What does the term "uniform" mean to you?

It really frost my rear to see martial artists w that look like a walking billboard, or as if they are trying to make a fashion statement. Personally i feel that students studying Asian martial arts should show a little respect by wearing what ever is the traditional GI/uniform that their style has worn in the past. When I was on the board of Directors for one respected Kempo and Jujitsu Organization, I showed up for a seminar as requested. While changing into my Gi I was asked why I was not wearing a Red Gi top. Seems that the Soke had decided that everyone of Sandan or above was to wear a red top and black b pants. I was told to get one and wear it to future organization events. I did as ordered, but refused to wear it at my dojo. Later I was asked by the Soke my opinion of the red Gi tops. I told him that I felt that it gave a bad first impression to those that did not know us or what we did. It made me feel like we looked like many Taekwondo Mcdojo that wear red tops, or blue ones. The roots of our art go back to the 1300's. I see not reason to draw incorrect impressions form other before they even get a chance to see what we do. Shortly after that the organization quit using the red tops. I do not allow students to wear anything other than a full uniform. No Gi pants and t-Shirts. No patches unless they are approved, and must be worn where designated only. And my pet peeve is male student wearing a t-Shirt under their Gi top. It looks wrong and the Asians don't do it. In the late 1980's, I finally had to throw a student out of class because he refused to come to class without a T-Shirt on under his Gi top. He was warned several times but decided he would defy me. When others students started asking why they could not wear a T-shirt under their top too, I gave him one last chance to conform. He came to class with one anyway, and was dismissed.

The martial arts are serious and should be approached with respect and a willingness to act properly. Wearing uniforms that make you look like a circus clown do nothing for the public image, and nothing for a persons ability.

Just my thoughts.

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Every class I have been associated with, except the Kajukenbo class, required a white Gi for all under black belts and every one at "official" events. The black belts could wear a black Gi for normal classes. If we were at an open tournament any Gi of our choice was allowed. The Kajukenbo class was a black Gi if a Gi was required ( testing), the rest of the time any loose clothing with out zippers or buttons was allowed.

The Chung Do Kwan class I was in is the only one that used patches, An American Flag on the right arm and a Korean Flag on the left arm. That was eventually done away with.

Personally I don't have a problem with a Tasteful class logo on the back or an association patch. I do however agree that the uniform should be uniform in color across the class. It just looks better and is more professional.

I may be mistaken here, (wouldn't be the first time) but traditionally the Gi was nothing more than the fore runner of sweatpants. They were simply loose clothing to work out in. Traditionally there were no large groups that worked out together. It was simply a teacher and one or two students that were most often family members.

It all depends on the style and focus of the facility in which you train. Where I train, we don't do uniforms. In fact we don't do gis. We train in sweats, t-shirt, and shoes. We're not interested in any rituals, katas, meditation, etc. We're only interested in learning how to fight strictly within the paradigm of self defense. In that sense, uniforms mean nothing. Sometimes we even run stress drills in street clothes. After all, for us, in matters of self defense, street clothes is most likely what you will be wearing, right?

For others, they may be more attracted to the ritualistic side of martial arts. Tradition and history may be important to them. That's OK, too.

If uniforms and "discipline" mean something to you, than look for a place in which it means something for them as well.

To me, the term "uniform" serves as a means of showing respect to a style/school/organization and as a way to express a sense of unity and camaraderie amongst your training partners.

IMO, plain uniforms - maybe with a single badge of the organization the dojo belongs to or something like that - means a lot less distraction. It doesn't necessarily mean or guarantee that it's a traditional, well-organized, and disciplined dojo; but when instructors and students don't spend their time fussing about colors, badges, patches, etc., maybe they spend that time doing something more constructive... like fussing over technique and training methods.

well the bylaws of the association i belong to says we wear our gis and patches weve earned on our uniforms and such so i wear all the patches i earn plus the association patch but my insturctor doesnt wear his all the time unless hes testing for another rank but during class we dont make people wear the gis if they dont have them and they dont have to buy them although everyone in our class does the type of gi we wear doesnt matter i wear the one i got when i joined my friend wears one he bought at century marital arts my other isntructors has enough different gis to last her 2 months without having to wear the same one twice and the color doesnt matter ive seen black blue white and red and one of the black belts wears a sleeveless kung fu top and the guy that owns the place is a 5th degree but doesnt wear his stripes anymore for personal reasons so we are a very practical school when it comes to uniform as long as they wear the right belt we focus more on the art in social settings and when it comes to formal occasions we follow the traditions the thing that unifies us is the patch on our uniforms and our respect for each other not looking like clones that being said if i went to a different school where i had to wear a certain gi top color pants and insignia i would do it out of respect for the arts the association itself and my fellow martial artists =op

Collectivity, Unity, Organized, Teamwork.

You're right that by definition, "uniform" requires uniformity.

But son... it's a free country. The suitable training outfit depends on the values of the school leadership and members.

