Over the many years I have often noticed students and teachers walk out of the door from a martial art training session so very cool and fresh as if they had not done any work at all. And for sure that was often the case.
Their idea of doing a basic punch was to just lift the arm into the completed punch position and nothing more. So this prompted me to ask the question - Why Wear A Gi? In my day you really did need one if only to soak up the dripping sweat. When it comes to the martial arts the Gi, (or the ‘Dogi’ as some traditionalists call it), is most likely the more famous form of attire within the traditional martial arts. The Gi, spoken as Ghee, is the somewhat formal uniform worn by both teachers and students alike and is often playfully called pyjamas, or jim jams, by some due to the way that they look to a degree. The Gi comes in two parts, (for the benefit of those not familiar with this form of attire), a jacket and pants/trousers. Loose fitting so that movement and high kicks are not restricted and often made from cotton. The general design of the Gi does vary, Japanese karate and Chinese kung fu being a perfect example, but these variations all have the benefit of being loose fitting and practical for martial art training. Old school martial artists can be seen only wearing the Gi while some these days have gone for the more casual look such as wearing a T-shirt and shorts. The traditional Gi is often thought of as being part of a clan, family, mentality while others will think of it as not only being practical but also as just working overalls that you put on to do a job of work and then is removed after training before going home in normal street clothes. A must do thing to do if you have been sweating a lot and maybe covered in dust after being on the floor during a practice session. At this point it should be noted that not all who do the martial arts wear a traditional Gi as some martial arts around the world have their own specific style of clothing that is often based on the country of origin or the traditional nature of the martial art in question. Now we come to why wear a Gi at all? Some will say that you don’t need to wear a Gi to be very good at combat, which of course is very true. In fact if you look back at some of the old masters from years gone by you will see that they often taught the combat arts in their underwear. That of course was way back in the day before modern ‘Gi’ clothing became available and in some cases, back then, because the cost of buying such attire was expensive. Regardless of the reasons or the practical benefits of wearing a Gi there are a couple of additional reasons why a Gi is a somewhat vital part of attending a martial art class. The martial arts is something that anyone can take part in without ‘class distinction’ or social status, therefore the standard uniform is a way of showing that everyone within class is on an equal level. In addition it not only avoids students turning up in dirty or shabby worn out clothes but it also stops some from wearing so-called posh or expensive clothing. This of course also applies to instructors turning up dressed as if they have just come from their back garden after a barbecue and are still wearing just a t-shirt and coloured shorts or wearing the latest trendy and expensive suit. If you see what I mean? Also worth noting, with regard to wearing the same thing in class that you may also wear in public, is that some students and instructors like to have a beer after a lesson. Nothing wrong with that of course and most understandable, but it would be, at the very least, wise, to change into clean and dry, out of sweat soaked clothes, before doing so. Formal attire within the martial arts is a vital part of it all when you think about it in a more in-depth way. If you were in hospital then for sure you would expect the nurses and doctors to be dressed for that kind of job. Same when it comes to visiting your local bank. You would expect bank staff to be dressed in a suit and not in an old pair of jeans and a heavy metal rock band t-shirt. Wearing a Gi therefore is just the same thing. And although the instructor may be hopeless at teaching the martial arts the wearing of the Gi does add a degree of professionalism to the occasion. Regardless of teaching standards, image is everything just like any other formal business meeting or event, so if you as an instructor wish to be taken seriously as a martial art teacher then it would be wise to dress for the part. You can easily compare the wearing of the Gi to many other situations with direct regard to formal attire. The army soldier wearing a military uniform for example or a fireman or a uniformed police officer. In the end it is all about showing and maintaining standards even if the quality of teaching the martial arts does not match the image. For a related article click >HERE< Comments are closed.
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