Can anyone explain why certain arts wear certain clothes? Why there are uniforms in some systems and some dont?
I heard that the karate uniform was originally underwear that Samurai would wear and it was originally shorter on the sleeves and legs as well. Their belts were white. They would practice fighting in these clothes to work out.
Also the Taekwondo uniform is basically taken from karate but modified to be set apart from Japanese culture with the V neck style. Also the black belts have a black trim on the collar so signify their rank.
Most of it depends on how much of a desire a system has for cultural preservation. It’s interesting to note that in many Asian locals uniforms are only used for performance. Especially in the case of China, most martial athletes train in sweats and generic workout clothes.
I can’t claim to know anything about Japanese dress. However the belt color I can speak a bit to. Theres an ongoing myth that the light to dark belt progression had something to do with the belts getting dirty through use. Like most Martial Myth, it’s a convient story that has nothing to do with reality. Belts as a ranking tool originated in Judo and started with just white, brown (used in some schools and not in others) and black. Additional colors were actually added in Europe and then adopted by the US. All of this was later adopted into Karate.
I was told recently that this came out of the Tang Soo Do/So Bahk Do tradition but haven’t had a chance to research it. Either way, it seems like this is a post WWII “lets distance ourselves from Japan” tool.
I think the various uniforms (traditional not modern ones) are basically base on traditional clothing warn at the time.
Personally I think the judo gi is the best uniform for any martial arts. It has no snags. Its tough. The long sleave is good for practicing defense agaisnt sleave holds and other types of garment holds or grabs.
“Aren’t most JMA uniforms based on peasant, not samurai, clothing?”
since some of the techniques in japanese arts that i have encountered seem to be based on having armour/topknot/other-things-samurai-had. i would assume that the uniform would also be samurai rather than peasant
someone correct me if i’m wrong, i’m speculating from what i’ve been told by my teachers
We need to separate out what you mean by JMA. From my understanding Ju Jitsu was the primary unarmed Japanese art. Most Karates are relatively modern creations stemming out of Okinawa for the most part and as such are not purely Japanese. So where are Ju Jitsu specfically deal with the concept of an armored opponent, Karate, not so much so.
This is true. The practice of trimming the lapels/cuffs of a uniform was started (or at the very least made popular) by Hwang Kee’s Moo Duk Kwan in the late 1940s.
As for the Korean doboks found in Tang Soo Do/Soo Bahk Do, according to Kee’s Volume 1 text, it is very similar to the common clothes of the Korean laymen during the three kingdoms of ancient Korea, but I tend to be skeptical that links any modern Korean martial arts stuff to the history of those times.
I vaguely recall something that said that Kano adopted the colour-belt system from Western swimming grading as part of a general movement to incorporate ideas from Western physical culture into Judo. Unfortunately, I can’t find a reference.
Aren’t karate and judo too new to have been used by the samurai?
The only people I’ve ever seen wearing anything resembling a modern gi are the lower classes and extremely poor samurai. I doubt it was underwear either, since underwear consisted of a fundoshi and a light kimono.
Keep in mind that when you are speaking about karate you have to remember that it was practiced by Okinawin farmers before being introduced to Japanese samurai. They did not have a specific out fit that they wore for practice. They just practiced with what they had. So the gi is based on regular clothes that Okinawin farmers had.
The whole belt coloring, was introduced by Kano as a way to make Judo more “Westernized”. People who had white belts that were turning dirty, were usually scolded for not washing their uniforms. I still hear the myth of the dirty white belt even from the older generation masters. I guess it is just helps drive home the whole need to work hard to get you black belt mentality.
As for other uniforms from differnt styles. With silat they wear traditional clothing sometimes with what is known as a sarong ( A garmet cloth wrapped around the waist like a towel).
In the book “Shotokan’s Secret” by bruce Clayton, he posists that the peasent clothing was basically a simple poncho tied around the waist with a cord. No pants, no jacket like top.
In some remote parts of asia low hanging nuts are condsidered to be a sign of virility, maybe MT fighter wanted thier opponents intimidated by thier manliness. (actually I just made that up)
Actually it is a known fact that Thai men have shorter balls than the rest of the world. Because of this, it just seems like the Thai shorts are smaller when in fact they are just fine…for Thai men.
Note: This is just a joke. Those offended by this joke most likely have short testicles and should not reply in flaming way thus proving my point. :bduh:
The samurai wore kimono and hakama. Their underwear was furisode, a white shirt-like garment.
Kimono and furisode were the traditional japanese clothing, hakama were developed to protect the warrior’s legs while riding a horse.
The karate gi came into being after Jigoro Kano, founder of Judo, introduced the Judo gi. Karteka, wanting something similar to train in, made a lighter version of the judogi.
Traditional Japanese clothing did not include pants. These are a very western article of clothing.
The keikogi was made to have the same appearance as a kimono when worn with a hakama.
I hope that info helps with the original question on the thread before it got off base.
This is an interesting thread, thanks for all who are contributing. I had heard about the black-belt being a white belt that was dirty from years of use also.
I hear this a lot, but it actually seems that, the older the hakama, the flimsier they look (And I mean the original article, not one that’s been worn). I’ve even seen chaps proper!
Traditional Japanese clothing did not include pants. These are a very western article of clothing.
I’ve seen something like long underwear worn by less important people, but you don’t have to believe me until I produce woodblock prints and paintings or other evidence.
This is an interesting thread, thanks for all who are contributing. I had heard about the black-belt being a white belt that was dirty from years of use also.
This probably isn’t true. I don’t see any cultures letting their clothes be covered in blood, especially ones that had some understanding of hygenie.