Karate Gi Colors

[KwicKixJ1]

This is truly sad to see, I believe it bled over into TKD, when it got started. That, combined with the fact that the influx of a sense of building Korean nationalism, and using this to differentiate TKD from it's roots in Karate. Although the skill levels that can be seen in Olympic TKD can be exciting to watch, I don't think it's what the vast majority of TKD practitioners should be training for.

I trained with a school that did more old school taekwondo for many years. We didn't do doubles and triple roundhouse kicks that olympic tkd is known for. Jump kicks were all just the basic kicks with a jump. Most complicated spinning jump kick was a jump hook kick. Sparring was rough. Punches to the head and face allowed, attacks to the groin allowed.

[advfhorn]

My previous school only allowed his instructor to wear black ... from my experience as a woman doing this 8 years ... if a girl wants to wear black gi pants .... just let her

[Montana]

The way it was explained to me was this (for Shorin Ryu anyway). Students wear all white gi until they get their Shodan. At that point they can wear either black pants/white jacket, or black jacket/white pants. ONLY the head sensei can wear all black in the dojo.

Why? Dont know.

Now, I taught for a long time, students always wore whitye, I wore whatever I liked. For years I had students askign if they could wear black, I always said no. Then maybe my last 10 years of teaching I got to think "What difference does it really make?", so I announced that aybody could wear black, or white gi. No mixing. I sold a heck of a lot of black gi's that week!

[sensei8]

Traditions have its place in a multitude of contexts in any MA schools/Governing Bodies, and the gi is not exception. As Montana notes, "What difference does it really make?", and I couldn't agree any more.

I've worn a blue gi ever since they came out; it's my favorite. Seeing that my students are also my customers, and I sold gi's as well, I broke away from the traditional handcuffs when it came to gi colors. If my students/customers want to wear a different gi color, go for it. However, because at the Hombuv we're guests, therefore, any of my students, as well as myself, wore the traditional gi colors of WHITE or BLACK or combo of the two.

In my closet I've a wide plethora of gi's hanging of all types and colors. Because change is inevitable, I changed the traditional look of wearing all white except the CI and the black belts.

I like the sea of colors on the floor!!

[Nidan Melbourne]

oh the irony of seeing someone having commented on this post, as I saw a club the other day had ummm a unique array of uniforms.

Their Junior Program had Belts with White Stripes in the middle. Whereas the Seniors it was just the full belt without the stripe.

So their uniforms also reflected those ranks! So if you were a Red Belt with a White Stripe, then you wore a Red Gi with a White Stripe somewhere on the uniform.

[bushido_man96]

oh the irony of seeing someone having commented on this post, as I saw a club the other day had ummm a unique array of uniforms.

Their Junior Program had Belts with White Stripes in the middle. Whereas the Seniors it was just the full belt without the stripe.

So their uniforms also reflected those ranks! So if you were a Red Belt with a White Stripe, then you wore a Red Gi with a White Stripe somewhere on the uniform.

That sounds like a school making lots of money on each belt testing.

[Nidan Melbourne]

oh the irony of seeing someone having commented on this post, as I saw a club the other day had ummm a unique array of uniforms.

Their Junior Program had Belts with White Stripes in the middle. Whereas the Seniors it was just the full belt without the stripe.

So their uniforms also reflected those ranks! So if you were a Red Belt with a White Stripe, then you wore a Red Gi with a White Stripe somewhere on the uniform.

That sounds like a school making lots of money on each belt testing.

It was eye watering! $75 for ALL Junior Kyu Grades + $100 for Senior Kyu Grades. $130 for Junior BB and $180 for Senior BB.

[bushido_man96]

$75, but they get the next uniform, too? Not too bad, compared to what I've seen.

[Nevinyrral]

I think white gi is more traditional, and universally accepted.

Because of that some people might see different colours as 'deviation' from established rules.

Personally I believe everyone should wear whatever colour they like as long as its clean.

I am even considering buying myself a red one.

[username19853]

White, black, red, blue. The masters back in the day had no such things, so it doesn’t matter to me. Personally, I prefer the white gi - I just love how it looks with a black belt. But I actually have us all wearing black gis at my dojo. They’re easier to keep clean both for me and the students, but particularly the parents of students.