girly thing to do

[Aries]

i cut up fregrant soaps and put the pieces in satchets. then i place a packet in the gi and hakama for each major fold. this way it doesn't smell to gym bagish, and my sempai also told me i wouldnt be washing my hakama as much as well, so i though i'd do this as a percaustion.
right now i'm using irish springs, so i don't smell like too much of a girlly girl.

thought i'd share

[Pan-Chan]

That's a very interesting idea, actually, to me.

My keiko-gi hardly ever smells because I wash it weekly, and I've only had to wash my hakama once; before a shinsa, to get rid of the salt marks from sweating.

I think I may look into this idea a bit. Thanks for sharing, to you and your sempai.

[TheChessQueen]

Frebreeze and I have a long affair going on since I started kendo. After practice all of my clothing gets sprayed and so does my bogu. I also wash my gi after almost every practice (I own a few so I can get away with it without missing practice). I have noticed that some of the kendoka stink. And there is nothing worse than seeing a really good looking boy in kendo class and then spar with him only to find out you might lose due to the revolting smell that is trying to make you place your lunch on the floor. Plus the frebreeze doesn't leave a girly smell. So now I just smell like I wash my cloths. :)

Kinda like the soap thing though... Maybe before a tournament I should spray on some seriously strong and girly perfume just to see the effects it would have on an opponent... but that might hurt my bogu...

:)

[neko]

this may be sick, but i like the smell of bogu. like when you're on a kendo road trip in the summer, and you have multiple sets of bogu in the hatchback, and you stop for lunch (at subway), and you come back out to the car.....mmmmm. i love that smell! LOL!! i think it is because it is nostalgic or something.

BO on the other hand is NOT what i am talking about here. :ko:

[TheChessQueen]

I will admitt that there is something about old bogu that is comforting... However, sometimes it is the wrong smell. Besides usually it is the gi that smells bad not the bogu. Apparently some people think you aren't supposed to wash your gi... or at least that's how it smells.
One quick story: A boy in our dojo who had been practicing for over a year smelled really really bad. When finally confronted he told us that he thought it was against tradition to wash his uniform... Over a year of unwashed gi... *shiver*:((:

[rottunpunk]

my iai hakama have never been washed and give off a very interesting smel when ironed
i wear those white junior style keikogi that get washed regularly though
though we iai folk dont sweat as much as you bamboo bashers :D

tim (chidokan) has a posh do with little good luck envelope things hanging on the inside that look like car air freshners
:p

[Aries]

I will admitt that there is something about old bogu that is comforting... However, sometimes it is the wrong smell. Besides usually it is the gi that smells bad not the bogu. Apparently some people think you aren't supposed to wash your gi... or at least that's how it smells.
One quick story: A boy in our dojo who had been practicing for over a year smelled really really bad. When finally confronted he told us that he thought it was against tradition to wash his uniform... Over a year of unwashed gi... *shiver*:((:


thats gross.

i was told not to wash the hakama often but keep the gi clean... but eeew.

sensei siad to jsut wash the stuff in vinegar so thats why i did the soap pockets so that if i had any vinegar that didnt rinse out it would even out the smell.

[Kirinhale]

Ah, i ended up smelling of vinegar for 2 weeks :(

[Newbie]

The only time I've washed my hakama was when I got it dry cleaned before my first grading (jodo). I'll be doing it again before I go to the nationals - the creases come back so nice and crisp!!

And I agree, the smell of bogu is one thing, sweaty dogi is quite another!

[razorblade2099]

I will admitt that there is something about old bogu that is comforting... However, sometimes it is the wrong smell. Besides usually it is the gi that smells bad not the bogu. Apparently some people think you aren't supposed to wash your gi... or at least that's how it smells.
One quick story: A boy in our dojo who had been practicing for over a year smelled really really bad. When finally confronted he told us that he thought it was against tradition to wash his uniform... Over a year of unwashed gi... *shiver*:((:

He mistook that for the belt, and that's in karate, tkd ect. Even then you're still allowed to wash it, just not very often. The belt is symbolic of your progress in the martial art. The more time and effort you put in it the more dirt and grime and sweat goes to the belt. That's why you don't wash the belt that often.

