Gusoku shita!

[gurdymonkey]

Before you cry, "Gesundheit!" the term refers to a shirt-like garment worn under Japanese armor. I decided to use it as a model for rapier "armor" which I should be able to wear under pretty much any existing or new Japanese garb I own that I might want to fight in.  I look like a potato in it as it's made of unbleached heavy weight linen. The body is composed of two full layers of linen. The sleeves have a double layer from the armpit to elbow, as required by SCA rapier rules.




EDIT: When I was considering the design, it occurred to me that the seam between the migoro (body panel) and okumi (overlap) was one more place for potential wear/tear/puncture failure. As I had sufficiently wide fabric to work with, I simply cut the body panels to include the material for the overlap

Ishida-dono tells me he had sewn the waist tie to the body only to have it tear away. So mine isn't sewn on. I don't expect a double knotted himo to untie when I move.

Debating whether to add additional ties inside at the waist like some gi I've seen, but I want to see how it behaves when I wear it tomorrow evening.

The toggle is formed by a boxwood ojime of the three wise monkeys, the loop is a bit of round shoelace. .

May try to get better photos tomorrow, when there's a bit more natural light in the living room.

Comments

[ladycelia.livejournal.com]

Will you also have a padded jacket?

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

That is the jacket. We're supposed to score hits at very light positive pressure, though obviously that sometimes doesn't happen. The torso (front to the groin) and underarms and back of the head need to be covered by puncture-proof material (which this is), the face, throat and cervical vertebrae by rigid material (mask and gorget do that) and the rest by abrasion resistant material. I've supplemented that with the rigid plastic chest protector, worn over a tee shirt or tank, and for event fighting there may be two or more clothing layers worn over the jacket.

The linen I used is pretty heavy.