Just Curious....

[Hand Sword]

....Aside from a self defense situation, where it doesn't (shouldn't) matter, does anyone feel some sort of discomfort if practicing the arts without wearing at least part of uniform?

[14 Kempo]

....Aside from a self defense situation, where it doesn't (shouldn't) matter, does anyone feel some sort of discomfort if practicing the arts without wearing at least part of uniform?

Not in the least. I feel it is so very important to practice your art in the clothes that you would be wearing in everyday life. Afterall, it would be very uncommon to be attacked while walking around wearing a martial arts uniform. Normal clothing is usually more restrictive than workout attire.

[Hand Sword]

Really? Nothing feels a little off in the least or not right? You don't miss the "snap" sound? Nothing?

[kidswarrior]

Really? Nothing feels a little off in the least or not right? You don't miss the "snap" sound? Nothing?OK, I'll fess up. I do like the different mindset that comes with putting on the uniform. It's like I go into *fun* mode (or, as it was called for a time in the 90s, a flow activity). Lose track of time, shed about 20 years, become superman...well, maybe not, but you know what I mean. ;)

Bottom line is, the uni=some good rough and tumble fun, without having to break the law or do something my conscience will nag me about later. Deal some bruises, get some bruises, learn by zigging when I should be zagging, learn by teaching, learn from students' Aha's!

[Hand Sword]

http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

http://martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[14 Kempo]

Really? Nothing feels a little off in the least or not right? You don't miss the "snap" sound? Nothing?

Well let me tell you, of course it feels different, how could it not ... as Kid alludes to, there is a different mindset with that uniform on, it's workout time. Being that I practice in street clothes, I have a pretty good idea on what I can do in those more restrictive clothes and therefore I am not overly uncomfortable in that situation.

[Hand Sword]

Cool! I thought this up as me and a friend were discussing "a mental thing" concept. We spoke about how, when we go running, we have to wear certain clothes (for me Cami pants) or we have a "bad" run. It's just a mental discomfort where you just can't "get going". The same thing about the MA uni. Something just feels off when not wearing at least some piece of it, like missing the "snapping" sound of strikes--lol. I just wondered how many feel this way too.

[kidswarrior]

Well let me tell you, of course it feels different, how could it not ... as Kid alludes to, there is a different mindset with that uniform on, it's workout time. Being that I practice in street clothes, I have a pretty good idea on what I can do in those more restrictive clothes and therefore I am not overly uncomfortable in that situation.I knew what you meant, and respect what you're saying. SD is bottom line a serious business, and you're alluding to taking it seriously. Totally good. But I was just adding that it's also mostly a fun time for me--but then, I like pain (like the rest of you MA freaks on this thread :lol:). It's a release for a lot of the day's tension.

[14 Kempo]

I knew what you meant, and respect what you're saying. SD is bottom line a serious business, and you're alluding to taking it seriously. Totally good. But I was just adding that it's also mostly a fun time for me--but then, I like pain (like the rest of you MA freaks on this thread :lol:). It's a release for a lot of the day's tension.

Gotcha ... one of my favorite sayings is, "I'm sore everyday, some days more than others" ... same goes for those nagging bruises, aches and pains that you speak of ...

[Hand Sword]

As I said The self defense thing aside, I just meant in general.

[tellner]

Not a single bit. I don't do a sport which requires a uniform. I'm not a soldier or cop who will be wearing one to fight in. I want my practice clothes to be as close as possible to what I'll actually be wearing in a real situation. The more awkward it feels the less efficient I'll be.

[Hand Sword]

So..you'd be the opposite then? Put you in a uniform and you'd feel "not right" ? I guess it can work both ways.

[Jade Tigress]

Nah, it doesn't bother me at all. In uniform, not in uniform, training is training to me. What would bother me is if for some reason we didn't have to bow/salute before entering etc. That is totally ingrained in me. Uniforms to me are more of a comfort/movement thing and I wouldn't train in it outside of class.

[FearlessFreep]

Yeah, opposite, I feel like if I can do it with my uniform on it's an artificial situation. If I can do it in jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes, maybe a jacket, then that means it's really something I can really do. But if I have to be barefoot... or in dobok pants... or on mats, then it's just a drill. There *are* some thing I can only do in that environment, but for me those are "abstract" martial arts techniques, not yet "practical" martial arts techniques for me.