When I did a road trip through the US, I'd put a bag of potpourri in my travelers backpack. It kept all my clothes smelling nice even if I hadn't had the chance to do the laundry in 2 weeks. My brother also did that on his backpacking trip through Europe.

[Airin]

I wash my hakama and gi after every training, i.e. twice per week. I was told I shouldn't, but I don't really care. I like my dresses clean and kendo dresses aren't different for me.
My first hakama broke very soon because the plastic corners tore the fabric in the washing-machine. Then I sewed a new hakama and I hid inside a zip that makes me to take out the plastic piece. So I can even dry the hakama in the clothes-drier in winter and iron without worry. It seems to work good till now.

[Dervish]

I wash my hakama and gi after every training, i.e. twice per week. I was told I shouldn't

Why shouldn't you?

Sorry to tangent, and I don't even have a uniform yet, but I'm wondering why people say not to wash hakama and gi?

[Aries]

i thought we were not supposed to ironthe hakama, makes it shiny and stuff.

[Ignatz]

Why shouldn't you?

Sorry to tangent, and I don't even have a uniform yet, but I'm wondering why people say not to wash hakama and gi?
Please wash your dogi regularly. People that don't are pigs. The times that you don't you should hang it up to air out. I wash mine in the washing machine and have three that I rotate. You will only need one to start.
Hakama should be taken out of your bogu bag and hung up to air out. It is not necessary to wash it that often because it doesn't get all of the sweat plus it is a pain to wash and takes a long time to dry. Cotton hakama are usually hand washed but some people put them in a bag and into the machine.

[Dervish]

Please wash your dogi regularly. People that don't are pigs.

Thanks for being clear. I don't think anyone wants to be the smelly one of the class :P

[Alison2805]

Im a big fan of washing my gi and hakama!! AND IRONING IT. Its not that difficult!!!

To keep my bogu smelling nice I put a little bag of cloves in my bogu bag (someone suggested that in a thread a few months ago). It makes my bogu smell sweet - works realy well. Thanks to whoever suggested it!

[razorblade2099]

i thought we were not supposed to ironthe hakama, makes it shiny and stuff.

Polyester hakama's don't need to be ironed because they don't wrinkle. Polyester is a synthetic fabric and thus will melt a little if you iron it, that's what's giving the shiny look if you iron it.

Cotton Hakamas though do require ironing cause they do wrinkle. However, cotton hakamas have a more natural and comfortable feel to them so most people chose cotton later on.

[Alison2805]

Poodlespit:p! If something is "wrinkle free" that doesnt mean pleats ironed into it will stay there. Polyseter hakamas arent "wrinkle free" anyway. And youre supposed to iron them inside out.

If you screw your hakama into a ball, throw it in a bag under your bed and pull it out for our next training it will have more wrinkles than your nana. Not as many as if it was cotton, but still LOTS. And it will look like crap. At least with polyester you can still see where the pleats once were when you want to reiron them. Leave it too long with cotton and there will be nothing left to guide you.

Bugger it, Im starting a business - "Ali's Hakama TLC Service. Too lazy to look after your pleats? Just send me your hakama and credit card details, and Ill give your hakama the TLC it deserves!"

Haha!! Im going to be rich! RICH!!:D

[Airin]

Why shouldn't you?
I don't exactly know. They told me traditionally you should wash the hakama once in six months ( :spchless: !), fold and without soap. That sounds to me quite disgusting.

i thought we were not supposed to iron the hakama, makes it shiny and stuff.
I was told that, too. But it's sufficient to iron it on the reverse with starch to make it good on the visible side. I drew the fold places on the reverse with the pen for fabric so that I needn't to look at the hakama on the right side to iron the fold, even if they were lost in the washing-machine.
And anyway I like best wearing a shiny hakama than a smelly one!! :cool:

Hakama should be taken out of your bogu bag and hung up to air out.
That isn't so easy for people who live in very small house as me. I simply haven't space to hang out the washing: that's why driers are made for :D !

