Wearing a Keikogi & Hakama to work...Wrong?

[MrTremere]

New to Kendo and this Forum!!!

I have yet to get a costume for halloween. Would it be TABOO for me to wear my Keikogi & Hakama to work. Thanks

[Koori]

New to Kendo and this Forum!!!

I have yet to get a costume for halloween. Would it be TABOO for me to wear my Keikogi & Hakama to work. Thanks
-Good question... The fellow employees at my work asked me if I was going to wear them. They only see me with hakama and keikogi on when it is a nice day out and I take them and shinai to office to practice on my lunch hour. It really helps break up the day, and relieve stress.

I don't know the answer to that, perhaps a sempai on the board could enlighten us.

-Koori

[Fantasia]

-Good question... The fellow employees at my work asked me if I was going to wear them. They only see me with hakama and keikogi on when it is a nice day out and I take them and shinai to office to practice on my lunch hour. It really helps break up the day, and relieve stress.

I don't know the answer to that, perhaps a sempai on the board could enlighten us.

-Koori

*grins sheepishly*

Yeah I'd like to know too. My heart tells me that yeah it would be fine. Kendo is more or less a sport, and I wouldn't look down on anyone wearing a football uniform or baseball outfit. I would be a little puzzled at anyone wearing a swimsuit one day before November tho :eek:

But admittedly I'm no expert.

[BirdMan]

*grins sheepishly*

Kendo is more or less a sport, and I wouldn't look down on anyone wearing a football uniform or baseball outfit.

But admittedly I'm no expert.

If this is how you truely feel about Kendo then you have not fully grasped or experienced what it is ment to be. It is so much more than a "Sport", granted I have not been in it that long, but I have done martial arts for a number of years, they are all more than just "self defence" and such, it is a life style change, a way to make yourself better. Stick with it and you will see what I am talking about :) . (steps away from the soap box)

Now for the original question, I am not sure. But I would think it would be ok as long as you maintained proper additued and did not do anything disrespectfull while wearing it. And who knows you might catch someones interest and recruite a new person into Kendo ;)

[mingshi]

I was wondering about that too. I got an invite for a party saying "Fancy Dress Pays Less". Was a bit tempted to wear Keikogi and Hakama... But I only got one Hakama, and it's a gift so I can't make it dirty :tired:

Other than that, I can only think of tying my tenegui as a headband ;)

[SirFingerLickin]

I'm planning on being a samurai for Halloween. No disrespect is meant at all, I just think the uniform looks great and would make a great costume. I also bought one of those hats like what Raiden wear's in Mortal Combat to have something on my head. I did the tenegui thing last year, but I didnt really like the look of it as a headband.

[Fantasia]

If this is how you truely feel about Kendo then you have not fully grasped or experienced what it is ment to be. It is so much more than a "Sport", granted I have not been in it that long, but I have done martial arts for a number of years, they are all more than just "self defence" and such, it is a life style change, a way to make yourself better. Stick with it and you will see what I am talking about :) . (steps away from the soap box)

Now for the original question, I am not sure. But I would think it would be ok as long as you maintained proper additued and did not do anything disrespectfull while wearing it. And who knows you might catch someones interest and recruite a new person into Kendo ;)

I do not mean to say "a sport" lightly. I think you can better yourself through ANY sport, as long as you train seriously and don't do it "just for fun"

But to be more specific I meant Kendo is a sport rather than training to actually kill somebody with a sword, or even defending yourself. (The chances of me just happening to have my shinai or bokkuto within reaching distance if I'm ever mugged are fairly slim :P)

[hobbit]

As an (ex) snco in the navy, part of the tradition has always been for seniors to serve juniors christmas dinner, so for the junior ratings christmas dinner one year just before i retired, i wore full bogu ( minus men & kote - bit difficult to carry plates :) ). we were all in fancy dress of one form or another, and i attracted quite a lot of interest & a few enquiries about the armour & kendo.

[kendomushi]

There is no problem wearing it as a costume. It is a uniform for something different, based on the cultural costume of a specific country. Its not a religious or somehow sacred set of clothing.
Just be careful not to dirty or damage it as you will need it for your next practice.

[qpuppy]

That is what I was thinking... why not go for full out with the bogu... it's only a costume for halloween... I dont see any harm in that... like what BirdMan said... "as you maintained proper additued and did not do anything disrespectfull while wearing it".. it should be okay.. On the days when I go training, I always have to carry it with me during the day to uni before the training at night.. there are always people ask about it.... I sometimes show them the bogu and even wear a kote on... give them a little bash on my kote (hitting me) and I just do it back to them showing them how it's done. There is aways the "doesnt it hurt?" "woooa.. looks cool.." and of course... "MAN... this smells!!!"... hehehe..

