Karate pants are always made with a gusseted crotch. It’s an essential feature of martial art pants. All martial art pants are designed this way to give you more flexibility when training, specifically for kicking and stretching.
This design reduces the chance of the fabric splitting and improves the strength of the seams. In addition, these karate pants also allow you to do all kinds of high kicks, jumps, long stances, and other training activities as they allow for a wider angle at which they open.
The waist of canvas karate pants and of basic karate pants is secured either by a traditional tie strap or is elasticated with an inner drawstring. This traditional tie strap design threads through loops on the front of the pants and are tied securely at the front. The more modern and popular way is to have an elasticated waistband with an inner tie string. This works like any regular sweat pants. Choosing between one or the other is completely up to you and it should only depend on your preferences. However, in case you are looking for basic karate pants for your kids, it may be better to buy ones with elastic waist since these are usually easy to use and maintain.
Canvas Karate Pants Fabric Type and Weight
When you are looking to buy basic karate pants, you will find that the biggest selection is in the polyester and cotton blend fabrics. These are reasonably priced, hard-wearing, and easy to care for. Next is the 100% cotton karate pants, harder to find as they are more expensive. Then there are the canvas karate pants. These can come in a selection of weights. The most popular is the 12oz canvas karate pants though some people prefer the heavyweight 16oz canvas karate pants.
1: 100% Cotton Basic Karate Pants:
These are usually considered as one of the best types of pants. The fabric breathes keeping you cooler. On the downside, there is some shrinkage with them so check that they have been pre-shrunk before you buy. After the first wash, there is a small amount of shrinkage but it is minimal providing you wash and dry them according to the instructions. If you decide to buy cotton pants be prepared to dry them in the open air and iron them before wearing as they will crease. But even with the shrinkage and need to iron they are worth the trouble, the fabric feels much cooler and more comfortable than the cheaper poly/cotton blends.
2: Cotton/Polyester Basic Karate Pants:
This type of fabric karate pants is usually the cheapest. In addition, they tend to be lightweight and easy to care for. Since they are easier to take care of, these are the ones that most people use and that your kids should definitely use.
What About the Canvas Karate Pants Fabric Weight?
If you’re looking for pants in a heavier weight fabric, then canvas pants are for you. There are three main categories:
Lightweight canvas:
These are the pants that most practitioners choose when changing to canvas for the first time. While the fabric is heavier than the regular poly/cotton or cotton pants, the cut and slight stiffness in the fabric means it doesn’t lie against the skin in the same way so tends to be much cooler. These canvas pants are available in 10oz and 12oz cotton canvas.
Medium-Weight canvas:
This type of fabric weight is the right balance between coolness, weight, and strength. The weight is 14oz so slightly heavier than the 12oz pants.
Heavyweight canvas:
These can be 16oz and in some cases 18oz fabric. This makes them feel quite heavy and can be restricted if you aren’t used to them. So while they are a comfortable cut and provide the same fit of hanging away from direct contact with the skin, the actual weight is not recommended for beginners.