[morph4me]

It doesn't bother me at all one way or the other, the uniform is more comfort, but as JT said, training is training.

[charyuop]

For sure when I train at home I do not wera a Gi or look for a nice comfortable mat. I do it in my regular cloth, so yes I gues I get used to do MA in jeans, and in my backyard (sometimes on the porch=concrete sometimes on the grass). Gi or cloths makes no difference to me.

What mostly feels weird is doing it out of the dojo. Where if neighbours get out can see you (usually I stop pretending doing something else, maybe ashamed?) or where I don't have to bow before entering or when I take a weapon in my hands.

[ChingChuan]

I also don't have any problems with training without 'uniform'... But that might be due to the fact that the clothes I train in, aren't a real uniform. It's just a black T-shirt and a black pair of trousers (I believe they are called 'kung fu trousers' by the manufacturer, but they're made of cotton, slightly wider than normal trousers and not really special).

So, perhaps there's a correlation between whether you wear a 'real' uniform (gi) or not during training?

[YoungMan]

I can actually practice in anything, and have taught students in everything from jeans and a t to workout shorts and shirt. Technique and focus-wise, it makes no difference.
But I'll admit, wearing a uniform feels special. It adds an "officialness" to it. Putting on a uniform, whether or not I have to, is like putting on the Uniform of Power.

[jackmcmanus21]

I can actually practice in anything, and have taught students in everything from jeans and a t to workout shorts and shirt. Technique and focus-wise, it makes no difference.
But I'll admit, wearing a uniform feels special. It adds an "officialness" to it. Putting on a uniform, whether or not I have to, is like putting on the Uniform of Power.

I agree....I think wearing the uniform is more of a mental advantage than a physical one. Sure, MA uniforms and Gis are more flexible and easier to move it, but you definitely do get a certain feeling when strapping gloves or shinpads on.

[tellner]

"Let your everyday stance be your fighting stance and your fighting stance your everyday stance" - Musashi

If you aren't just as comfortable doing it in the clothes you normally wear you haven't really made it part of you. If the dressup games are necessary your training isn't where it should be.

[tshadowchaser]

....Aside from a self defense situation, where it doesn't (shouldn't) matter, does anyone feel some sort of discomfort if practicing the arts without wearing at least part of uniform?


nope not in the least. Uniforms are but a reflection of the clothing worn by those in the country of origin of the art ( usually). I wear street cloths at least once a week when practicing and do not make my students wear a full uniform unless it is an important event or we know we are going to have guests.
Yes it looks better if someone walks in and everyone is in uniform but I just tell them we are having a casual "street' night. Hell I don’t wear the uniform on the street so I need to practice in what i am going to be wearing once in a while.
When I attend class somewhere else I normally wear my bottoms and a tee shirt with no belt. however I will put on the whole uniform if I must

[SenseiBear]

... like missing the "snapping" sound of strikes...

I, of course, just make my t-shirt "snap" - lol

[Flying Crane]

Aside from the fact that I'm creating extra laundry, no.

I actually don't care much for wearing a gi. Outside of class, I mostly train in some workout pants and a t-shirt and athletic shoes. But I don't usually train in jeans and shirts that I'd wear on the street, mainly for the laundry issue. I usually soak my clothes when I train. They can't be reused without washing first.

[Hand Sword]

Thanks to eveyone! I too can and do practicle (again finally) w/o a uni, but realised I'm not hearing that snapping sound and felt I was weak-lol. So, I was just curious. Did anyone ever remember or want to make those sound effects with the uni's like the old school movies did, when you were younger? It all somehow seemed necessary back then. I guess we've all become efficient, practical, boring people now! Getting older and more mature stinks!!!!!!!!!! :p

[MJS]

....Aside from a self defense situation, where it doesn't (shouldn't) matter, does anyone feel some sort of discomfort if practicing the arts without wearing at least part of uniform?

