Non white uniforms

[MichiganTKD]

As far as practicality and hiding dirt, I will concede that black is good for this purpose. However, as I have stated before, traditionally white is the color of purity in Oriental thought-the idea of training for noble reasons rather than just crass commercialism. Laugh or sneer if you want to. Even if you don't train for noble reasons, white serves as a reminder to have higher aspirations in Tae Kwon Do than just thuggery, physical activity, or using Tae Kwon Do for commercial gain.

[delta1]

As far as practicality and hiding dirt, I will concede that black is good for this purpose. However, as I have stated before, traditionally white is the color of purity in Oriental thought

 

I can see how you would think of it that way when studying a traditional style primarily for reasons of self improvement. And most of us here would not laugh or sneer at anyone who studies 'the way'. You can ignore those that would, as their opinion doesn't count for much any how.

-the idea of training for noble reasons rather than just crass commercialism. ... Even if you don't train for noble reasons, white serves as a reminder to have higher aspirations in Tae Kwon Do ....

 

Many schools, including TKD schools that train primarily to use their art in some practical capacity, wear black for the reasons you stated. Some schools wear different colors to differentiate between phases, programs or functions. Other schools just don't care about ghi color or style. This does not mean that they are in it for "just thuggery, physical activity, or using Tae Kwon Do for commercial gain," any more than wearing white guarantees they are not. In fact, many McThuggery social programs like to put on all the outward trimmings of tradition, as if these are what the martial arts are all about. So while I understand your preference, I wouldn't judge any martial artist or school by their ghi color.

[White Warlock]

However, as I have stated before, traditionally white is the color of purity in Oriental thought-the idea of training for noble reasons rather than just crass commercialism

Hmm... i was informed many times over that it is the exact opposite of our views on white/black. I.e, in the western world, we view white as good and pure and view black as corrupt and evil, but in the eastern world it is the other way around.

 

Something to consider...

[granmasterchen]

why dont we start with black belts and work our way up to a white belt and then have all the dans and degrees in white belt....wouldn't that make more sense?

[MichiganTKD]

Self correction:

 

White is used in Korean culture to signify purity, deriving out of Buddhist thought. For many years, Korea was referred to as the Land of White Clothes (or something to that effect). Photos of Tae Kyon students always showed them wearing white.

 

I think in Chinese thought, black represents purity and good luck, which is why many Chinese kung fu uniforms are black.

[nathanjusko]

Here's a thought, how about we practice TaeKwonDo or any other martial art in whatever damn clothes we see fit, and instead of wasting our God-given time debating who's a "prostitute" or the wasted traditions of various schools of practice, we practice?

 

Let me just ask this to MichiganTKD, if you did not have a white uniform to practice TaeKwonDo...would you still practice it? Or would you consider it a "dishonor" to do so? Let go of your freakin' pride man, or you're gonna get your * handed to you, maybe even by a person in uniform that has COLOR ON IT!!!! OH MY GOD!!! GET OVER IT

[battousai16]

hey now, that's a little harsh. he has the right to his opinion, just as you do. it's not even as though he's the only one; if you went over to the japanese stylists i'm sure you'd find more who shared his view. it's just that, lets face it, the korean styles have indeed been bastardized and now you have people unning around with neon light up american flag uniforms or whatever. i see his point, just not to the extreme.

[nathanjusko]

i know i know i came off harshly, but i am sick of both extremes. on one hand you have the new-age type martial artists who sure do know how to dress flashy and what type of "sparkly paper" to put on their kamas or staffs, but if you get them in a fight they're gonna have their * handed to them on a plate. Then you have the extremely traditional schools who haven't quite woken up to the fact that it is indeed 2004 and there are benefits to opening up your mind a bit to new possibilities, i mean the only reason that the traditions became "tradition" was because someone somewhere else disobeyed a previous tradition and it happened to be popular. My point is this, stop worrying about the clothes of the practitioner, I would much rather train with a person who knows what they are doing and happens to be wearing a "non-traditional" uniform long before I train with a "traditional" teacher who follows all aspects of tradition, but cannot throw a single technique to save his/her life. The person who refuses to teach a person dressed in a flashy outfit is just as superficial(i spelled that horribly wrong, sorry) as the person wearing the flashy outfit, if not more.

[delta1]

Who'd have thought this was such an issue???

[jakmak52]

This may seem trite to some people, but here goes:

 

I think people who train in non-white uniforms (black, white/black, colored etc.) have bastardized Tae Kwon Do. The Kukkiwon does not authorize them, neither does the ITF. To me, Instructors who allow non-white uniforms in class do so as a gimick because they have no real foundation and need to keep people interested in class. Not only that, but I've noticed the fancier the uniform the worse the technique and manners.

 

There's nothing I hate more than Instructors wearing black uniforms w/red stripes, black jacket/red pants etc. claiming to teach traditional Tae Kwon Do. Traditional TKD is taught with a white uniform.

 

"Bastardizing" TKD!! Oh no, the art has no mother!!! I was trained by Mr. John Graden in American TKD that he learned from Mr. Joe Lewis & Bill "Superfoot" Wallace who in turn trained with the late ,great Mr. Bruce Lee(even though his style was Jeet Kune Do), who I could have sworn wore a black do bok, GI, etc. from time to time. I was started off in traditional white, moved to red gi (Black Belt Club) certainly a gimmick, moved to a black GI (Master's Club) ,gimmick #2 in my brown belt era, and been with it ever since, blood doesn't show up well on black Does the color of my GI effect my performance, technique, or expertise? Good question. But I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night

 

JAK