It's 2022, where are my gi pants with pockets?!

[Zaine]

16 hours ago, KarateKen said:

I'm holding out for the gun holster attached to the belt.  My ground game isn't very good, and I figure the threat of getting shot would eliminate a lot of take down attempts. 

You know what? I'll add it to the list of demands. If I can have pockets, then you can have a built in holster.

[DarthPenguin]

Surely a scabbard of some sort would be more 'karate' than a holster? Could use it for Kobudo!

This will likely sounds silly but for the keys / wallet point couldn't you just bring a training bag? I always bring a training bag with water, gloves, gumshield etc in it and just put my wallet in that! Granted the weather here is often miserable too so i usually have a jacket with my keys in the pocket for that.

During most sessions i would assume people will not need access to pockets. Only times i can see it needed are: students needing mouthguards or possibly a tissue and for the insturctor / coach they may have some kind of lesson plan they wish to examine. Can't think of much else that would need to be on someone during a class tbh

[KorroddyDude]

6 minutes ago, DarthPenguin said:

This will likely sounds silly but for the keys / wallet point couldn't you just bring a training bag? I always bring a training bag with water, gloves, gumshield etc in it and just put my wallet in that! Granted the weather here is often miserable too so i usually have a jacket with my keys in the pocket for that.

That's why I suggested a fannie pack.  Unfastening the strap and laying it down somewhere is much less of a hassle than emptying pockets.

I also see a downside to the pockets: the gi pants are going to end up serving a dual purpose for those who are cheap, lazy, or both.  In addition to training, some people will slip on those pants and wear them outside as if they were jeans.  They'll wear these pants to a barbecue and get sauce stains on them, or go to a bar and get Guiness spilled on them.  Next thing you know, they've got this pristine white gi top being worn with pants that look like they've seen better days.

[Zaine]

46 minutes ago, KorroddyDude said:

That's why I suggested a fannie pack.  Unfastening the strap and laying it down somewhere is much less of a hassle than emptying pockets.

I also see a downside to the pockets: the gi pants are going to end up serving a dual purpose for those who are cheap, lazy, or both.  In addition to training, some people will slip on those pants and wear them outside as if they were jeans.  They'll wear these pants to a barbecue and get sauce stains on them, or go to a bar and get Guiness spilled on them.  Next thing you know, they've got this pristine white gi top being worn with pants that look like they've seen better days.

Let them mess it up. It's their money. The gi isn't a sacred symbol of some esoteric order, it's the uniform we practice various martial arts in. Also, is it lazy to want pockets, now? I certainly wouldn't think it was cheap? I'm not entirely sure I understand your point here. Should clothing, regardless of intention, not fit the use of the person wearing them? For me, gi pants aren't as functional as I would like them to be. It's not about being lazy, it's about wanting an easier place to put my phone, wallet, and keys before I put them up before class.

1 hour ago, DarthPenguin said:

Surely a scabbard of some sort would be more 'karate' than a holster? Could use it for Kobudo!

This will likely sounds silly but for the keys / wallet point couldn't you just bring a training bag? I always bring a training bag with water, gloves, gumshield etc in it and just put my wallet in that! Granted the weather here is often miserable too so i usually have a jacket with my keys in the pocket for that.

During most sessions i would assume people will not need access to pockets. Only times i can see it needed are: students needing mouthguards or possibly a tissue and for the insturctor / coach they may have some kind of lesson plan they wish to examine. Can't think of much else that would need to be on someone during a class tbh

This is what I do currently. It all goes in my training bag. However, it does make things inconvenient to retrieve should I need them. At best, you have a pocket specifically for your personal items. At worst, you're scrounging through a bag to find your items. What if you need to stop by the store on the way home and went to the dojo in your gi pants, like I do? It's not fun to carry around phone, keys, and wallet around in my hand or keep track of them in a cart. What if I want to stop at a gas station before hand for a pre-workout snack or drink? I live in Texas, so when it's cold, which isn't a lot, a jacket works great. However, it's not an option for me for most of the year.

The argument I am making, also, isn't that I want to carry these items in class. No reputable dojo/studio is going to let you train with items in your pocket, just like you have to take off rings and watches before class, or glasses before sparring. The pockets aren't there for during class, they're there for when you're not in class.

Edited Thursday at 05:58 PM by Zaine

[KorroddyDude]

31 minutes ago, Zaine said:

Let them mess it up. It's their money. The gi isn't a sacred symbol of some esoteric order, it's the uniform we practice various martial arts in. Also, is it lazy to want pockets, now? I certainly wouldn't think it was cheap? I'm not entirely sure I understand your point here. Should clothing, regardless of intention, not fit the use of the person wearing them? For me, gi pants aren't as functional as I would like them to be. It's not about being lazy, it's about wanting an easier place to put my phone, wallet, and keys before I put them up before class.

The "cheap" and "lazy" part was not reference to wanting pockets.

It's in reference to people potentially using their pocketed gi pants as regular pants to be worn with sneakers and a t-shirt.  Maybe when they get home, the only thing they'll change is the gi top for a t-shirt, then go out and hang with friends.  And it's also one less pair of pants to buy at Walmart.

When I stop and think about it, maybe the very reason why gi pants lack the functionality as regular pants is to discourage people from using them that way.

[Zaine]

The reason that gi pants don't have pockets is likely due more to tradition than deterrence. This is conjecture, but pockets became a popular choice in clothing for Japan during the Meiji period, but mostly with the aristocracy. Kano Jigoro was alive during the Meiji period, and he is the progenitor of the gi. However, Jigoro was not aristocracy, though he was a politician. It likely didn't occur to him to add pockets, as this was a new trend to hit Japan at the time. Perhaps he was against the new Western influence in fashion. Maybe, like you, he was worried that people would use the pockets as an excuse to wear them elsewhere. Maybe he just didn't think about it. We can't know.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here. I don't see the issue with people who lack the discipline to change their clothes before they go out to hang out with friends. That just means, to me, that they will need to be more thorough in their cleaning of their gis, or face the consequence of having to purchase more gi pants. Personally, I don't find gi pants any more comfortable than what I usually wear. Pair this with the fact that I just sweat in my gi after a class, I always take my gi off the moment I get home and shower/change.

[DarthPenguin]

2 hours ago, Zaine said:

We'll just have to agree to disagree here. I don't see the issue with people who lack the discipline to change their clothes before they go out to hang out with friends. That just means, to me, that they will need to be more thorough in their cleaning of their gis, or face the consequence of having to purchase more gi pants. Personally, I don't find gi pants any more comfortable than what I usually wear. Pair this with the fact that I just sweat in my gi after a class, I always take my gi off the moment I get home and shower/change.

Yeah i agree with you here. For me i expect you to turn up in a clean gi, nals cut etc. and showered (especially for grappling) - and minus any illnesses you can pass on to me. What you choose to do with your gi in your own time is between you and your washing machine!

[KorroddyDude]

10 hours ago, DarthPenguin said:

Yeah i agree with you here. For me i expect you to turn up in a clean gi, nals cut etc. and showered (especially for grappling) - and minus any illnesses you can pass on to me. What you choose to do with your gi in your own time is between you and your washing machine!

There is a position that this puts you in.  Let's say that this pocketed gi existed, and a few of your students owned one.  And for half of them, their gi tops were in notably better condition than their pants.

Would you recommend this gi to a new student?