Doesnt matter to me. Personally, I think its good to get out and train in street clothes. Even if you're not physically outside, but still in the dojo, why not train in regular clothing? What matters most to me is being able to apply the moves in clothing other than the gi. :)

I don't think that I'm disrespecting anyone by not wearing the formal uniform. Now, obviously the "uniform" has to fit the theme of the class. I'm not going to show up to a group class wearing sweats when everyone else is in a gi. But, when training on my own, at an informal session in the backyard, etc. street clothes are the 'uniform'. :)

Mike

[KempoGuy06]

Not in the least. I feel it is so very important to practice your art in the clothes that you would be wearing in everyday life. Afterall, it would be very uncommon to be attacked while walking around wearing a martial arts uniform. Normal clothing is usually more restrictive than workout attire.
you dont wear you uniform everywhere you go? Hmmm...I must be weird

LOL! Other than what is on my feet im not to concerned about what Im wearing. socks, shoes and bare feet are all different as you all well know and lets not even think about the type of ground you are on. I work my stuff as often as I can on gravel/concrete in shoes to make sure i can do it, cause most likely what the situation will entail

B

[charyuop]

I admit that I admire the courage of people saying that they oftem train in regular cloths. I wouldn't even step on the tatami with my jeans. I already see me been thrown and land with one of those jeans' buttons or the front part of the zip brushing the mat and open a huge cut in it.
No thanx, I helped paying for that thing and I know how much it costs LOL.

[kidswarrior]

you dont wear you uniform everywhere you go? Hmmm...I must be weird

LOL! Other than what is on my feet im not to concerned about what Im wearing. socks, shoes and bare feet are all different as you all well know and lets not even think about the type of ground you are on. I work my stuff as often as I can on gravel/concrete in shoes to make sure i can do it, cause most likely what the situation will entail

B


I admit that I admire the courage of people saying that they oftem train in regular cloths. I wouldn't even step on the tatami with my jeans. I already see me been thrown and land with one of those jeans' buttons or the front part of the zip brushing the mat and open a huge cut in it.

Guess I misunderstood the nature of the OP. For me, in group classes, always in uniform. Alone, never in uniform.

[Hand Sword]

The nature was very light hearted, as I was just curious. As I said, it came about when I used to jog regularly. I always wore specific type clothes to do it and had a routine. Sometimes, due to circumstances I couldn't use what I did and just had to do it otherwise. I used to complete the runs, but, felt kind of "off" during them, as if something was missing. So what came about was just a "mental thing" for me. Then, while starting up the Arts a little, after many years, on my own, I found myself laughing as the same "something's missing feeling" hit me originally. I missed the "snapping" sound and the ruffling sounds, like in the old Kung Fu movies. I was just curious as to who else might get that feeling or similar to it.

As far as the MA Uniform thing--I AGREE- with all of the SD themed people. Since you'll most likely be wearing regular clothes, you better be able to do your stuff in them. However, I wanted to avoid that point of view, as I felt it was obvious.

[FearlessFreep]

As far as the MA Uniform thing--I AGREE- with all of the SD themed people. Since you'll most likely be wearing regular clothes, you better be able to do your stuff in them. However, I wanted to avoid that point of view, as I felt it was obvious.

To me it's not just an SD thing, it's an internalization thing.

My completeness as a musician is somewhat defined by the contexts in which I can express myself musically. If I need a certain context to do music (based on gear, location, style, whatever...) then I'm not as complete. I'm not a 'musician' I am just "a musician when I'm in a place where I can be a musician" and it's as constant growth to become more of a complete musician, to have music be more of who and what I am rather than just something I do.

I've taken the same approach to Martial Arts. Part of my ideal as a martial artist for myself includes how much martial arts if a part of who/what I am. And part of that growth for myself is to expand the contexts in which I can express myself as a martial artists, or at least express the things that make me a martial artist. And a lot of that comes down to clothing, location, and condition. So in my mind, if I can only execute a technique when I am in a certain frame of mind, on a certain surface, or in certain clothes, then that is not yet a technique which I have made a part of me. It's something I can do, but it's not something that helps to define who I am, if you will.

That's a fairly personal interpretation as I don't expect everyone to have the same approach to growth or meaning in what they do so I don't expect everyone to share my opinion, but it's one that does matter to me in how I measure myself and my own journey

So to me, doing a technique in uniform in class is just the first step of making that technique mine. As I expand the contexts in which I can express that technique, I expand my ownership of that technique

[tellner]

Nicely put, FF

[Xue Sheng]

umm... aaa... weeeelll...

