Making modifications to your uniform.

[Rockuman]

I'm just a bit curious, is there a rule that says you can't sew little additions to your uniforms, like a stripe on the sleeves, or a logo, or anything like that, mainly speaking about Tae Kwon Do? I notice that different schools often have different uniforms anyway, but are you allowed to modify it in any way?

 

 

 

Yeah, It's pretty late here...

[vertigo]

Umm... I don't know. I suppose it all depends on the organization, and I don't think it'd be tough to find out. I know my sister's TKD club has patches on their uniforms...

 

it is also late here though not that late

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I'm just a bit curious, is there a rule that says you can't sew little additions to your uniforms, like a stripe on the sleeves, or a logo, or anything like that, mainly speaking about Tae Kwon Do? I notice that different schools often have different uniforms anyway, but are you allowed to modify it in any way?

 

Yeah, It's pretty late here...

 

Meaning no disrespect here at all (it's early here), but I think the most obvious place to ask this question is to your instructor first and see what he/she says, since it is their dojo.

 

With that said, generally a martial arts gi is a "uniform", and the meaning of uniform is that you all look alike. I've seen some people put patches darn near on every open spot on a gi, and it looks horrible IMHO. I don't mind a school logo on the back, or a few patches hee and there, but extra stripes with no meaning for them other than decoration...and the next thing somebody's going to want to sew pink dingo-balls onto the hem of the jacket! Where does it stop?

Edited February 28, 2005 by Shorinryu Sensei

[cathal]

I agree, you rarely see any good changes when people get it in their heads to add decorative things to the gi.

[isshinryu5toforever]

In general I can't say I like the idea of modifying uniforms. I have a friend who is going to write a poem in kanji down the pant leg of his uniform. I didn't think it was a good idea, but the team and the league don't have rules against it, so if he wants to.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Just an idea of perspective here, at a tounament I was judging/referring a number of years ago, there was this kid...around 16 years old...that showed up with patches literally covering just about every square inch of his gi jacket, and runing down the outsides of both pant legs. I stopped him and looked at all of these patches. He had assistant instructor, weapons patches, flags, Ninja Turtle (really!), Okinawan patches, Chinese patches, Japanese and Korean patches...and I even think there was a Joe's Bar and Grill patch!

 

I, and a number of the other judges kept making jokes about that kid all through the tournament when he was competing because he wasn't very good (brown belt) for one thing, and all those patches just made him look worse.

[karatekid1975]

Our school lets us wear one patch of our choice (we HAVE to wear the school patch). But it has to be on the right arm. But no more than that. I'm not really big on patches myself, so it's good for me (this rule). I personally think a lot of patches look "tacky." That's just me, though.

 

Like everyone said here, it depends on your organization/school. Ask your instructor.

[shotochem]

We are required to wear the organizations patch over the left breast. After 911 many of us also wear an american flag patch on our left arm.

[Rockuman]

Whoooooooah now, I'm not planning to go Barbie Dress-up on it or anything. Basically, all I had in mind was perhaps stitching a stripe of a different color to go along the perimeter of the "tabbard" thing, and perhaps on the sleeves\shoulders of it as well. I wouldn't necessarily let things get out of hand.

 

And Shorinryu Sensei, that's definitely true, but you'd need an instructor first, in order to ask him.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

And Shorinryu Sensei, that's definitely true, but you'd need an instructor first, in order to ask him.

 

Oh well...if you have no instructor, which I guess means you're not taking classes...then I'd go with blue sequins perhaps, maybe red depending on your flesh tones.