Lenght of hakama and keikogi

[Septimus]

Hey!

I'm a rather large guy, and I started Kendo half a year ago. My sensei sold me an extra pair of too long hakama and keikogi he had to me, because I'm a bit taller than he is. Now, I've never worn a hakama and gi before, and I'm not sure as to how long they're supposed to be.

The keikogi itself is a bit to broad, but I'll be able to fix that by moving the inner and outer strings into better positions. And I can fix the lenght of the sleeves, too. But, how do I determine of the gi is too long? These are nice and rather thick cotton fabric, btw. When I'm wearing my hakama, my gi is longer than down to the split of the hakama, and intuitivily, I feel that it gets a bit in the way if I sit in seiza.

And how far down is the hakama supposed to go? As it is now, it's just so that it doesn't touch the floor when I wear it.

[Kent Enfield]

Answering in reverse order, hakama length is almost entirely a matter of fashion, though if it’s too long, it poses a tripping hazard. Lots of kendo people like them so that either the front hem is brushing the tops of their feet, or so that the hem crosses the anklebones at the sides. Personally, I like mine a little shorter than that, so that the hems are about an inch above the anklebones. Some my friends who do koryu bujutsu wear them as short as just below their calves. For men, the top of the hakama himo should be about belly button level in the front. But as always, ask your sensei. It’s your sensei that sets what’s acceptable or not in the dojo.

As for keikogi, I’d hold off on physically altering it for a while. If it’s too broad in the torso, simply gather it at the sides when you put it on. That’s a standard way of adjusting the fit of Japanese clothes, which aren’t all that tailored traditionally. For sleeve length, again it’s a matter of personal preference and fashion. You want them long enough that they cover your elbows to provide some protection against wayward strikes, but not so long that they get tangled up with your kote. For the length of the keikogi, as long as you don't expose your legs or anything else through the vents in the hakama, your fine. If it's bunching up in the crotch of your hakama, you might try making sure that when put your hakama on that keikogi is neat and flat across the front. Personally, I find that this reduces the bunching issues.

[Kingofmyrrh]

It's true that hakama length is down to personal preference as long as you're not tripping up,but for kendo much above the anklebones shows fashion sense like this (http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=3589&p=5), whereas a hakama resting just a centimetre or so above the foot gives you the fashion equivalent of this (http://sports.donga.com/bbs/data/re_enter_100sexy/jb_eva_green01.jpg). Maybe.

[SmellsLikeBogu]

It's true that hakama length is down to personal preference as long as you're not tripping up,but for kendo much above the anklebones shows fashion sense like this (http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=3589&p=5), whereas a hakama resting just a centimetre or so above the foot gives you the fashion equivalent of this (http://sports.donga.com/bbs/data/re_enter_100sexy/jb_eva_green01.jpg). Maybe.

so If I get this correct, If I wear my hakama low enough, this girl will come to me? I dont care if it should be only in my dreams :) good enough for me :p

[namabiru]

Okay, let's see. Hakama. If you take the back of the hakama, and put that cardboard piece (yes,there's a name for it, but even half the Japanese people I knew didn't know it either, and they were kendo types) against the small of your back, your hakama really should come to around the top of your ankle. Too low and you run the risk of tripping. Too high and you look 'okashi' (funny).

Now, if you find your hakama are just a smidgen long (not drastic), you can always wear them a bit above your waist instead of at your waist. Hemming hakama is a pain in the derrier.

Keiko-gi. Well, it only needs to be long enough so you're only showing keiko-go and not legs at the side slits. As far as specific length, I have to buy a slightly bigger keiko-gi than what's needed for my height since I have bigger shoulders/arms as well as a slightly bigger waist than most girly girls. If your keiko-gi is at your knees, I'd probably hem. If it sits mid-thigh, that's fine. And you'll find that men tend to wear longer keiko-gi than women too.

[Septimus]

Can hemming it really be that hard? I mean, compared to hemming other stuff, I can see it, but.. wait. The split of the hakama... Hmm. I'll have to reconsider that, then.

The keiko-gi isn't at my knees, but as mentioned, I feel it gets in the way when I sit in seiza. Since it's such thick cotton fabric, it feels a bit awkward despite it being neat and flat.
I tried ironing out some bad creases that were in the hakama today. After having been able to get to some spots on the outer parts of the hakama, I realized how awesomely they're designed, and gave up.

