Wearing Gi outside of Dojo?

[jsd2112]

I agree. Be careful when wearing uniforms outside of dojo.

[Chuck]

I tend to wear my gi and belt from the house to the car, from the car to the dojo, and back again. If I have to stop at the store or something on my way home, I remove the belt.

Same with me, but I try to take the top off and put on a shirt or something.

Outside the Dojo no belts.

My sensei and the sempais will often meet after class at some hole in the wall but all our belts come off; the tops are usually replaced by shirts or jackets.

[wouldbemaster]

Patrick I would be interested, given that this post has 8 pages of replies, what the record is for a discussion theme. Seems that everyone and their do has a strong enough opinion on this subject to warrent them making the effort to reply.

Personally go from house to car (on my drive) and from car park to hall (25 yards) with gi bottoms and tshirt as there is no changing rooms at my training hall and I don;t want to scare the locals, but would never wear gi to gas station, shops etc etc not because of asking for trouble but just in the same way as I would not go in my pyjamas or running shorts.

Always amused by those I have seen who insist on strutting around at these locations, shame they feel the need to strut, personally my self esteem doesn't need the boost.

[rogue2257]

Despite being a practitioner of karate for the last 16 years, I've never been comfortable wearing my gi outside of class. I think it invites unnecessary attention to what we do. Of course, I've known plenty of people that will wear their uniforms all the way from home, to class, to the store, to the gas station, etc., almost as if wearing it is a badge of honor.

I've come to feel the opposite way about it. I don't NEED to advertise that I'm a karateka, and I don't NEED to advertise that I'm a black belt. Like I've mentioned before, I'm always happy to have a serious conversation about karate or martial arts, but walking around, advertising oneself as a martial artist is just an invitation for confrontation and undue attention.

[mr_obvious]

My dojo rules don't specifically approach this subject, and I haven't asked Sensei... I see kids going in / out of the dojo, fully uniformed, as do I. In my case -- from the house, to the car, then maaaaaybe 20 steps from the parking lot and into the dojo. Repeat in reverse order after class.

Where I train, adults are only required to wear a full Gi in Kata class (1/3 of our sessions) so most of us just wear the pants, shirt and belt to class. Easy enough to dof the belt for any post-curricular stops.

I'm with a lot of posters here... Keep your training, knowledge and abilities on the mat (what's the 1st rule of Fight Club?) I'm a n00b, so admittedly, there's not much to hide, lol.

[bushido_man96]

...do not talk about fight club!!!

[Nobodysaidbella]

I love it.

Yeah, I talk to my friends about it, but I don't like to advertise it. I mean, I goof around with like knifehand blocks (not in public) and such, but I never demonstrate anything for anyone unless they specifically ask me.

[mr_obvious]

...do not talk about fight club!!!

Heh, heh, heh...

As a tangible example -- after class this week, I stopped for gas in my Gi pants and Dojo shirt -- didn't get so much as a 2nd glance from anybody.

[Blackbelt 1400]

I see alot of this going around in my karate studio because we're in a rather large plaza with a grocery store, Game Stop, McDonalds, ect. Though it's more of a problem with the pre-teen kids I see it happen plenty with the adults as well. Where I'll agree that wearing pants out of the studio and into public is a matter of convenience (I did the same today =P) and very occasionally I'll understand if you need to wear your top in somewhere if it's someplace fast and you don't have a shirt with you, but my limit is the belt. The pants and top are necessary for being in public, but if you wear the belt also, you're bragging. It's just as easy to take off the belt and wear the rest of the uniform in somewhere than go in fully-dressed.

Usually I'll politely remind somebody if I see them in public and they're a student or companion of mine to loose their belt, and if I see them continuously doing the same thing I'll tell them that the uniform isn't something to wear around as a passage of bragging

[bushido_man96]

If not having a changing room is an issue, at least take a t-shirt, and change it in a bathroom or in the car after class.