It is not necessary to wash it that often because it doesn't get all of the sweat
I feel really uncomfortable when I take away the tare, because all the waist zone is totally wet with sweat.

[tamaki]

Kinda like the soap thing though... Maybe before a tournament I should spray on some seriously strong and girly perfume just to see the effects it would have on an opponent... but that might hurt my bogu...

:)

I used to spray my men with my perfumes (dior or something for example).Not only for the smell,but instead of alcohol disinfectant.Anyway the smell goes off soon.I also use hydroxen peroxide in the summer when it gets mold,outside and inside.Nothing bad happens to it:)
But I am not gonna do it on the outside when I buy the mine men.Just in case :P

Ijima sensei told us that in japan,a bogu drycleaners store opened. Japan rules :P
And I have heard of ppl who really had to wash(with water etc) their men,and it was ok.

But I have noticed that japanese people dont stink that much.Isnt that weird?I mean there are people in the dojo that certainly havent washed their stuff for a long time,but hardly stink(compared to non japanese). ???

as for the kendo-bogu smell per se,I think its nice,because it reminds me of something that I love I guess.I always LOVE it when I enter a dojo or a kendoka's house and it smells bogu.

[xvikingx]

But I have noticed that japanese people dont stink that much.

Are you kidding me?! Last Sunday one of our sensei pulled his old super faded gear out of the closet (his gi was baby-blue going on white, with occasional dark blue spots where holes had started to form and the second layer was showing through), and it stunk so bad that I had serious trouble concentrating during jigeiko. Hands down the most powerful funk I have ever encountered.

[Heathen_Blade]

Shiny's a bad thing? ... I like shiny...
Why is it bad? Does it make people look bad?
If I bought a ... whatever it is... that was custom-made to be shiny, would that be okay?
Are there any restrictions on color?
... and exactly what does bogu smell like?

[Alison2805]

Have you ever seen someone in a business suit with shiny pants? It looks unprofessional. If you bought a hakama it would definitely not be shiny. Wait til you have started lessons, then youll know what we are talking about. Read through the FAQ section in the forum, and go to your local library and read some books on Japanese sword arts. Googling is good, but you never know what crap youll find.

Than should help you get to know the terminology and what to expect when you start lessons.

[Kenzan]

Have you ever seen someone in a business suit with shiny pants?

In L.A.?
Why yes....yes I have...
LOL
:D


But seriously.
(Raises clenched fist)
Fight the funk, people!

Wash yo' nasteh B.O. and God-knows-what-soaked Keikogi befo' SOMEBODEH GITS KNOCKED OUT BY THE FUMES, YO!

(Sniff, Sniff)
"Hmmm....Hey everybody..Fred's coming to practice!!"
What?? I don't see anybo...(Sniff)....oh....yeah...
Fred: Hey guys! What's the good word!?.......(Looks around at passed out dojomates)......what?
:D

[Heathen_Blade]

Have you ever seen someone in a business suit with shiny pants? It looks unprofessional. If you bought a hakama it would definitely not be shiny. Wait til you have started lessons, then youll know what we are talking about. Read through the FAQ section in the forum, and go to your local library and read some books on Japanese sword arts. Googling is good, but you never know what crap youll find.

Than should help you get to know the terminology and what to expect when you start lessons.
Yeah, I know... get lessons... parents won't pay, so I have to myself... don't worry though, I'm giving it about 2 weeks to my first paycheck.

It just occured to me... I should check on my status at McDonalds...

[Alison2805]

hahahaa! Amen to that Kenzan. That would be funnier if it werent so damn true.

