Nail Polish

[Willow]

OK. I think this thread's going to be of minimal interest to the guys (but you never know...)
Do you put any thought into the colour of your toenail polish? I have matched mine to my do - it's Chanel's Rouge Noir, a really dark black red. I actually think it gives me a slight psychological boost in a way that pale pink would never do.
Anyone else ever thought about this?

[Nochi-no-tsuki]

no, can't say i've ever derived any kind of psychological boost from my toe nail polish. but hey, whatever works for you.

[bullet08]

there's a teenage girl in our dojo, very good spirit. she paints her toenail. it's very distracting to me at least. whenever she moves, i can see the dark spots moving around. other than that it's good indication to me that she's about to strike.

pete

[Genya]

One GUY at my dojo painted his finger nails (light blue, can´t remember clearly) It was pretty hard for me to do kata with him and his blue finger nails...

[ne0r]

Hmm... I had to stop painting my nails BLACK (I tend to go into that goth-like style a little bit... Or a little bit more ;D ) because it makes your nails look small and mine had to be cut very short anyways, so I had mini-fingernails...

Furthermore it looks pretty shitty with your gi and hakama and black fingernails... Yeah, in kata I probably looked funny (but I don't remember if I've done kata with black nails. In fact I don't even remember if I've ever been to practise with black nails. Ah, never mind XD )

[Kitsune]

Never had my toenails painted... I think it's distracting, but I have my fingernails painted every now and then.

[ne0r]

Ah, I should say that I'm a man... XD

[Kitsune]

But black fingernails is not bad at all, no matter if you're girl or boy. I like guys with black fingernails hohoho!:D

[Lone Kitten]

i tend to go for really bright colours - shocking pink, floursecent orange, lime green.

i don't see anything wrong with painting your toenails. It's nice to co-ordinate!

[Lone Kitten]

actually thinking about it, my bokuto has scraps of bright pink nail varnish still stuck to it from where i put the tsuba on!

[Solinde]

I don't use nailpolish. I don't see the point. At all. Sorry. :cheeky:

[Lone Kitten]

i do go thru periods of thinking like this... but then i see how cool it looks. and paint them green or something!

I like to clash!

[runsyi]

I've actually gotten told off for wearing nail polish before. But that was during Iaido practice. So I haven't worn since.

[rottunpunk]

i used to paint mine (fingernails), usually black or purple of course, but i cant be bothered now, besides i allways smudge it, even if i dont move for ten hours and i have to pick it off as soon as its on etc.

i always made sure that they were cleaned for seminars etc. though.
:p

[Willow]

there's a teenage girl in our dojo, very good spirit. she paints her toenail. it's very distracting to me at least. whenever she moves, i can see the dark spots moving around. other than that it's good indication to me that she's about to strike.

pete

That's interesting. I'd never thought about coloured toenail polish making movement of your feet more obvious. Like you say, it does give away an intention to move forward and strike, but could the distraction also work in your opponent's favour? If you're thinking about looking at feet doesn't that take your attention away from looking at your opponent in the eye?

[stephanie dee]

Erm, i don't often paint my toenails, but when I do its normally really bright colours, like really bright reds or pinks. I just get the piss taken out of me for wearing it!

[Paburo]

i had one of my toenails "painted" black/bruised-blue because my heaviest senpai deadly fumikomi-ed my right big toe finger. it took a couple months for it to gain back my normal whitish/pinkish skin colour.

indeed, it did give me a psychological boost in the sense of "ooh i'm gonna get the bloody bastard who did this to my big toe YES I WILL".

i've tsukied him in the balls twice, knee in the groin once, sided hip attack to the groin once ever since.... err, all accidentally of course... :bandit:

[Willow]

i had one of my toenails "painted" black/bruised-blue because my heaviest senpai deadly fumikomi-ed my right big toe finger. it took a couple months for it to gain back my normal whitish/pinkish skin colour.

