Enkamp who offered apologies and a discount on further items.

So at the moment I can't tell you if the replacement Gi has issues like the last one or not.

Still waiting.

JR 137 · Black Belt

Sorry to hear about all of this. I guess when you find something you really like, you stick with it rather than trying to change it up. I’ve had nothing but great dealings with Shureido USA, so I’ll continue to do business with them until that changes. I was ordering my stuff from a company who shall remain nameless, and they messed up 3 orders in a row before I stopped buying anything from them. The few dollars cheaper they were didn’t justify the hassle. And they certainly weren’t selling anything I couldn’t get elsewhere.

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