Uniform at a tournament

[bushido_man96]

Wow! That is crazy!

[tori]

I saw this tiny little young lady once sparring. She couldn't have gone 90 lbs. She was wearing one of those female chest gear. You know the ones, they have formed foam breasts. Well, the chest gear was too big for her, so these formed things were actually around her waist. I assumed that she was forced to wear that in accordance to her own school requirements because the other girls had them too. It just looked funny. She couldve been wearing a rib gaurd that was meant for children. All in all, I would not force any woman to wear something like that. Its embarrassing.

[kajukenbogirl]

I've been to many tournaments where guys wear their cup over their gi. There is some styles that do that. We had a guy train at our school once and the school he came from wore theirs on the outside, so that was the way he came to our class the first day.

[armanox]

I've seen the groin cup on the outside before at tournaments, I'm not a big fan of people seeing it myself.

The worst malfunction I saw in tournament happened when a guy did a shoulder roll in the middle of a form and had his pants come down (they were a little too big, and he stepped on them). He got up, bowed, and pulled his pants up. Talk about a goof.

Personally, I try to keep my gi in good condition. Mend any rips or tears, iron it when needed, wash it regulary, etc. I do starch it lightly before tournaments.

[Ozpunker]

The strangest "wardrobe malfunction" that I have ever seen at a tourney was a guy who wear his athletic supporter and cup on the OUTSIDE of his pants, as opposed to the inside. It just looked wrong.

Hey! I do that. lol

We only wear them when we spar, and also depends on the type of sparring we do aswell. If I'm in class I'll just throw it on the outside to save going to the change rooms and putting it on properly but at tournys and some training sessions where the contact is a bit harder I'll wear it on the inside.

[tallgeese]

I've seen the practice at training halls before. I ceratinly don't have a problem with it in that enviornement. Even if it does look silly.

Personally, I'd worry about it shifting to easily. If it's worth wearing one, it's probibly worth wearing it hte whole time. Espically if your in a drill heavy group where incidental contact can happen with some regularity.

I can see how it would get old in a traditional class. They can't be comfortable for forms and such.

[axispower]

well, I'v never seen anything out of the ordinary myself, but I seen gi wear the person irons it so much that it has like permanent creases at the shoulders, I wash mine twice a week, but I never ironed it. . .

If all things are equal in performance between two tournament competitors I can assure you that the one with the 14 oz heavily starched and ironed heavyweight canvas gi will win. There's nothing else like the "snap" of a side kick in a heavily starched uniform.

When we travel tournaments we typically show up with a minimum of three uniforms - and sometimes as many as five depending on what events the kiddo is competing in. At the minimum we'll pack a heavyweight traditional gi (starched and ironed) for kata, her hakama pants for weapons, and a lighter weight fighting suit for sparring.

[aefibird]

Worst for me was when I was at a karate tournament and there was a guy there wearing a really badly looked after gi...not only did it look like it had been slept in, it looked like it had been dragged several times through a hedge backwards, rolled into a ball, jumped up and down on and then used as a dog blanket for several years.

The most disgusting part for me was when he was doing a kata and did a side kick...to reveal that the trousers of his gi had a HUGE rip in them in the groin area. The underwear he was wearing didn't look none too clean either.

I didn't know whether to laugh or be sick, as he'd spent several minutes on the mat before commencing his kata doing this ridiculous OTT breathing routine. I know some people/schools go in for correct breathing and being in tune with your body and the like, but this was just waaaaaaaay too much.

I think it was only the fact that this guy was a member of a guest club invited from another country to take part meant that he got away with it. One of the judges didn't know what to make of him and I'm sure she thought he was part of some sort of elaborate wind-up.

Needless to say, in his category, it was the guy with the cleanest gi who won (and who did the best form, obviously), not Mr Dog Blanket gi (even though when he actually got going with doing the kata he was pretty good).

[DWx]

Worst for me was when I was at a karate tournament and there was a guy there wearing a really badly looked after gi...not only did it look like it had been slept in, it looked like it had been dragged several times through a hedge backwards, rolled into a ball, jumped up and down on and then used as a dog blanket for several years.

The most disgusting part for me was when he was doing a kata and did a side kick...to reveal that the trousers of his gi had a HUGE rip in them in the groin area. The underwear he was wearing didn't look none too clean either.

wow, I would be so embaressed if I or anyone I know turned up looking like that. Forms are an exhibition and a clean, well cared for gi is all part of the presentation aspect. Just as how you conduct yourself on the mat, you have to dress yourself accordingly. If its a long drive or if its going to be a while before I put my doboks on, I'll have it in a suit bag so it doesn't get crushed. I know you're supposed to fold it properly but I would rather hang it up the whole time so it doesn't get badly creased.

[white owl]

Worst for me was when I was at a karate tournament and there was a guy there wearing a really badly looked after gi...not only did it look like it had been slept in, it looked like it had been dragged several times through a hedge backwards, rolled into a ball, jumped up and down on and then used as a dog blanket for several years.

The most disgusting part for me was when he was doing a kata and did a side kick...to reveal that the trousers of his gi had a HUGE rip in them in the groin area. The underwear he was wearing didn't look none too clean either.

wow, I would be so embaressed if I or anyone I know turned up looking like that. Forms are an exhibition and a clean, well cared for gi is all part of the presentation aspect. Just as how you conduct yourself on the mat, you have to dress yourself accordingly. If its a long drive or if its going to be a while before I put my doboks on, I'll have it in a suit bag so it doesn't get crushed. I know you're supposed to fold it properly but I would rather hang it up the whole time so it doesn't get badly creased.

Wow! That sounds like a pretty bad gi.

DWx I actually do the same thing with my gi also. I never wear it to tourny's to keep it from getting wrinkle and I carry it in, in a garment bag.