indeed, it did give me a psychological boost in the sense of "ooh i'm gonna get the bloody bastard who did this to my big toe YES I WILL".

i've tsukied him in the balls twice, knee in the groin once, sided hip attack to the groin once ever since.... err, all accidentally of course... :bandit:
Sounds like your 'coloured' toe didn't give away your intention to strike too obviously:silly:
I've been thinking about the whole foot camouflage thing and wondered whether it would help to fake tan my feet til they were the colour of the wooden floor. Maybe that would make my intentions difficult to read:cheeky:

[rottunpunk]

or get really long hakama so your feet are covered. then it would look like your gliding as well so everyone will freak out and think your a ghosty and you'll win easy.

tried painting my toe nails once. it went scruffier than my fingers and my nail are too small so it looked silly and took forever to get off.

:p

[Willow]

or get really long hakama so your feet are covered. then it would look like your gliding as well so everyone will freak out and think your a ghosty and you'll win easy.

tried painting my toe nails once. it went scruffier than my fingers and my nail are too small so it looked silly and took forever to get off.

:p
I know of experienced kendoka who do wear longer hakama in order to do just that - not to look like a ghost but to disguise their footwork. You do have to be very experienced and skilled otherwise you just trip over the hakama and look like a right git:wink:.. not to mention injuries...

[Newbie]

I'm so not a 'girly-girl'! I only ever paint my nails for live roleplaying characters, never just cos I want to. None of my characters for the last two years have warranted it so that's how long I haven't worn nail polish for. I usually can't find the nail clippers and end up biting them down rather brutally if I forget before training and they're a bit long. Toenails however, nah, never painted my toenails but it might be kinda fun to pain them indigo!

[lucy]

I'm so not a 'girly-girl'! I only ever paint my nails for live roleplaying characters, never just cos I want to. None of my characters for the last two years have warranted it so that's how long I haven't worn nail polish for. I usually can't find the nail clippers and end up biting them down rather brutally if I forget before training and they're a bit long. Toenails however, nah, never painted my toenails but it might be kinda fun to pain them indigo!

Sounds like me, though I prefer the nail clippers... or my Swiss Army knife. :D
I don't even have any nail polish...

[Naginatagirl]

Yeah, I was told one of the girls at my dojo came with bright pink toe nails once a few years ago. She was told off and got a "special-keiko." Anyway, it's like wearing make-up to practice imo: I've seen girls do it, but thought it pointless and a little rude. I mean, you're there for kendo, not to look pretty. But if your sensei and sempai don't care, then whatever, free world. If I wear it at all, I wear the clear polish. My nails are so short because of kendo that anything else just looks funny ^^;

[Yin]

I tend toward bright reds or pinks on the toenails. None of my sempai have ever said anything about it, but they're pretty relaxed about anything that doesn't directly affect the ability to do keiko.

[Andoru]

I dunno much about nail polish, but I just want to say that I love this thread! :D

[Willow]

I tend toward bright reds or pinks on the toenails. None of my sempai have ever said anything about it, but they're pretty relaxed about anything that doesn't directly affect the ability to do keiko.

Yeah, I'm a little surprised that people have been told off for wearing nail polish. In Australia, it's really common for girls to wear toenail polish because we spend so much of our lives in sandals etc. I would probably feel a little annoyed to be asked to remove it every time I had kendo/iaido class, especially if I'd had it done by a beautician.
I wonder why it's a problem? The way it makes your footwork more obvious could be one explanation but there seems to be a sort of general disapproval that possible comes from the fact that, along with make up, it is a more 'female' type of thing.
Hey, girls, we shouldn't have to change ourselves to fit in with stereotypical male behaviour! Why should we behave differently because we're doing a martial art?

[Newbie]

Hey, girls, we shouldn't have to change ourselves to fit in with stereotypical male behaviour!

