Karate Gi

[shukokai2000]

I've have noticed lately the many different coloured karate gi's on sale, red, blue some off pink etc.

Please tell me what's it all about ?

Is it fashion ?

Is it religion ?

Is it Right ?

Am i behind the times ? am i just a traditionalist ?

[IronWarrior]

Basically people want to be there our individual now!lol. You see it in the schools, kids dont want to wear uniforms e.t.c. or the girls alter them to make them shorter calling it 'self expression'lol! we as society have lost touch with the need for 'discipline'! When I started Martial arts there were only 2-3 colours of uniforms and that was in the sport open karate events they were white, black or sometimes a red one...Its not just in the Martial arts either like I said above.. we are going to the extreme in everything and eventual its just going to get way out of hand...why because people dont want to conform to a set of standards or rules its just that simple!

[karatekid1975]

To tell you the truth, I hate colored gi's. I like the good ol' fashioned white gis. I don't get the colored gi thing either.

[gheinisch]

At our school we are allowed to wear black pants once you achieve the rank of Shodan, but we still wear the white tops. I never see us changing to anything too wild.

[MrClean]

I have 3 gi's and two of them are white, and one is black. (one light weight, one medium, and one heavy) I never understood the different color gi's myself.

[Ricky D]

I prefer the white gi's over the coloured gi's. Only problem with some of them is it gets quite hot while wearing them.

[ninjanurse]

I'm with Laurie ! I prefer the traditional uniform. It is "suggested" that I wear black pants as a certified instructor in my system but I choose not too, however, I do wear a black kung fu top with white pants on occasion. At my former school the uniforms changed with each dan, and I'll have to admit it was kinda cool....but I don't miss it.

[Drivr]

After my last tournament I thought a black uniform at least for tournaments might be nice. the blood was a pain to get out of my white one.

[karatekid1975]

I agree Heidi. Even the kung fu top is weird to me. I have one but I won't wear it.

In my TSD school, once you reached 4th gup, you could wear a black dobok. I thought that was kinda cool. Once you reached cho dan, you could wear black pants with the white (black trim) top.

Being a female, I loved the idea. But I still like the all white regaurdless of style.

[Sensei Rick]

it seems the coulored thing gets a bad rap. I try to think progressively. I once read an article about wether or not old masters would wear kicking shoes, the article said they would. I tend to agree. I keep many traditional things in my school and i try to teach as much "DO" as i can. But I know the century were in. Kicking shoes will keep you active in the art longer. Period. (at least in a kicking intesive style)

As for uniforms, (gi or dobock) I can't stand many of the styles that I have seen. In my dojo we recently went with an all black gi and the parents loved it. The all white gi was imposible to keep clean. I only changed because the manufacture made a better product for the same price. It is a real well made affordable uniform. But I don't care what my students train in. Shorts, Sweats,whatever they have. I have a lot of people in lower economic levels and wanna keep my program affordable so that these kids will chose a proper way of life. If my student shows up with a rainbow gi...... he will get kidded around with, but he will not be disallowed to train.

I have a takaido from the 80's just before they went away, before they came back. I paid about 80 bucks for it in 1985. It is shredded and black but the most comfortable gi i['ve ever had. I care more about how if feels than how it looks.

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