T-shirt in place of gi top?

[Lupin1]

As far as I can remember, my club always required a full, plain white gi (except for the few years we had summer training).

Since coming back from the summer, our head children's instructor has expressed the desire to move to just gi bottoms, belts, and t-shirts. Most of our kids don't have a lot of money and a good percentage of them go back and forth between multiple households and so having a clean, well-fititng gi at every class isn't usually a priority. He was just going to do whatever t-shirt they wanted, but I suggested getting a simple club t-shirt and he said he has some money in the budget for it, so we might be doing that.

I know a few other local schools have this uniform and the TKD school I visited for a weeks weeks did it (still have my t-shirt from them).

Does anyone else do this? What do you think of the idea?

[mushybees]

I don't personally like the idea of training in t-shirts but that's because we do a lot of takedowns and grabs. It's kind of important we know the clothing is up to the abuse its going to get and that, if needs be, it can take our weight without tearing.

[Bulltahr]

I understand the problem, kids grow so fast that Gi only last them a year and then they outgrow them. We have a recycling system where if we see the need, a gi is given to a student under the comprehension that once it is out grown, it is to be returned to be lent out again and again and again, ditto with belts. Seems to work well. I also anonamously sponsor a child's lessons and am thinking to propose that adults that can afford it and are interested may want to consider doing it also.

I consider Karate a pretty cheap activity financially, so why not, everybody wins. And it give at risk kids some direction as well as positive role models.

[nyramat911]

When my brother did TKD all the kids wore club tshirts with their dobok pants and belts. Given Australia's climate, a tshirt is quite practical, particularly for children training in a gym. The requirement was that they wore their club tshirt or dobok top, that was all that was allowed (no 'whatever shirt they wore that day' kind of stuff), so they still looked neat.

Last year, my karate club got club tshirts for the first time, and some of the instructors wore them with their gi pants, without a belt. Needless to say, soon the kids started wearing them without their belts either, and some kids started wearing any tshirt they wanted without a belt.

Based on these experiences (as I myself prefer to train in a full gi, never a tshirt), I fully support the idea of children (and even teenagers) wearing a club tshirt with their pants and belt. By getting a club tshirt made (even something simple, like a white shirt with the club logo on it), uniformity can be maintained. Additionally, if you get a good quality tshirt a couple of sizes too big (think an 8 year old wearing a size 12), the shirt will easily last a few years.

[Nidan Melbourne]

At my dojo we don't do it, as we try and follow traditions as much as possible.

For practicality in certain climates I understand that some schools would use t-shirts as a sub for the gi jacket. But I feel like it is only appropriate on days that are hot >25 Degrees Celcius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).

But I feel that T-shirts should be club ones so you can still have that uniformity like if everyone is wearing their gi's in their entirety.

[liger]

We kind of have a mixed policy. For grading, tournaments, and official events at our club we require full Gi.

For those who are just starting out and seeing if they like it we require comfortable appropriate clothing. Not to tight sweat pants or shorts and a t shirt. Mostly for the first month or two.

As for regular practice we normally require full gi or Gi pants and tshirt. We used to have club shirt. Due to use affiliating with who we are with now we don't have any updated yet. During the summer we sometimes allow shorts instead of gi pants. Mostly on days that the temp reaches over 100. Ac is nice yet sometimes it doesn't work fully. It's an old high school converted to community center in which we rent space.

I like the idea of at least wearing gi pants and a club t shirt or an appropriate shirt. I normally wear my t shirts from the Sunflower state games and my gi pants. When it starts getting cold again I will be wearing full gi.

[Bulltahr]

I would think that a lightweight Gi would be cooler than a clingy cotton T shirt wouldn't it????

[liger]

I would think so. The 2 tshirts I use aren't clingy at all. I don't remember yet I think I bought a Medium weight gi. I love it to death just sometimes to me its easier to have just the shirt.

[Bulltahr]

I have seen a few Gis at our dojo that are some sort of cotton sheet looking material, I remember thinking that they would be perfect for training in tropical climes...

[Luther unleashed]

We do shirts or gi. There's a few reasons. My last place was heavily influenced by karate AND Kung fu. It is more common in king fu places to use just a shirt. I decided to keep that policy. The shirts are more comfortable, and give the class a more casual feel. SOMETIMES that is a good thing. At the beg fining of the month I wear my full gi because we get more new students and I like to look clean and professional. Then throughout the month I wear my shirt an relax a bit. Students mostly wear shirts. It's very hot here in az and it's cooler in the summer for sure. I hated working in the heat all day and sweating all day, just to go to the studio and sweat my but off for a few hours.

Testings or events are the only times the students must wear full uniform.

Another reason just to put it out there, is that it's great advertising. My kids wear the shirts to school, my students wear them in stores after and before class. If I like teaching and want to keep doing it then advertising this way is a great way to go.

In this picture there's a little boy in street clothes. He's trying out the class and that is not standard, myself and the little girls have the t-shirt on though.

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xPGk_2HOwVk/VPjAY3fIMzI/AAAAAAABAQY/wcUDmtwbCzU/s1024-no/IMG_0534.JPG