Gender, clothes, heat, layers, more heat, more heat..

[JusticeZero]

This has been bugging me, but I see or hear it brought up from time to time.. never very widely though.

Typical male training clothes, upper body: A cotton gi or equivalent.

Typical female training clothes, upper body: A cotton gi or equivalent, a cotton t-shirt, and undergarment. The undergarment is often synthetic. Three layers.

Coming from a cold climate, I know that you can build up your insulation very quickly by adding a couple layers of clothes that you wouldn't consider very warm; to go on a 15 mile bike ride in 0F weather, I wore a poly long sleeved turtleneck shirt, a long sleeved acrylic shirt, a light fleece sweater, and a windbreaker, no hat and a headband to keep my ears warm. At a point, I had to open the windbreaker. That's four layers.

I suggest that instructors try doing their full class routine with a polypropylene t-shirt, under another shirt, under their usual training uniform, to see how the class is being experienced by some of their students. Then maybe we can ponder what sort've training clothes are appropriate for general use, since some of those are, I think, brought over as xenophilic theater. I'd be curious how much difference it turns out to make.

My own GM mandated T-shirts for everyone, and i'm still not sure what to think of that. Mainly I have issues because the shirts are usually cotton, and get soggy over the course of a class; they also are typically dominated by a big non-breathable transfer on the front. I'm considering just making patches to stitch onto the front of white whatevers.

[Lupin1]

Sometimes in Judo class I get a little jealous of the guys who wear just their gi top while I'm required to wear a t-shirt. Even after just the warmup run I just feel so hot...

Then again, for my summer job I'm physically active outside all day and I choose to wear an undershirt even though at that job most of the girls don't because I find having that extra layer to soak up all the sweat and nastiness keeps me cooler in the end.

So I could see it both ways.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, however, I have to say I like the idea of requiring t-shirts for everyone if only because I've taken more sweaty, hairy chests to the face than I care to think about.

[blacknebula]

Most of the women in my dojo (myself included) don't wear t-shirts under our gis. Your typical sports bra covers all the relevant parts and then some. I see women at the gym or out jogging wearing only a sports bra with no shirt, so I have no problem omitting an unnecessary article which, as mentioned, makes things a whole lot hotter when training.

[DWx]

Most of the women in my dojo (myself included) don't wear t-shirts under our gis. Your typical sports bra covers all the relevant parts and then some. I see women at the gym or out jogging wearing only a sports bra with no shirt, so I have no problem omitting an unnecessary article which, as mentioned, makes things a whole lot hotter when training.

Likewise. Most of the females I train with (and myself) will stick to crop top under the gi. TShirts are too hot. When I do wear a Tshirts instead of gi top it's always non cotton moisture wicking type to stay cool. If I were to have both genders wear something under, I'd suggest a rash guard type of thing and not full Tshirts.

[bassaiguy]

I think it should be up to each woman to wear what she prefers as long as modesty can be maintained. However, I remember back in my more hard-core days we used to snicker at the guys who would t-shirts under their gi. Nowadays I don't care as much although I think it is unnecessarily modest considering karateka a century ago essentially trained in their underwear. Also, in my judo days we would "skin up" at least once a month and try randori without gi tops. No women in that class though, so it worked at the time.

[Lupin1]

In the USJA, at least, females are required to wear a plain white cotton t-shirt under their gi top and males are required to wear nothing. Rash guards are against the rules. Not all clubs require this during practice (these are tournament rules), but many do.

[Rateh]

I've always worn a t-shirt under my uniform. I buy t-shirts for just that purpose. Never once did it occur to me that was too much, or made me more hot. It is just something I do for modesty, the same reason why I wear knee length shorts, and under-shirts for low cut tops. Just the way I was raised I guess.

[Wastelander]

I have no problem with women wearing just a sports bra under the gi--female MMA fighters and BJJ competitors train in sports bras without causing problems, so why can't karateka? It does seem a bit silly. If they want to wear more layers, that's fine, but I don't think it's necessary.

[sensei8]

Shugyo!!

That means that students wear whatever the CI dictates overall. However, the CI can make any exception per the basis of each individual student.

If the weather permits, then the CI can make any announcement(s) whenever its appropriate.

Students don't like the dress rules...quit or suck it up.

[bushido_man96]

I think it really is up to the individual as to what they feel comfortable wearing. I do often wonder what it would be like to train without the typical MA uniforms. I can move much better in a pair of shorts and t-shirt than I can my dobak. I have trouble finding doboks that fit my legs well enough to allow free movement. However, I can see the value of wearing a gi for rolling in BJJ or Judo, so I think each style has its reasons.