Okay, do you believe then there would be more or less derision if a guy rocked up to these dojos that disapprove in make-up and/or nail polish? Are you sure it's a gender issue? Consider that brightly painted toenails make you stand out and the dojo is about conformity. There is some small leaway amongst that conformity, such as white bogu but look how much someone in white bogu (Alison I'm sure knows about this) stands out amongst everyone in indigo. The way you set yourself apart is by skill, not bright colours. Just think back to the coloured do thread.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just presenting the other side of the argument :)

[lucy]

there seems to be a sort of general disapproval that possible comes from the fact that, along with make up, it is a more 'female' type of thing.
Hey, girls, we shouldn't have to change ourselves to fit in with stereotypical male behaviour! Why should we behave differently because we're doing a martial art?

I don't think that it's disapproval towards more female behaviour.
After all, you don't wear jewelry or a special hairstyle to kendo, do you? Neither do I know anyone who would think about wearing make up for any kind of serious physical activity, including kendo.
Nail polish is a bit different, I think, and depends on the opinion of the sensei, at least in my opinion. So I don't see where we have "to fit in with stereotypical male behaviour".

Sorry if my ramblings don't make much sense to you, I tried my best to explain what I mean, but English isn't my first language.

Well, just my thoughts... ;)

[Solinde]

I agree with Newbie and lucy. The issue is not that we should do what the guys do, but rather about vanity. Wearing make-up, jewelry (sp?) or nail polish is vain and although that is not necessarily a bad thing, it isn't appropiate for any budo. That's my opinion though, you don't have to agree. :D

Oh, and on the female/male discussion...I have told guys off as well for this kind of thing, although not about nail polish. (For the curious: we had a newbie in iaido who insisted on wearing wrist sweatbands during training. :nervous: The practise sessions were not very sweaty at that point, so this too was a vanity issue.)

[Naginatagirl]

I agree with Newbie and Solinde. Standing out because of skill is one thing, standing out because you want attention is another. If kendo was about convience it wouldn't need a gi and hakama, just something you could sweat in. Keeping your uniform wrinkle-free, not having that little tail from the tenegui sticking out of your men, not having your himo too long, I think these are the same as not wearing nail polish. How strict or loose a dojo is about these things is up to the sensei. I don't think it has anything to do with being female or male.

[Alison2805]

I dont wear nail polish at all, but the one time my niece held me down and painted my toes I got some comment, but nothing negative. I dont think its something people should get upset about, I think its like having different coloured hair. It doesnt get in the way and is part of your own style. Jewellry, maleup, sweatbands (I would have laughed my ass off at that guy), thats different - you can take them off. Deliberately leaving it on is asking for attention.


I never realised how damn long it takes to get polish off your toenails....

[Paburo]

imho there's no need to be so anal about it though... if girls can go on and buy a bright hello-kitty-pink dou or an all-white bogu with flashy red tsukidare then why can't they simply have their nails polished? not a nimiety... and this is not the army. if it was, we all boys would have to cut our hair razor-sharp short :D

besides.... i'm not a girl, but i guess they don't polish their nails just for kendo... they do for their daily life. and perhaps it would be a nuisance to take it off before training and repaint them again right after keiko everytime... lol

on the other hand, it would be nice to discuss this point: can kendo 'rules' and 'etiquette' go as far as into looking down upon your own body and skin outlook/mods? what about ppl with tattoos on their arms or legs or neck (or visible parts in kendo)? or people with bleached/coloured hair? are these 'people' suitable for kendo? or are they just calling for attention and should be banned?