For some folks, traditionalism is at the core of what they do. In fact, preservation of ancient practices and knowledge are integral to their reasons for wanting to train in the art. And sure enough, their clothing styles will reflect that: uniformity and traditionalism.

Contrast that with schools who see themselves as professional athletes, and wear gi patches from numerous sponsors as a point of pride, like they're Formula One racers. They take pride in their competition record and their ability to enlist financial supporters.

Then there are the guys like Straight Blast Gym, whose fundamental values are absolutely incompatible with the idea of getting people to wear "uniforms". They value individuality, and personal growth, and shun efforts to encourage people to conform. Because of their focus on "art" as a form of personal expression rather than "martial"--pouring humanity into a soldier's mould--they adopt a looser code of dress, where you'll see folks rolling with everything from tie-dye gis to Spiderman patches. That's the style of dress that best reflects what they stand for.

Other folks are all about the functionality, and wear either street clothing, high-tech polymers, or their work clothes (e.g. cop or soldier uniform) depending on their training goals. Some think the most sensible thing to train in is a real beater t-shirt that you don`t mind wrecking.

There's no contradiction here. Different values, carried to their logical conclusions, lead to different kinds of behaviour.

One guy will say he thinks its undigified for a guy to wear a pink gi on a dare, to win a trip to the Mundials. But ask another guy, he'll say there's no indignity in it--indignity is for the guy who got tapped in 27 seconds by the guy in the pink gi.

This is NOT to say that any reason for wearing one kind of training gear is as good as any other. Obviously, I have my own sincerely-held values, and they contradict those of some of the people I've mentioned. Uniforms--and other training clothes--can serve legitimate interests and illegitimate ones: esprit du corps, extra income for the school owner, establishing a sense of in-group and us-them, making the group seem more exclusive... If you can believe it, there are folks who wear certain apparel because they fantasize about actually BEING a feudal lord. They WANT to be ascribed hereditary power over others. They WISH they had that entitlement. As a believer in human rights and human equality, obviously I strongly disagree with these folks. Why would I wear a certain skirt and insignia "because it's what the samurai wore", if I don't actually stand for what the samurai stood for?

Find the school whose values match your own, son. And when you look at a guy with a training outfit you don't like, remember that it's not his fashion sense you disagree with--it's the values that outfit stands for. All behaviour makes sense to the person doing it, and matters of taste should not be disputed. I may laugh at someone else's gi if it's ugly, but I'll never "disagree" with it (ie. think he ought not to wear it). What I disagree with is the values behind his choice.

To me it means orthodox... unless we're talking about a literal uniform, in which it means a specifically-designed, assigned outfit.

Master T,

You make a valid point. I had never thought of it this way before. The root of uniform s being unity. It would imply being organized.

I know when I was in judo we all had the same uniform. We were allowed to wear one patch and that was our dojo patch. It looked strange to me to see others have several patches. We could also wear our rank patch, but none of us did that.

It is different were I train now. We practice in a recreation center. They are supposed to have the area clean before we come in. They have many programs and few employees. Our dojo is never clean before we start. Often one class like dance is leaving just to let us in. Because the dojo is not clean our sensi when I first began with him said we can wear a black gi. He recommended a medium weight gi. But he said white was acceptable. He said we traditionally wear white but in this dojo we don't have to wear it. I was going to get a white gi,but I noticed everyone in the class wore black. Therefore, I purchased a black gi. Later he told me to get a white gi too. So I got one from him. Years later some new student came and he gave them a choice of black or white. I just knew in my heart they would get a black gi. We were all wearing black. But some chose white and other chose black. This was odd at first but I gt used to it. When giving the new people a choice of color he also gave them a choice to get the gi from him or they can pick up their own. The ones that picked up their own usually paid more for it and they got them from Sports Authority.

As a grew in knowledge he began inviting me to go to other events and seminars being held in other places within our organization. In the beginning I didn't make them. A couple of years passed and I decided that I would make the next one if I was available. I wore my black gi to the 1st event and the 2nd. No one said anything while I was there or they didn't make a big deal about it. Bu I stood out. Basically out of place. Then my sensei told me in class that from now on when we go to other places we are to wear our white gi. I complied. I just attended a bunkai seminar last month. I guy introduced himself to me and said the he wasn't sure if he knew me. Then one of the heads of the organization said you met him before. He comes to the seminars and banquets. But he usually wears a black gi. You might not have recognized him in white. I had abandoned the black gi a couple of years ago at events outside of my dojo but they still associate me with the black gi.

I was also asked to wear a white gi with the black lapel. This I think is something new in the organization. Depending on your Dan rank we are supposed to wear that gi top. Those tops are expensive. But I don't have any problem adjusting to change so I was going to get one. My sensei picked one up for me. But it didn't fit me right. Apparently the cut on this gi is different than other gi. I was told then that I didn't have to wear it. I'm pretty broad around the chest and shoulders. I am also short. If I were to go up to the next size the sleeves would be too long. I believe the sleeves has color on the the cuff. I would have found a way to make it work.