[Heathen_Blade]

In L.A.?
Why yes....yes I have...
LOL
:D


But seriously.
(Raises clenched fist)
Fight the funk, people!

Wash yo' nasteh B.O. and Good-knows-what-soaked Keikogo befo' SOMEBODEH GITS KNOCKED OUT BY THE FUMES, YO!

(Sniff, Sniff)
"Hmmm....Hey everybody..Fred's coming to practice!!"
What?? I don't see anybo...(Sniff)....oh....yeah...
Fred: Hey guys! What's the good word!?.......(Looks around at passed out dojomates)......what?
:D
O.O OMG... :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
XDXDXDXDXDXDXD
... wow, that smiley looks odd...

[megumi_chann]

i cut up fregrant soaps and put the pieces in satchets. then i place a packet in the gi and hakama for each major fold. this way it doesn't smell to gym bagish, and my sempai also told me i wouldnt be washing my hakama as much as well, so i though i'd do this as a percaustion.
right now i'm using irish springs, so i don't smell like too much of a girlly girl.

thought i'd share

a while back i bumped into one of my senpai and i noticed that his keikogi was very soft and it smelled fresh out of the dryer...how many guy kenshi do you know that smell good?lol.so i asked him what his secret was and he said that he puts dryer sheets in the folds of his keikogi and his hakama, this makes your uniform smelling good, and it also makes it softer. (:

[musicdropout@ho]

thanks for the tip, megumi_chann.

and alison2805, i'd like to pick your brain if i could. i just got my uniform and i was told not to put it in the dryer...but its 100% cotton, is that simply so it wouldn't lose its pleats?

see, i have kendo 2 times a week and only one uniform and i like to wash everything once its dirty and have it nice and clean for the next class. but i was told only to wash my uniform once a week and to not put it in the dryer. But i have to use the dryer if i want the hakama (sp) washed after every class. so if i do choose to put it in the dryer, as long as i iron it afterwards, that will maintain the pleats correct?

thanks!! ^_^

[Nash]

Just to add my opinion/method to the mix.

I wash my gi and hakama about once every three months, unless it needs it beforehand (eg; grading, or horrible salt/sweat marks). When I do wash I put the Hakama in one of those drawstring laundry bag so that it doesnt end up in a tangled mess, and I use only a tea spoon of soap.

When I hang my hakama to dry, I clip several clothes pegs along each pleat top to bottom to ensure the pleats hold while it dries.

I think one of the reasons behind not washing the gi regularly is that the indigo dye will fade a lot quicker, and this isn't the desired look. After trainings I simply hang it indoors with a fan blowing over it and it dries before the next training session.

In regards to deodorising the soap or clove bags are great ideas, and I believe you can also buy Charcoal bags that will absorb the odour, and are good for both your bogu and your gi.

[musicdropout@ho]

thanks nash...i didn't even think about the color fading...eventually thought the color will fade, is it recomended to try re-dyeing it? and if so what kind of dye should one get?

[Nash]

If you notice that when you do wash it, the water is a similar colour to the gi, then it is most likely losing colour. If you leave it out in the sun too long to dry it, this will also fade it as well, hence why I usually dry it indoors with a fan or the window open. I know that it is a natural indigo dye, but I'm not sure about where to purchase it and how you would go about dying it yourself.

Perhaps one of the many experienced people hear will have at some point attempted to re-dye their own gi? I've seen people dye a light gi a different colour all together, but I dont think I have seen one re-dyed its original colour.

[lucy]

Some people I know re-dye their keikogi and hakama with black dye in the washing machine, it looks like new afterwards. But I've not tried that yet.