We don't train in a uniform in class, and I have not been in a school that had a uniform in many many years... so I don't have one to train in... so I guess it doesn't matter to me... to each his own I guess.

I'm just one of those silly CMA guys...hell we don't even have belts for rank:)

[exile]

Nicely put, FF

And that's from me too, FF.

As time has gone on, I've found that it's become increasingly important for me to detach my MA training from the conventions of the dojang, not for any particularly deep reason, but simply because I want my skills to be a versatile tool that I can call on whenever I need to. I'm one of those people who thinks of my MA first and foremost as a practical, effective self-defense skill. I know who I am, I don't need to forge links to the (mostly imaginary, legendary) past of another culture, or even immerse myself in another culture to feel as though I'm filling in some 'missing' element in my identity (though I know a number of people who conceive of their MAs in just this way). I just want a time-tested, effective way to defend myself if I'm attacked. Period. Given that, I really have no choice; I need to train my techs on all surfaces (broken, sloping, littered, and otherwise awkward, as vs. the perfectly smooth, level dojang floor) and in all clothing (relatively constricting) and footwear (not specially engineered, as MA shoes are, for pivoting), and so on, if I want to make my art a resource I can pull out and use when things go badly sideways. So I've become almost suspicious of the ease of movement my dobok gives me; I actually think that I'd rather train in ordinary clothes, simply because that's what I'm going to be wearing should I have to fight in earnest.

Nowadays, I train as much as possible in streetwear, and feel a bit self-indulgent if I'm wearing dobok pants and training on a level floor.

[frownland]

Interesting how many of you describe your street clothes as restrictive. My uniform is comfortable and unrestrictive, but so are my normal clothes; if they weren't, I wouldn't wear 'em.
I'm perfectly happy to train in anything, as the situation dictates.

[sgtmac_46]

....Aside from a self defense situation, where it doesn't (shouldn't) matter, does anyone feel some sort of discomfort if practicing the arts without wearing at least part of uniform? Not generally, but as a judoka for several years, I can say that grappling and trying to do some Judo throws without a gi is FAR more difficult!

Which is a PRIME reason to practice it that way!

[exile]

Interesting how many of you describe your street clothes as restrictive. My uniform is comfortable and unrestrictive, but so are my normal clothes; if they weren't, I wouldn't wear 'em.
I'm perfectly happy to train in anything, as the situation dictates.

My clothes are plenty comfortable, but look: I take a waist-size 32 in jeans, plenty comfortable for normal activity, but not designed to expedite the chest-and-higher kicks that are part of my TKD workout. They're just not designed for those kinds of moves, eh? I'd much rather defend myself, if I had to, in dojang-wear, but that's not going to be where the problem occurs, so I'd rather train in street clothes; but my normal clothing, comfortable though it is, is no more designed for hard MA training than it is for slalom or mogul skiing—and no matter how comfortable the clothes I wear to teach in are, say, they're not going to be anywhere close to ideal for throwing high turning and side kicks off the same chamber....


I can say that grappling and trying to do some Judo throws without a gi is FAR more difficult!...Which is a PRIME reason to practice it that way!

Right, that's the whole point.

[Hand Sword]

Geez! Tough room! :rofl: Then again this is the Kempo section on Martial Talk. Sorry to be lighthearted. I'm sure I've lost some MT cred! lol.

[myusername]

For me the uniform is about feeling I'm a part of the club. I'm still a white belt at the moment and have only just moved from tracksuit bottoms and T-shirt to my Dobok. I wouldn't say that the uniform has improved the quality of my training as I always put the effort in but as soon as I started wearing the Dobok I felt less of a begginer and felt part of the team. I'm due to do my first grading next week so I'll hopefully have my first bit of colour on my belt as well!

I see what people are saying about practising moves in street clothing. I think that there is a lot of sense in that. I'm in the process of kitting my garden out with a training area and will be training in trackie bottoms as I don't like the idea of my neighbours seeing me in my Dobok! From what others have said on this thread I may try and do the odd workout in my jeans as I never wear tracksuit bottoms outside of sport.