I’ve noticed that many schools,and from videos and pictures that many Kung Fu practictioners wear uniforms similar to that of Karate,or Tae Kwon Do. I thought Kung Fu had different uniforms and instead of belts they used sashes?
You know Bumblebee Man from the Simpsons? With the yellow-and-black striped outfit padded like a fat suit, and with headgear featuring deely-bopper antennae?
That’s the traditional kungfu uniform, which is why so many schools use gis instead.
Actually, I just think a lot of folks expect a dude who does martial arts to wear a gi; silk pjs would confuse them, so teachers wear gis and black belts.
My taiji shifu just runs class in whatever he happened to throw on that morning, it seems. Cargo pants, a t-shirt, and a stocking cap (for warmth) is not uncommon. He wears the silk PJs in his promotional materials, though, or silk PJ bottoms and a school tshirt.
hhmmmm.I like that idea of what your sifu throws on he trains in. I would rather wear jogging pants and a shirt than wear a gi.
Now that I think of it a little more, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in real silk. The stuff he wears is cut like the silk pjs, but is made of cotton or something else less expensive and easier to wash. But, the idea is there.
On a related subject, I do my forms for the most part on break from work or between university classes, so I don’t change for my training either; it’s just what I’ve got on.
I haven’t been in to kf class in a while, but I wear the gussetted, elastic waist-&-cuff pants he sold me when I enrolled and either a school t-shirt or some other tee I don’t mind sweating up when I do.
uniforms are highly overrated. It’s all about sweats and a t-shirt.
For training, yeah, but there’s times when you want to dress to impress.
I agree
Then there’s judo. You definitely DON’T want to wear just anything to judo practice. A t-shirt wont survive it.
Misunderstanding
Kung fu uniforms are not actual uniforms!they’re just clothes that were used back in the day.I repeated this on another thread.
in ancient days people practiced in their regular clotes.I asked my sfu about uniforms and that was the reply.Here’s part of the conversation ,when I used to be in kids class and was very misinformed, that might answer some questions.
me:Then are these the the clothes they wore? (black thin pants and black t- shirt with logo and sash)
sifu:laughs No, this is just our workout clothes.The real ones are the ones they wear in some tournaments.
me:Why do they only wear it in some tournaments?
sifu:It’s a formal tournament.
me:Are there specific clothes for certain styles?'cause I’ve seen different ones.
sifu:laughs again No,do people wear certain clothe’s today?It’s just clothes.They came in different colors.It doesn’t matter.
me:The sashes too?
sifu:Yes
me:Puzzled look
sifu:Noticing what I was thinking says-- remember there a no sash rankings in kung fu or everyone would have been in kung fu laughs in between
There you go folks.I was a misinformed but very meek child.That was about 4 years ago sigh.
there also is no such thing like colored belts or sashes.
In japan the belt is used to hold the gi together it is white like the uniform. When you tie and untie it many times it becomes dirty and since its made of cotton it cannot be washed so the more you train the darker it gets.
As for kung fu sashes they were made of silk the #1 material in china and wraped tightly around the dan tien and kidneys to promote good posture and tighten yin kidney chi.
I wash things made of cotton all the time.
Pajamas not my style…
Well, my instructor pretty much said, “How often do you get into a fight wearing your pajamas?”
Train to fight- this includes training in your everyday attire. In my old Kenpo class we wore the gis- but I wasn’t complaining- there were quite a few busty chicks in attendance! 
How much sense does it make to wear the uniform just because they “were used back in the day.”?
At this rate, in 10 years we’ll all be fighting each other wearing our disco tights and bell bottoms!
Peace!
japanese gi
why are kung fu students wearing japanese “gi”? i agree with the uniforms just being traditional clothing( sashes were often worn as pockets…with your belongings wrapped up in them and tied around) but still…uniform or not…why wear a japanese uniform??? sure they’re neat, but learn a japanese art if you really wanna wear one.
There are Kung Fu uniforms that are made of cotton.
The ones made of silk never last that long.
uniforms
I think the reason for people wearing gi’s is two fold. One, people do seem to associate martial arts in general with JMA so the Gi is somthenig familiar to them. Second, I don’t know if you’ve tried to purchase one lately but Gi’s are dirt cheap in comparison to even cotton KF uniforms.
I buy the “regular clothing” story but I think that a uniform is an important part of training in the martial arts. It develops an esprit de corp and I think makes outsiders feel that your school is more serious. Is CMA less serious than JMA? Hardly but I think that people training in T-shirts does not convey the same message as a uniform.
Lastly on the silk vs. cotton issue. I could be way off base here but I think that silk uniforms were popularized by modern day competition, I doubt that Joe Blow wore silk daily. I also have a personal bias against silk because it does look like pyjamas and I think that part of the reason why people dis Wushu is because of the silk.
Basically you should train in what you feel comfortable in and have something comfortable but more formal for tournaments.
Eh- who needs’em?
Originally posted by xiong
I buy the “regular clothing” story but I think that a uniform is an important part of training in the martial arts. It develops an esprit de corp and I think makes outsiders feel that your school is more serious…Basically you should train in what you feel Comfortable in and have something comfortable but more formal for tournaments.
Xiong-
I understand your point of view, but I have to made an addition to your comment above. I don’t care what outsiders think of my school. If they don’t take the time/ effort to see what we’re learning, then it’s thier loss. Their poor judgement isn’t my problem.
Besides, ANY McDojoKwoon (sp?) can force their students to wear uniforms- it doesn’t make the instructction / quality of teaching any better.
But, definitely train in you feel comfortable with.
My wife has a different take- she thinks wearing the uniform is spiritual. She’s cool like that.
Peace!
Mokujin
I like my gi pants, they’re tough, comfortable and fairly inexpensive ($40). And they’re closer to what I normally wear on the street, which are lose (not baggy) slacks and relaxed fit jeans.
I like to wear a unifrom when I practice a form in the morning because no one is around to laugh at me and it makes that ‘woosh woosh’ noise I really like for some reason. Hello to everyone this is my second post.
Uniforms don’t equal skill
Mokujin,
I hear that. A uniform does not make up for lack of skill and you are right that the uninitiated might not get it. I just feel that too many people are impressed by that aspect of Karate and Tae Kwan Do, and I think that CMA is at the very least the equal of that but sometimes gets lost in the first impression.
Also I was getting at the psycology of the uniform. I spent alot of time rebelling against convention and doing my own thing, realizing that I was just making myself have to work harder to gain acceptance. I think a more formal uniform transforms kids and makes them more serious, it’s not recess, it’s training.
In my last job we had a uniform and althogh it was just jeans and a polo shirt the program was to keep a tidy uniform to a standard to make a ggod first impression on the clients. Sometimes a first impression is all you get.
I’m not trying to sell uniforms or anything, and I respect schools that don’t use them, I’m just saying that I think CMA deserves as much respect as any of these others and like it or not this is what the “public” has been conditioned for.
I think a lot of people get caught up and make the mistake of equating the uniform with the art and vice versa. Jimmy Streetmugger isn’t going to give a flip if you do/don’t practice in your uniform. The only thing that will impress him is your technique. That’s what you should concentrate on. When viewed in that light what you wear when you practice is of diminishing importance.