[rottunpunk]

i agree with solinde et al. there are no females in budo. how femal samurai have you heard of?
its just untastefull to wear luminous pink nails in the dojo, not to mention the fact that pink clashes with indigo blue.
if your sensei are ok with you wearing it in the dojo that fine however. but, would you wear it for a taikai? even if you are australian and wear sandles all the time. ;)
jewelry is different in that its dangerous to wear it. as for make up, it looks really wrong with gi. and rubs off, one judo grading i got an orange kit off some woman and couldnt wash it out for ages.
just my opinion.
:p

[h2o]

on the other hand, it would be nice to discuss this point: can kendo 'rules' and 'etiquette' go as far as into looking down upon your own body and skin outlook/mods? what about ppl with tattoos on their arms or legs or neck (or visible parts in kendo)? or people with bleached/coloured hair? are these 'people' suitable for kendo? or are they just calling for attention and should be banned?I don't really believe in banning people. Tattoos and hair color is sort of permanent, so telling someone they can't compete due to that would be quite harsh. Jewelery and makeup on the other hand is easy to take off, so my opiniion is that you should skip it for competitions. Jewelrey, as someone already noticed, can be dangerous, and makeup just doesn't look very good with sweaty gi and bogu. Save it for the party after the competition if you must use it :D

But I agree that "what you can and can't wear for kendo" is interesting. Children can use Hello Kitty Bogu, yes. But would you allow a grown up to use it?

[Solinde]

on the other hand, it would be nice to discuss this point: can kendo 'rules' and 'etiquette' go as far as into looking down upon your own body and skin outlook/mods? what about ppl with tattoos on their arms or legs or neck (or visible parts in kendo)? or people with bleached/coloured hair? are these 'people' suitable for kendo? or are they just calling for attention and should be banned?

Of course I would never ban them (assuming it would be up to me to decide :wink: ), that is just rude, but I wouldn't get a tattoo myself, if you see my point. For some reason the hair thing don't bother me as much...but I can't explain why. Maybe because people's hair colour differ anyway, so people with coloured hair don't stand out as much as they maybe would like to think. :D

[Paburo]

well, right in the middle of class i've told my female kohai to take all jewelry off before. this is a matter of safety... if it was completely safe, i wouldn't ask them to take it off though. cause even though it may seem silly to me sometimes, i believe people should be free to pierce or paint their own skin as they please. tattoo, skin or hair colour, etc.

another interesting concept that rottunpunk has brought up is this:
i agree with solinde et al. there are no females in budo. how femal samurai have you heard of?
are you two suggesting that the right way of doing kendo for girls, is to become tomboys? to do kendo just exactly as men do? or for us boys to level to your feminine ways until there is an indistinguishable asexual standard?

i think there are females in budo. girls could have their own personality and do kendo in their own feminine way. that should not mean femalish kendo is better or worse. or softer or stronger. just different.

as an anecdotic note, there were fierce samurai girls indeed. their budo and 'style' was different, yes. but less deadly? lol. that could be arguable...

[bullet08]

in more traditional setting, anything that will distract from the keiko is frowned up on. makeup, long hair.. the reason being, once you step into the dojo, it should be all about kendo and nothing else. schools used to be like that in japan and korea. kids were told to get their hair cut as short as possible since having long hair will distract from the studying. i would imagine some of this is still carried over into current time in some dojos. as far as tattoos, it was a mark of criminal in japan and korea. of course, now days anyone can have them.

pete

[lucy]

i think there are females in budo. girls could have their own personality and do kendo in their own feminine way. that should not mean femalish kendo is better or worse. or softer or stronger. just different.

as an anecdotic note, there were fierce samurai girls indeed. their budo and 'style' was different, yes. but less deadly? lol. that could be arguable...

I think you are right, Paburo.

Concerning tattoos it just came to my mind that one guy in our dojo has a large one, all over his arms and neck (don't know about his chest and back... :silly: ). No one cares, at least not that I would know. Don't know what they are talking about in the changing rooms, though. :D

[fitzj]

I will admit to painting my toenails and also to showing up at prctice in make up. With that said, i wear varnish on my toes all the time and I wear make up every day too, these are not things i do for kendo, they just happen to be part of my daily life.