[Alison2805]

thanks for the tip, megumi_chann.

and alison2805, i'd like to pick your brain if i could. i just got my uniform and i was told not to put it in the dryer...but its 100% cotton, is that simply so it wouldn't lose its pleats?

see, i have kendo 2 times a week and only one uniform and i like to wash everything once its dirty and have it nice and clean for the next class. but i was told only to wash my uniform once a week and to not put it in the dryer. But i have to use the dryer if i want the hakama (sp) washed after every class. so if i do choose to put it in the dryer, as long as i iron it afterwards, that will maintain the pleats correct?

thanks!! ^_^

I wouldnt bother washing it after every class. If you do want to put it in the dryer, youll have to get used to either folding it straight away (while its hot and preferably a tad damp still) to keep the pleats, or ironing it. Cotton loses its pleats if you dont do this anyway - dryer or no dryer.

[Neil Gendzwill]

There's no need to wash hakama after every class. Almost all of the sweat and other nastiness is absorbed by the keikogi, that's what needs regular washing. I wash my hakama very seldom.

The only reason not to put the keikogi in the dryer is that it will shrink like anything else cotton (only a little more so, because it's a pretty loose weave). If yours is a tight fit, don't put it in the dryer.

[MikeW]

It's amazing to me the number of people that don't appear to sweat much...lol. My hakama is soaked at least down to about the knees after a hard practice just like my gi. Of course we practice in a non-air conditioned gym. Air temp today is over 100 so the gym will probably be 110+.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I sweat plenty, but we don't often get the kind of heat you guys do. After a summer practice most of the upper part of my keikogi is soaked.

[musicdropout@ho]

thanks for all of the good advice everyone!

[Nash]

It's amazing to me the number of people that don't appear to sweat much...lol. My hakama is soaked at least down to about the knees after a hard practice just like my gi. Of course we practice in a non-air conditioned gym. Air temp today is over 100 so the gym will probably be 110+.

Don't get me wrong I definitely sweat. After a hard training in the middle of summer (Aussie Summers are around 30-35 degrees Celsis and upwards, sorry I dont know Farenheit) my keikogi is usually soaked to the point that it is dripping sweat without me wringing it at all. But my hakama doesn't usually get too sweaty, and if it does its mainly around the back where its pressed up against the gi. Maybe some people just have sweatier legs than others.

[Nash]

Maybe some people just have sweatier legs than others.

Please note that this wasn't a personal dig, but purely a comment that everybody works differently.

[Doomcat]

I love the idea of the soap!.
I'll will try it, and make my boyfriend (another kenshi) to try it to, so I can hug him after practice and don't die!.

Don't worry Nash, I have a similar problem than you do. I believe a hakama doesn't need as much wash as an uwagi.

[Obukan_dude]

There's no need to wash hakama after every class. Almost all of the sweat and other nastiness is absorbed by the keikogi, that's what needs regular washing. I wash my hakama very seldom.

The only reason not to put the keikogi in the dryer is that it will shrink like anything else cotton (only a little more so, because it's a pretty loose weave). If yours is a tight fit, don't put it in the dryer.
So the keikogi is supoosed to be hung-dried, then?

[foundinsea]

coffee works....

[Lady_Kitsune]

coffee????

[RC_Kenshi]

coffee????

Probably a reference to the use of coffee to mask the scent of "contraband" items from the drug-sniffing dogs used by DEA.

[cruzemi]

after reading this thread i have bought popuri(sp?) to put inside my gym bag, but i was wondering won't the popori just mask the smell and won't eliminate it? After a while won't it mix in with the bad smell and make it worse?

[nonamehandle]

i ususally wash my ki once every 2-3 weeks and my hakama very rarely, once every few months. my gi and hakama are kept at the dojo, so they get to dry out overnight. there does not seem to be too much smell, esp. for the hakama.

i machine wash the ki and hakama in cold water and "hand wash" mode, but i always line dry it. one of the reasons is that people in korea generally do not use dryers and instead line dry them; and i have gotten used to that as well. i find that line drying keeps the ki, hakama, and other clothes as well in crisper and brighter condition. i have in the past put hakama and ki in the dryer (and sometimes wash it in hot water) to shrink it a bit, like what Neil referred to.

i used various means in the past to get the bogu smell decent. i remember using baby powedr on the men to keep it dry and also for the smell...every time i got hit on the men, there would be a small puff-at least that is what they tell me :>. i found that chemical perfumes on bogu itself actually made the smell worse, so i used natural aromatic oils, frankinsense, lemon oil, etc.

currently, i don't use any other methods...being able to keep my bogu and gi/hakama at the dojo probably has something to do with that.

