Just wondering if any of you train at a dojo/school where you don’t always wear your Gi. At my dojo we always wear ours. I would like to hear your thoughts on not wearing a Gi as well?

I think that one day if I own a dojo we will have some nights where we don’t wear our Gi’s. I believe that it will let the students know that just because you have this rank doesn’t mean you are better. I also feel that sometimes people need a change and one night a month not wearing a Gi could work. Does anyone feel this is a bad idea please I am ready for any input?

IMO uniforms as a social influence provide unity and a sense of belonging. There are whole treatises on why uniforms are a positive influence but i think that primarily, people who can identify themselves as part of a group or team, act like a group or team and I challenge you to show me ANY sports team without a uniform.

That said, there's nothing wrong with casual dress once in a while, and if that's what you want to do then go for it.

Good idea. Same as grappling...sometimes no gi forces other issues where positional dominance is the game de jour.

The other thing to note for reality practice, is to wear regular clothes. I think CXT on these forums mentioned this. I know that MattJ and Razorfoot also have practiced this way.

The game plan changes depending upon the environment. Part of the environment, in my mind, are the clothes you wear. Any real fight will be contstrained by your clothing...jeans that do not allow you to kick...flip flops that impede running and lateral movement...an overcoat in winter that deflects blows but allows easier body control if grappling and pulled up so you cannot see.

These are all considerations. So yes, no gi, depending upon the formalities of your school wouldn't be a problem. But don't always consider no gi...simply because you find it restrictive. Besides formality, do-gis have the value of being harder to tear than regular clothes and offer something that is looser and can be thrown into a garmet bag when done....so you don't go home wearing stinky..sweaty regular stuff.

-B

Thanks

I teach/train in a traditional manner (Gi) however, I've held a few Gasshuku (special training) specifically for street clothes. This is to practice utilitarian Bunkai (kata applications) or SD.

To add to butterfly's advice: T-shirts & knits tend to be stretchy - adjust your techniques accordingly. This is good advice for practical SD.

One thing...shoes on the dojo floor are on the same level as frenching your sister (eeeeewwwww).

we always wear a gi, however there are a few beginners and little ones who don't have one. At my old dojo, if it was hot we were allowed to wear a club shirt. nothing special, just a normal cotton shirt with print on it. but we always wore gi pants i thought that was a good system but where i train now its always gi.

I like the cracking sound of a Gi

But I have my doubts with tradition. To my understanding before the "japanification" of karate, Gis were unknown in karate. And I can identify myself better with Okinawian Karate (although I`m a shotokan pratitioner ..)


Nara Ebon

Cracking sound? They only do that with the heavyweights and when they are starched. I roll my sleeves up or cut them off altogether. I'd like to find a 3/4 sleeve gi.
I like to wear a gi to get my mind into what I'm doing,but nothing wrong with no gi sometimes.

My instructor is as conservative as they come, he was trained in Japan and went through the Japanese college system as well, he is in his 60's and his primary teachers were Mano, and Otsuka. His view on the gi and the view I get from the very traitional Japanese instructors is this. To train in Karate you need loso fitting clothes that give free body movement, and expose the wrists, and ankles. That is all. In the Dojo you wear a gi to promote unity and so nobody is conscious of class everyone is equal. Clothes can represent relative afflence or poverty. When you train you should be mindfull of the effects of a gi, first it allows grabbing and throwing without actually grabbing the arm or wrist preventing injury. You should also train in different clothes so you do not rely on the gi to make sharpness. Sometimes in the summer he will have me wear trunks and a t-shirt to train, once I came from work in a shirt and tie and he said don't change clothes, he had me go in the back and practice makiwara in my tie and shirt with dress pants. Te other thing he has told me is that you wear as light a gi as possible for training and kumite competition, and as heavy a gi as possible for kata competition.