Using all of the above in my defence, I have a very dark blue varnish which matches my gi and hakama very nicely. I wear it for practice only and always remove any varnish for competition etc.

[rottunpunk]

sorry paburo, i guess i didnt explain myself properly. i was aiming along the lines of what bullet said.
personally i prefer to fight blokes, they are way less scary.
as for tatoo's, i must admit i have one. on my foot no less. but its very tasteful and looks great with hakama ;)
a japanese aikidoka lady pointed it out to her 3 year old daughter as a praise thingy.
forgive me if im wrong, but i thought having a tatoo in japanese culture was a sign of strength, or have i just been watching too much crying freeman?
:p

[runsyi]

I always thought tattoos were taboo in Japan. Like if you have one the typical Japanese person assumes you're yakuza or a criminal of some sort. But that's off topic.

I think wearing nail polish during Iai and during Kendo are two different things, at least to my sensei. Kendo, I do nearly everyday so they never asked me to remove nail polish then. Iai, I do maybe two times a week and since once a week is at the godo keiko and in front of one of the senior sensei then nail polish that distracts from the kata isn't entirely appropriate.

[Willow]

Is it simple vanity to care about your appearance? People from all cultures and throughout human existence have modified their appearance by adding colour to their faces, hair and bodies (think of paints made with ochre clays or henna, tattoos, dyes derived from plants, piercings with bone, metals and beautiful stones, etc). And what about clothing? The diversity of ways in which human inventiveness has applied itself to how we clothe ourselves is fascinating and is a topic which warrants far more attention than I can give it here.

Narrowing it down to what we wear in the dojo, in what way is it mere vanity to take pride in our appearance ? We wear a clean and well pressed hakama and make sure we have our himo neat and tidy. This is out of respect for our sensei, our dojo, our fellow kendoka and ourselves.

It is also important to have clean feet. It is rude to turn up with feet that will cause offence to others. This is not vanity, it is respect for others. I happen to believe that my feet look better with nail polish on the toes. I believe that it is entirely up to the individual to decide what they feel is right for them provided what they wear is not dangerous or hindering in any way. I feel the same way about haircolour, makeup and tattoos*.

Jewellery depends on whether it's dangerous or not. Wedding bands aren't a problem, for example. I wear a jade bangle which I can't remove. It's on my left wrist, rarely gets struck and is protected by the kote. It's not dangerous so I don't see that it's a problem.

I don't wear nail polish to get attention. I chose the colour because of my do and because it reminds me of a beautiful glaze called sang de boeuf or ox-blood. I appreciate it for its beauty the way I appreciate a piece of pottery glazed in the same colour. I like to wear it because I like to have that colour on my body, near me at all times.

My nail polish gives me a simple pleasure. In a more general sense, human beings are aesthetic creatures - let's just enjoy it.


*Re tattoos, what about those Japanese porters who used to work nearly naked but with their bodies virtually entirely covered with amazingly intricate blue tattoos? They weren't criminals, but does anybody have any more information about the significance of the tattoos?

[bullet08]

Is it simple vanity to care about your appearance? People from all cultures and throughout human existence have modified their appearance by adding colour to their faces, hair and bodies (think of paints made with ochre clays or henna, tattoos, dyes derived from plants, piercings with bone, metals and beautiful stones, etc). And what about clothing? The diversity of ways in which human inventiveness has applied itself to how we clothe ourselves is fascinating and is a topic which warrants far more attention than I can give it here.

Narrowing it down to what we wear in the dojo, in what way is it mere vanity to take pride in our appearance ? We wear a clean and well pressed hakama and make sure we have our himo neat and tidy. This is out of respect for our sensei, our dojo, our fellow kendoka and ourselves.

It is also important to have clean feet. It is rude to turn up with feet that will cause offence to others. This is not vanity, it is respect for others. I happen to believe that my feet look better with nail polish on the toes. I believe that it is entirely up to the individual to decide what they feel is right for them provided what they wear is not dangerous or hindering in any way. I feel the same way about haircolour, makeup and tattoos*.

