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TOO MUCH KANJI
Donning the armor of Japanese
We suggest ordering a size down when your measurements are between sizes.
The color of the actual product may differ slightly from the images shown.
Please note that contact with rough surfaces and velcro fasteners should be avoided since they can pull out the white fibers in the fabric, damaging the rash guard’s appearance.
FREE SHIPPING IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.
20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER
30-DAY RETURNS
DESIGN CONCEPT
In one of Japan's most famous ghost stories, a blind musician named Hoichi was summoned night after night to perform for the spirits of a fallen samurai clan. Each performance drained a little more of his life.
To save him, the temple priests brushed sacred sutras over every inch of his body, making him invisible to the dead.
Every inch — except his ears.
That night, the ghost warrior found only two ears floating in the darkness, and tore them off. Hoichi survived, and was known forever after as Mimi-nashi Hoichi: "Earless Hoichi."
The tale reached English readers in 1904 through Lafcadio Hearn's classic collection Kwaidan. More than a century later, every grappler still understands the lesson. The mat always goes for the ears first.
So we left nothing unwritten.
Every character on this garment comes from one of six yojijukugo, four-character Japanese idioms (many rooted in classical Chinese texts), and every one of them is about protection. No random kanji. No mistranslations. Here's what you're wearing.
Tokokyokushi
WARD OFF EVIL
Keep injuries and negative energy off your mat.
Kinjoteppeki
IMPREGNABLE FORTRESS
A defense so solid that no opponent can pass or sweep.
Syukoubokusyu
UNBREAKABLE GUARD, RELENTLESS ATTACK
Honor your partner, stay sharp, and leave your ego off the mats.
Kyokutotsushishin
PREVENT THE DAMAGE
Move with intention and tap early so you can train again tomorrow.
Shinshikeisyu
RESPECT FROM FIRST BOW TO FINAL TAP
Honor your partner, stay sharp, and leave your ego off the mats.
Kanaianzen
SAFE MATS, SAFE HOME
Train hard, protect your partners, and leave the mat healthy.
DESIGN CONCEPT
Hoichi's protection wasn't a charm in his pocket. It was written on his skin.
We designed TOO MUCH KANJI the same way: six idioms in bold, brush-style calligraphy, set in diagonal columns that wrap the torso and run down both sleeves like a full-body tattoo.
On the sleeve sits a red seal bearing a seventh four-character word: SPARS, written in kanji. It's our signature, stamped the way a calligrapher signs a finished work.
From across the gym, it reads as pure texture. Up close, every character means something.
SPARS was founded in Osaka on one principle: Finish Sparring Safely.
Look closely at these six idioms and you'll find that same principle, written centuries ago: begin with care, prevent harm before it happens, and bring everyone home safe.
TOO MUCH KANJI isn't just a pattern. It's our philosophy, worn on the body.