Bu Jin Design ®

To help us make the hakama best suited to your needs, carefully follow these steps and fill out the order form completely.

Select a fabric

Choose a color
All our fabrics come in Black or Dark Navy.

Select from two koshiita styles
The Traditional Style Koshiita is used in iaido, kendo aikido, kyudo, and jujitsu. It has a firm yet flexible backing, and may be machine washed and dried. It should be removed for dry-cleaning.

Koshiita Diagram

The Aiki Style is our innovative koshiita, a softer style suited to aikido ukemi. The firm multi-stitched layers of fabric contour around your waist.

Choose the Regular or Extended Front Panel
If your obi slopes toward the front, as in the illustration below, you should order the Regular Front Panel. If the front of your obi remains parallel to the floor, you may need the Extended Front Panel.

Front Panel Diagram

Select a size
To take waist and hip measurements, keep the tape measure straight, not tight. Measure your waist around the narrowest point of your natural waistline and your hips at their fullest point.

Classic Small Medium Large Ex-Large
Waist
(inches)		 up to 26 26-36 36-42 42-50
Hips
(inches)		 up to 36 33-42 40-48 48-54

Women's Small Medium Large
Waist
(inches)		 up to
26		 26-36 36-42
Hips
(inches)		 up to
36		 36-46 46-56

If you are still uncertain of your size, include your height and weight, and we will be happy to assist you.

Measure for length
Method 1
Tie on your obi, and in a comfortable stance, hold a tape measure just above the knot of your obi (if you plan to tuck your hakama in over the obi, then tuck the tape measure in, as you would the hakama, about 1 to 2 inches); then with your free hand pull the tape measure in to your body, so that the tape measure goes over the knot and is pulled in underneath, as if by the ties of the hakama. Let the tape measure fall to your feet and have an assistant help you determine where you want the hem of the hakama to be. This will be the length you should order (please round to the nearest inch or centimeter).

Measure for Length

Method 2
Over an obi, try on a hakama (your current one or a friend's). Using a mirror, decide how many inches longer or shorter you want your new hakama. Remove the hakama, place it face up and straighten the pleats. With a tape measure, in the center front, measure from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the hem; then add or subtract the appropriate inches. (Important: if the hakama is one with an Extended Front Panel, be sure to specify this when ordering. We will make appropriate adjustments.

Please note that hakama under 39" in length are non-returnable. Please measure carefully!
When in doubt, it is advisable to go a little longer, since the hakama can easily be shortened one inch by folding the hem up one turn.

For Cotton Hakama
When ordering 10 oz. Cotton , please tell us how you plan to clean it so we can add the correct amount for shrinkage. Please specify if you plan to 1) machine wash and dry, 2) cold-soak in a tub/air dry, or 3) dry-clean.

Select Special Options

Please note, customizing your hakama with these special options makes your hakama unique to you and as such we cannot accept them back for return or refund.

Caring for your hakama
For longest life, we recommend either hand washing and air drying or dry cleaning.

Tying and Folding your Hakama
Please go to Tying on a Hakama and Folding a Hakama for clear, step-by-step illustrations of typical tying and folding methods. We'd like to thank Dante Lividini, aikidoist and artist, for preparing these drawings for us. You are welcome to print a copy from the pdf file for posting in your dojo. We ask that you please respect the copyright.

Himo.
Our double-stitched, triple-layered himo are amply long. On a medium size hakama, the back himo are 89" x 1 1/2" and the front are 180" x 1 1/2". Other sizes adjusted accordingly.