I was in a tournament back in the 70s when it was radical and new to have long hair. I reached up to sweep the hair away from my face and ate a side kick in the ribs that knocked me across the ring.

I made a point of getting a haircut before each tournament thereafter.

Pony tails work for me.

Mmm tricky.So not shoulder length,but below the ear? You could use a head band the same colour as your hair.You might be better off asking the instructor....

Something else to add.

At my dojo we've recently gotten another Judoka to come train with us. He's been doing it for about 2 years, and he stopped for 2 years for whatever reason, and now he's come to train with us.

Well, he has long hair. He ties it in a ponytail, but even then the ponytail is pretty long.

Whenever we practice newaza sometimes he taps out before I've even got the choke or an armlock...Because I'm pulling his hair on accident or something.

I want to cut my hair really short because I'm sick of having to put it up and it getting caught everywhere and being everywhere, but I hate going through that middle stage when I want to grow it out again. Ugg.

Speaking about hair. Once I sported a grizzly adams style beard. My Dai-Soke looked at my beard more intently as my beard gained fullness and length. He'd walk up to me and stop and look and shake his head as he walked away muttering something in japanese. He did this for about 3 weeks before I asked him if I had done something wrong, to that he said nothing...still.

I liked it, but my Dai-Soke finally mentioned to me that while my beard looked ok, I've given my future opponents an advantage.

I asked, "How so sir?"

:::YANK:::

Yanked at my beard as hard as he could...then just walked away. A few seconds later he stopped...turned...and said in a very deliberate and quite voice...

"Do you understand?"

Man that hurt, I mean that HURT! Couldn't of he just told me, you know, sat me down and explained it to me. But no! That's not his way because he's one of those "picture is worth a thousand words" kind of Sensei.

I got the point! I still didn't shave it off for about 6 months because it was getting very hot to keep it in the middle of summer.

Pony tails work for me.

Same here, pony tails are nice.

For Kata competition I usually braid my hair in a long single braid.

Im a girl and I like to keep my hair long

I've never had hair short enough to have that problem. But my older brother went through this faze where he wanted to look like a pirate. He worked in construction so he couldn't have it all over the place. When his hair got too long, but not yet long enough for his pirate look, he would slick it back with either mouse, or gel, or a combination of both. It actually looked pretty good on him. Of course he had to walk around with a helmet on his head, but it was totally out of the way. ^_^

if you something simple, such as the fabric skullcaps that are premade that tie in back that are worn under motorcycle helmets for sweat bands, that would work, if you picked a plain motif.

Mine's half way down my back. I tend to use 3 or 4 bobbles in it to keep it in a tight pony tail. Obviously I use belt colours bobbles!