Jewellery depends on whether it's dangerous or not. Wedding bands aren't a problem, for example. I wear a jade bangle which I can't remove. It's on my left wrist, rarely gets struck and is protected by the kote. It's not dangerous so I don't see that it's a problem.

I don't wear nail polish to get attention. I chose the colour because of my do and because it reminds me of a beautiful glaze called sang de boeuf or ox-blood. I appreciate it for its beauty the way I appreciate a piece of pottery glazed in the same colour. I like to wear it because I like to have that colour on my body, near me at all times.

My nail polish gives me a simple pleasure. In a more general sense, human beings are aesthetic creatures - let's just enjoy it.


*Re tattoos, what about those Japanese porters who used to work nearly naked but with their bodies virtually entirely covered with amazingly intricate blue tattoos? They weren't criminals, but does anybody have any more information about the significance of the tattoos?

in a dojo, it really does not matter what individual thinks. it's what sensei thinks is the best for the dojo. dojo does not run on democratic process. so, if it's okay with your sensei to have tattoos, or make up, and nail polish, then everything should be fine.

japanese mafia or yakuza were what used to be gamblers and manual labor in old japan. their tradition of having full suit of tattoo still carries over to today. in old times if one commits crime, they were either branded or tattoo their face to show that they are crimimals, if they don't kill them first.

pete

[Willow]

in a dojo, it really does not matter what individual thinks. it's what sensei thinks is the best for the dojo. dojo does not run on democratic process. so, if it's okay with your sensei to have tattoos, or make up, and nail polish, then everything should be fine.

japanese mafia or yakuza were what used to be gamblers and manual labor in old japan. their tradition of having full suit of tattoo still carries over to today. in old times if one commits crime, they were either branded or tattoo their face to show that they are crimimals, if they don't kill them first.

pete

Nothing has ever been said about make up, etc at our dojo. Our sensei is technically very exacting and clear about how to wear the hakama, etc. but doesn't seem to mind about normal additional appearance factors!
I suppose a diversity of approaches in dojos is normal really, each adapting to different parts of the world.
Thanks for the info about the tattoos. So does that mean that those all over tattoos were inflicted on criminals by authorities rather than people choosing to tattoo themselves?

[bullet08]

Nothing has ever been said about make up, etc at our dojo. Our sensei is technically very exacting and clear about how to wear the hakama, etc. but doesn't seem to mind about normal additional appearance factors!
I suppose a diversity of approaches in dojos is normal really, each adapting to different parts of the world.
Thanks for the info about the tattoos. So does that mean that those all over tattoos were inflicted on criminals by authorities rather than people choosing to tattoo themselves?

the full suit is actually some sort of initiation ritual sort of thing for those guys from what i've heard. not something done by the law. if they get caught, then they get branded on the face.

pete

[Willow]

the full suit is actually some sort of initiation ritual sort of thing for those guys from what i've heard. not something done by the law. if they get caught, then they get branded on the face.

pete

So it's always visible and the first thing you see ...kind of makes rehabilitation a challenge:rolleyes:
The full suit certainly looks amazing - even the tattooists of criminals show meticulous attention to detail and pride in their work. It seems that every facet of Japanese society, no matter how humble, reflects this.

[Paburo]

sorry paburo, i guess i didnt explain myself properly. i was aiming along the lines of what bullet said.
personally i prefer to fight blokes, they are way less scary.
as for tatoo's, i must admit i have one. on my foot no less. but its very tasteful and looks great with hakama ;)
a japanese aikidoka lady pointed it out to her 3 year old daughter as a praise thingy.
forgive me if im wrong, but i thought having a tatoo in japanese culture was a sign of strength, or have i just been watching too much crying freeman?
:p

lol, don't have to be sorry... you punk :D

about tattoos umm.... in japan they are still associated with the mob, yakuza, and criminals.