Cheers for all answers as of yet.

[pgsmith]

Now, if you find your hakama are just a smidgen long (not drastic), you can always wear them a bit above your waist instead of at your waist. Hemming hakama is a pain in the derrier.
A couple of corrections here ... first is that men do not wear hakama at their waist, just women. Men's hakama is worn a bit lower so that the obi engages the hip bones. Second, hemming hakama is extremely easy. $10 and a trip to the alterations counter at your local cleaners will do it. I've had this done on numerous occassions and found it incredibly easy and painless. :)

As for the too long keikogi, I would advise just living with it for a while and attempting to work out what feels best before having it altered. Remember that hakama were originally worn (and still are in many cases) with full length kimono. It takes time and practice to figure out how to properly distribute the excess fabric to make it comfortable with a kimono. Your situation does not seem much different to me.

My two cent's worth.

P.S. to the King ... Dork or skank, what a great choice you're giving us! :)

[mark]

This thread gives me an excuse to ask a question that has been bugging me for a while on the ideal length of the keikogi.

Barring issues such as eventual shrinkage, and the fact that if it is a little long or short does not change anything, what is the ideal lenght?

At one point the fabric changes of the keikogi changes from uniform to checkered. The checkered component is more flexible and not as thick and is to be worn under the hakama. Ideally should the fabric change be just above the belt, just bellow the belt, or at another position lower than the belt?

[Maro]

On a side note, the first purchase of Hakama is always hilarious - you don't know where do put the himo!

P.s. Eva Green is Smouldering!

[Masahiro]

what is the ideal lenght?

enough to cover your "family jewl", also as a side note. don't be so maticulous about everything!

[bullet08]

i was told that right length is from top of your hip bone to middle of your ankle bone. and just wear it that way. and get tetron hakama since it doesn't shrink. if you have to have cotton, give that measurement to the vendor and they will find the right size for you.

pete

[Neil Gendzwill]

that cardboard pieceKoshiita.

Can hemming it really be that hard? I mean, compared to hemming other stuff, I can see it, but.. wait. The split of the hakama... Hmm. I'll have to reconsider that, then.It's just a big pair of pants. The hard part is keeping it even as the hem is so long. But hemming definitely works fine.

Ideally should the fabric change be just above the belt, just bellow the belt, or at another position lower than the belt?I don't know the official ruling, but I feel it should be at or below the belt, so that you only see the top portion.

As far as length goes - at or below the ankle for the hakama. Bear in mind that when worn properly, the front is a little lower than the back. Most of the sensei I see wear it so the front part is almost brushing the toes. Maybe as a beginner you want it a little shorter to lessen the chance of hooking your toe and going for an unintended roll.

[Septimus]

enough to cover your "family jewl", also as a side note. don't be so maticulous about everything!

Would I be meticulous if I corrected you? ;D

Anyway. Where is the obi, as in the front of the hakama, supposed to sit, navel-wise? And how much further down is the obi supposed to go coming around? And then the back sashes? Not that I won't be able to ask my sensei tomorrow, but yeah.

[mark]

don't be so maticulous about everything!

This is not rocket science, there is a simple answer.

When I mess up, or purposefully make a compromise for myself, I have a minor problem that I have to adjust to until the piece of equipment wears out. Unfortunately, I select gear for others. It would be nice to set them up with equipment that fits properly.

[namabiru]

Yeah, ha ha ha. It was kind of amusing--the other night my kohai managed to put his hakama on inside-out. No one noticed this until after practice started (they were slightly differently constructed from other hakama). At first, my sempai couldn't figure out if they were inside-out or not, but I looked down at the hem and sure enough, it was inside-out. They were falling off by the end of practice, and he got some good-natured kidding.

Yes, I know, as his sempaitachi we should have checked him before kendo. But it was kind of chaotic, as we had a new student so I was working with him before class, only one other sempai in bogu came and he didn't turn up until just before, and by now this kohai had been dressing himself for about 2 weeks in keiko-gi without problems, so I hadn't placed as much importance on 'inspection' since it was the 4th or 5th practice. How the hakama got turned inside-out is still a mystery.

Kind of a 'doh!' moment.