Wearing your uniform outside of class

[Naked Snake]

I often wear my gi outside of the dojo, but usually just to commute to or from training

Me Too.

[Ozpunker]

I wear my gi pants to and from training but only wear my gi top in the dojo. If I need to go to the shops after training I wear my pants and a normal shirt. We wear black gi pants, so I guess they kinda just look like sweatpants or trousers. I'd

I don't mind seeing little kids in gis outside of a dojo, but an older person doing it can be asking for trouble.

I think the biggest deal here is the belt. If you're going to wear your gi outside of the dojo, please at least take your belt off. To me, showing that belt means that you're there to train and willing to fight.

[darksoul]

I never wear my gi outside of the dojo. If I don't have time to change, I will remove my gi top and keep the pants on. I tend to train with an undershirt on anyway.

[FangPwnsAll7]

Now, see, this is one of those things that seems totally odd to me, because I have ALWAYS worn my gi to and from the dojo, ever since I first got a gi.

This.

I always wear my dobok to and from the dojo but I get changed when I get home.

[TravsintheMartialArts]

I know in some forms of Martial Arts, wearing your gi outside of the dojo at all was disrespectful. While that is not the case for my dojo, I do agree that the uniform (especially the jacket) should not be worn around public. At my MA school, they sell t-shirts with the schools name on it for that purpose (as well as wearing the t-shirts in class instead of the gi in the summer months). Technically, the gi is legally theirs and they can do what they want with it, but I think it is not a smart or humble thing to do.

-VTM

I think Van the man is making an excellent point here. While a dogi does indeed belong to the person wearing it, and they are well within their rights to wear them wherever they please, there is something a little disrespectful about it. This is not to say that people like Wastelander are intentionally disrespecting their arts or the martial arts in general; in fact, on the contrary, I think they are doing nothing of the sort. The issue here is cultural. People from western cultures associate a martial arts uniform as just that; a uniform, like one's team uniform in soccer, or, as someone put it, a bike uniform. The problem comes from the other cultural associations westerners don't usually attach to a martial arts uniform; that it is a direct symbol and manifestation of one's martial valor. For this reason, soiling or in any way "disrespecting" the gi (wearing it while eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, acting in an undisciplined manner, performing every day tasks) makes some of us cringe; mostly those of us who have had some of that eastern culture rubbed off on us in our training. Those who haven't aren't ignorant or disrespectful, just operating on a different cultural "ethos" of sorts.

Long story short, while I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing my gi outside the dojo, I try not to jump to conclusions about those who do.

[DWx]

The problem comes from the other cultural associations westerners don't usually attach to a martial arts uniform; that it is a direct symbol and manifestation of one's martial valor. For this reason, soiling or in any way "disrespecting" the gi (wearing it while eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, acting in an undisciplined manner, performing every day tasks) makes some of us cringe; mostly those of us who have had some of that eastern culture rubbed off on us in our training. Those who haven't aren't ignorant or disrespectful, just operating on a different cultural "ethos" of sorts.

Long story short, while I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing my gi outside the dojo, I try not to jump to conclusions about those who do.

Is this Eastern culture though? Or is it Western practitioners trying to be more Eastern than Easterners themselves? I've trained with quite a few high ranking TKD guys and both the European and Asian guys have had no problem eating and drinking in their doboks. Often they'll throw a jacket on top when eating but that's more to do with not wanting to train in a food-stained gi than anything else.

[darksoul]

Is this Eastern culture though? Or is it Western practitioners trying to be more Eastern than Easterners themselves? I've trained with quite a few high ranking TKD guys and both the European and Asian guys have had no problem eating and drinking in their doboks. Often they'll throw a jacket on top when eating but that's more to do with not wanting to train in a food-stained gi than anything else.

Good point.

[madtanker]

Every time I see someone walking around town in a gi and belt, I want to step out and challenge them to a poorly dubbed duel.

....what? Don't tell me you haven't thought the same thing?

Yeah, Me too!

I allow the kids to wear their Gis but adults I tend to let them off with Gi pants but definately no jacket or Belt on

I know of some schools where part of the closing is taking off the belts and tunics. I also know of people that wore their gis home, mostly with bad results (I grew up in a rough part of an even rougher town). There is nothing wrong with knowledge, but it is dangerous to go out and display it with the possibility of an invitation to danger merely for wearing the uniform.

I would wear mine outside if I were training outside or demonstrating, but I would look for a place to at least change the tunic and belt, to secure them, and to mitigate trouble from people who react from fear, or to seek a challenge.

[darksoul]

In my dojo's when you finish, you take off your belt kneeling.

Since becoming a black belt I have taken on the habit of my old master of taking off my jacket, laying it on the floor and folding it. It's a ritual of sorts. Once perfectly folded, I put it away in my bag along with my belt, which is also folded.

[DoctorQui]

I can't think of anything worse (well, actually yes I can but for the benefit of this thread lets say I can't! ) than wearing a wet and smelly gi home from a tough training session. I'm lucky as there are shower and changing facilities where I train!

I never wear a gi to and from training, for the reasons above and not wanting to draw unwanted attention to myself.