Your Taekwondo Uniform wear it well! Here's how you choose, wash and iron your Dobok

On this page we guide you to the right size taekwondo uniform for you.

We give you advice how to wear your dobok- including which side to sew badges and what to do with the elastic.

And we explain you how you care for your dobok

Your dobok might be sized in centimeters. The size should roughly correlate with your height.

So a tall man might need a size 200. An average lady maybe a 170. And a ten-year-old like Leah is in a 150.

Sometimes doboks are sized in figures like 00. The dobok sizing chart below will help you get the right size for you.

Size	Height cm	Weight kg	Waist cm
000	104-116	16	46-68
00	114-127	23	50-74
0	124-136	32	56-82
1	134-148	41	64-92
2	145-158	54	70-100
3	155-166	68	76-106
4	165-179	77	80-114
5	175-188	86	84-122
6	185-199	100	90-128
7	195-207	109	96-134

When you try a tkd Dobok for size look at the length of the trousers. For us the best length is when the hem is just below the ankle bone. This means the bottom of the trousers is not on the floor.

We find if the Dobok legs are too long they can get caught underneath your heel. And it's easy to trip over.

If you are choosing a Dobok for your child, and you want to buy a bigger size because they are growing quickly, you can turn the waist of the trousers over to make the legs a little shorter.

Check with your instructor whether they would like you to buy your tkd uniforms from them. Sometimes your school will prefer you to wear a Dobok embroidered with the club logo

As a beginner taekwondo student most schools like you to wear a plain white Dobok. Check this with your instructor.

Taekwondo uniforms with black collars, and maybe black trim around the hem of the top (in ITF taekwondo), are usually reserved for black belt students.

Coloured Doboks (ie not white) are not usually OK unless you are a black belt.

how to wear your taekwondo uniform and what to do with the elastic

For your taekwondo uniform trousers, the label inside goes at the front. And there is a string cord you can use to tighten the waist.

The modern dobok tops go over your head like a T-shirt. And there's usually a piece of elastic attached.

The idea of the elastic is that it pulls the dobok top in at the back of your waist.

The elastic goes round your front underneath the front flap of the dobok. And attaches to a button on the other side. You need to make sure that the elastic is hidden underneath the front flap of your dobok top.

Most instructors hate to see bits of elastic dangling down. So you need to be sure to attach it securely to the button.

We have found it's often easier and perfectly OK just to cut the elastic off.

It's OK to wear a plain, white, round necked top underneath your taekwondo uniform.

And if it's really cold we sometimes train with compression gear underneath our Doboks.

how to sew badges onto your tkd uniform

You might be asked to sew a club badge onto your dobok.

Our advice?

Sew carefully and neatly and take you time. Match the thread color. Ideally use a sewing machine.

Sew the badge onto the left side of your dobok top.

Our experience is the taekwondo instructors hate to see badly sewn on badges.

If you want to sew badges other than your club badge onto your dobok. Ask your instructor first!

Here's how to wash and iron your taekwondo dobok

Your taekwondo uniform needs washing after each training session. A warm or cold wash is fine.

We tried a hot wash once. This was an expensive mistake! All the black lettering on the back ran into the white doboks. And left a grey sludgy mess on the back of our uniforms. Oops!

We know it's a pain but you do need to iron your doboks. It is not good to arrive at class in a creased uniform.

Iron the trouser legs flat. So the creases are at the side of the leg. And not at the front.

Iron the top like a T-shirt with the creases running down the outside of the sleeves.

Have a good look at any lettering on your dobok top. If it's embroidered it's fine to iron over. But if it's a plastic transfer type logo. You'll need to turn your dobok top inside out and iron it on the reverse.

Oh and just a reminder. Never, ever wash your belt!