[Cup_of_Tea]

I get what you're saying about the chemical smells making things worse.

I have a method that is, I admit, very, very bizzare - but it really works!

Tea bags!

Especially if you use a strong chai or green tea, the smell just wraps itself around everything without being over-powering or "chemically".

It just looks a bit strange carrying them in your bag though...!

[Nash]

after reading this thread i have bought popuri(sp?) to put inside my gym bag, but i was wondering won't the popori just mask the smell and won't eliminate it? After a while won't it mix in with the bad smell and make it worse?

If you are worried about this, try Charcoal Bags instead.
Like these
http://www.e-bogu.com/TAKESUMI_Deodorant_Bamboo_Charcoal_p/ank-ken-acc-takesumi.htm

I'm sure these have been mentioned previously in this thread, but in case you missed them.

[cruzemi]

If you are worried about this, try Charcoal Bags instead.
Like these
http://www.e-bogu.com/TAKESUMI_Deodorant_Bamboo_Charcoal_p/ank-ken-acc-takesumi.htm

I'm sure these have been mentioned previously in this thread, but in case you missed them.

ohhh ok thank you!!!

[JSchmidt]

If you are worried about this, try Charcoal Bags instead.
Like these
http://www.e-bogu.com/TAKESUMI_Deodorant_Bamboo_Charcoal_p/ank-ken-acc-takesumi.htm

I'm sure these have been mentioned previously in this thread, but in case you missed them.

I use these at home now and they have worked wonders. Highly recommended.

Jakob

[monchichi]

I'm kind of choked. I wash my hakama and gi after every practice. I don't know if it's very "kendo way" but it's certainly just clean. Am i trhe only oneto think it's gross to not wash clothes you sweat into?

[Cup_of_Tea]

I'm kind of choked. I wash my hakama and gi after every practice. I don't know if it's very "kendo way" but it's certainly just clean. Am i trhe only oneto think it's gross to not wash clothes you sweat into?

This is probably the most sensible post so far on this thread :laugh:

[Nash]

This is probably the most sensible post so far on this thread :laugh:

I'm not sure I agree with your opinion regarding what's sensible.

[Lish in Pisk]

I wash my kendogi on a regular basis after every second use and the hakama once every 4-6 weeks.
Because the hakama is made of a mixed fabric I don’t even have to iron it after getting it out of the washing machine. I just put it on a hanger for trousers an leave it to dry… the folds always stay the same…
Besides I like it if the colour of the kendogi starts to fade and the fabric is getting soft like a well used towel or a comfortable pair of jeans…

Our sensei teaches us that hakama and kendogi are just two pieces of clothing that are worn for kendo training .
In his opinion ironing or any other extraordinary treatment (like re-dying) is a waste of time. Only the Aikido guys are a little bit obsessed about their hakamas….. caressing the plisse and folding it like an origami :D

But not washing ones outfit (like described above) is just gross...:eek::gasmask:

greetz
lish

[Reversal Super]

Polyester hakama absolutely do not need to be ironed - I used my first one for a good three years without ironing, washing every three months or so, and the pleats looked 'brand new' the whole time. The key is to handwash and hangdry, with the pleats clipped; the "permanent crease" actually is quite resilient if done this way.

As for washing, the hakama can easily go for several months (practicing 3 times a week) without picking up much of a smell, since it's the keikogi picking up the sweat. As long as you air your stuff out after practice, it shouldn't be an issue.