for instance.... in some public baths and places, access is banned for tattooed ppl. my gaijin friend had a tattoo whilst living in japan for some years, and she would get plenty funny looks and eyebrows risen.

in the western world, tattoos might be something fashionable sometimes... i guess :bandit:

[GreenArrow]

I don't really see what's wrong with it on a principled level. After all, we live in a society (in the UK at least) where a woman might well be expected to wear makeup/nail varnish as part of presenting a "professional" image at work (think of many customer-facing roles). If that person then comes from work to Kendo (many of us may have to in the real world) then what's the big deal?

OK, so if you sweat then the non-waterproof types of makeup may run a bit.

Bottom line is, in the UK, for many women wearing makeup is required as part of an unofficial (or official- see the airlines) dress code as part of being "socially acceptable" in work. So it's a bit hypocritical to expect a totally different view outside- how many men would be castigated for coming to a dojo with a suit and tie on, or is it even discussed if they wear their hair very close cut as a result of work (e.g. Armed Forces)?

OK, I'm not suggesting there's much point in putting makeup on specifically to COME to Kendo... but if that's what floats your boat I suppose. After all, if we must all be so uniform, then maybe there should be a statutory haircut and no beards allowed for all the guys?:wink: If not, then what's the problem?

[runsyi]

I don't really see what's wrong with it on a principled level. After all, we live in a society (in the UK at least) where a woman might well be expected to wear makeup/nail varnish as part of presenting a "professional" image at work (think of many customer-facing roles). If that person then comes from work to Kendo (many of us may have to in the real world) then what's the big deal?

OK, so if you sweat then the non-waterproof types of makeup may run a bit.

Bottom line is, in the UK, for many women wearing makeup is required as part of an unofficial (or official- see the airlines) dress code as part of being "socially acceptable" in work. So it's a bit hypocritical to expect a totally different view outside- how many men would be castigated for coming to a dojo with a suit and tie on, or is it even discussed if they wear their hair very close cut as a result of work (e.g. Armed Forces)?

OK, I'm not suggesting there's much point in putting makeup on specifically to COME to Kendo... but if that's what floats your boat I suppose. After all, if we must all be so uniform, then maybe there should be a statutory haircut and no beards allowed for all the guys?:wink: If not, then what's the problem?

You're assuming that men aren't castigated for unusual haircuts and facial hair by the same senseis that frown upon nail polish. The sensei that told me not to wear nail polish in Iai has remarked on guys with weird goatees and bleached hair.

My thinking is that hygiene and grooming fall under reigi. You should ideally be as clean and presentable as possible at the beginning of keiko.

As for objections to nail polish in the dojo... one that I can think of is that in Iai when you stand your toes some polish might rub off onto the floor. That's not good for the dojo.

[TheChessQueen]

I know that my karate sensei does not allow any colored nail polish to be worn by the girls (or guys if they swing that way). However, I am thinking some bright neon sparkly toenail polish can be very distracting to an opponent...
But also remember that using too much nail polish or too dark of nail polish stains your nails. icky...

[Kirinhale]

I wear a soft pink usually, no one ever said i couldn't, though really, why would you want to wear green nail polish? :o

[Lloromannic]

because it's purty?

[rottunpunk]

to colour coordinate?
e.g in karate, judo etc to go with your belt, though matching with a brown belt would look icky :D
:p

[Kirinhale]

Lol, i don't think it would look pretty on anyone, perhaps on a female-hulk or something :p And colour coördination sounds acceptable...:D

[Lone Kitten]

see other thread!

[Knicky]

My girlfriend always paints her nails and toenails pink before a testing or shiai...


Matches her tenegui.

[Toaster]

my varnish reflects my personality. sometimes i only varnish two fingers, sometimes I do highly decorative patterns with my varnish pens.
Quite often I alternate black and deep red though..... I love those colours soooo much. Especially deep red