The modern judogi...
The modern judogi consists of white or blue cotton drawstring pants and a matching white or blue quilted cotton jacket,
fastened by a belt (obi). The belt is often colored to indicate rank.
Petit Japon Top / Musée de kimono / Kimono for traditional career / Judo
Judo
Judo practitioners...
Judo practitioners traditionally wear white kimono uniforms called judogi in Japanese, which simply means "judo uniform", for practicing judo.
Sometimes the word is seen shortened simply to "gi" (uniform).
The judogi was created at the Kodokan, and similar uniforms were later adopted by many other martial art.
The kimono jacket is...
The kimono jacket is intended to withstand the stresses of throwing and grappling, and as a result, is much thicker than that of a karate uniform (karategi).
The modern use of the blue judogi was first suggested by Anton Geesink at the 1986 Maastricht IJF DC Meeting.
Before competition, a blue judogi is assigned to one of the two competitors for ease of distinction by judges, referees, and spectators. In Japan,
both judoka still use a white judogi and the traditional red sash (based on the flag's colors) is affixed to the belt of one competitor.
In Europe and North America...
In Europe and North America, a colored sash is typically used for convenience in local competitions,
while a blue judogi is assigned to one competitor at the regional, national, or Olympic levels where the visibility,
particularly to television cameras, is more important than tradition or convienence.
Japanese practitioners and purists tend to look down on the use of blue judogi.