We’re pretty layed back … no uniforms, ceremonies, or testing / sashes etc. (although we do have T-shirts if you want to wear them).
Is this typical?
Our school is the same, t shirts, thats about it. No uniforms, no special ceremonies or anything.
our school has t-shirts and we get tested on the forms etc. but that’s it. There’s no grades or anything, just the Sifu, Seniors, You and juniors.
david
Our school has uniforms, grades, and belts, not sashes.
We run several full time professional schools in Australia, and uniforms present a more professional image to prospective students. First impressions do count. A uniform is included as part of the joining fee.
Grading systems provide a system of incrementally challenging goals which many students find useful in progressing through the system. In larger organisations they provide instructors with an easy way to divide classes to work on different levels of material, and to allow students moving between schools to know where they fit into the new school. A grading system can be abused, but its absence is hardly a guarantee of good instruction. Some schools charge big bucks for gradings as a cash cow, but we abolished grading fees when we left the WWCKFA.
Our uniform consists of a modified jiu-jitsu style gi and belt. Since we are a Machado BJJ Associate school and grappling is an integral part of a curriculum, we need something that is going to withstand the training. You get sick of going through a T-shirt every couple of sessions. Same with sashes - they just don’t last. Some say gi’s are hot but they actually breathe better than a T-shirt.
That’s the way our school runs. Disagree with our philosophy? Your choice, you are free to train elsewhere.
at my school we wear traditional uniforms more for respect than a requirement. we are given a black one when we join, but i have seen other variaties there too. long sleeve short sleeve, whatever. the other thing we wear is the school t-shirt, cuz it sure gets hot in there.
we have no “grading” per se. but we have colored sheets that tell us what we need to learn and try to perfect before we move up to that color sash. i think all in all there are around 8 sash colors, then gold. there are no real tests but our sifu checks us off when he feels we are competent in a given skill or movement.
sphynx
What does a traditional Wing Chun uniform look like?
our sifu recommends wearing our school shirt and black pants
(we got sweet kung fu pants - i wear em everywhere, nice and baggy)
along with respecting the kwoon when you enter and exit… thats about it
no belts no tests
very informal 
i like it a lot
peace
trav