It's HALLOWEEN... get into the spirit of the holiday.... :D

[Hiryu]

For a long time, I have disagreed with this. When I started Tae Kwon DO, I was told as were other students that our uniform was NOT a costume. It is a uniform. We were forbidden to wear it as a costume to parties etc. If we wore our uniform to class to save a little changing time, that was permitted, however the belt was NOT to be worn outside the dojang. In college, I saw people walking to class with their uniform and belt for everyone to see. I see people in town now and then doing the same, and to em it looks like they are showing off. Look at the belt, if it's black , its always a brand new stiffie one!
Not many long time practitioners wear them in public.
After starting Kendo some time ago ~16 years ago, I carried the same attitude to kendo. It isn't a costume! But then I broke down, I decided to please some of the people I worked with, and I also needed a quick costume for an office party, so I wore my Kendo Bogu. SOme of the more cultured people saw it as more than a costume and were interested, others just caled me Mr. Samurai and thought it was quaint. At the end of the party, driving home, I realized however, that none of the people accept for one Karate person had any appreciation for the amount work, hard practice, bruises, and internal endurance that were expended in the "Costume" I showed up in. On that long Long ten minute drive home that night, I felt really cheap. Others enjoyment of the uniform that meant so much to me, on a much higher level than they could appreciate disgusted me, and quite frankly, even though no one did anything intentionally, and there was no overt disrespect, I felt more degraded than I ever have in my life. I will never do it again.

I will continue to tell my students that it is a uniform and not a costume. I will continue to understand when I hear that someone has decided to wear it as a costume. and I will definitly understand when a few of those that did, return to class after halloween with a look of supressed shame in their eyes.
Mothers still ask if their kids can wear their bogu to the school halloween party, hey, its their money, and it helps get the word out about kendo. Halloween is for kids, your only a kid for a little bit, why not. But for us adults, it's not a costume. I paid more in effort, perseverence and pain than those that don't wear the uniform can ever understand and my uniform is not there for their levity and enjoyment.

So, to everyone that wore their bogu to the halloween party, how'd it go?

[Raiza]

I just wore keikogi and hakama for our office Halloween party and people here were very curious and asked lots of reasonable questions which I was happy to answer. I'm working with some pretty great people so I don't think I'd wear it to a wild party or outdoors because a) the people may not be as polite, and b) I don't want to damage the outfit in any way.

[MrTremere]

Went to some clubs in bugo...with my Shinia! It got checked only once! It was a long night, fun. The broken glass on the dance floor didn't help me with my Japanese Sandles. The #10000 Hakama kept me warm. Lastly... I will no longer drink Long Island Iced Teas. Never again. It was a fun night. I saw 2 guys in samurai costumes and my new hakama was way nicer. But their's didn't turn them BLUE.

[isi]

All else aside, what grabs me is that I wouldn't usually wear a $1000+ outfit out drinking -- especially on Halloween.


Went to some clubs in bugo...with my Shinia! It got checked only once! It was a long night, fun. The broken glass on the dance floor didn't help me with my Japanese Sandles. The #10000 Hakama kept me warm. Lastly... I will no longer drink Long Island Iced Teas. Never again. It was a fun night. I saw 2 guys in samurai costumes and my new hakama was way nicer. But their's didn't turn them BLUE.

[Phlebas]

I too considered this question recently and came to the conclusion that I could live with wearing the kendogi outside the dojo, but not the kendogu. Here's why: the hakama (IMHO) is a very attractive piece of clothing and is (was?) considered proper dress in Japan. I have seen many Japanese wedding pics with the groom wearing a really nice hakama. It is clothing.

The kendogu is not. It is for kendo practice. When I'm putting it on I am slowly making the mental transition to practice as hard as I can, ignore fears, and prepare to exert my mind, body, and shinai in unison. I quite like that unique feeling of transformation. The gathering resolve, the sharpening of focus; sometimes I actually believe that the dojo around me looks differently after I put on the men. I came to the decision that I would rather not don the kendogu in vain. I certainly don't condemn anyone for wearing the armour outside the dojo, it's just not for me.

For costume parties and such I might wear the kendogi with maybe a sword through the himo or on my back with a small pack and a walking stick to make it look as if I'm a masterless travelling samurai... or something like that. It could look really good if you choose to make the effort, I think.

[chidokan]

I wouldnt wear it for work. It'd be a bugger trying to type with kote on, although the men might help when reading Excel spreadsheets. Anyway if I took a shinken in I'd be tempted to use it.... :D

[ALI G]

Went to some clubs in bugo...with my Shinia! It got checked only once! It was a long night, fun. The broken glass on the dance floor didn't help me with my Japanese Sandles. The #10000 Hakama kept me warm. Lastly... I will no longer drink Long Island Iced Teas. Never again. It was a fun night. I saw 2 guys in samurai costumes and my new hakama was way nicer. But their's didn't turn them BLUE.

No Sweat Rude Boyz...

Most peeps who use Kendo equipment as a novelty or gimmick don't last long anyweyz...theyz gone afta da first blister or Keiko

Boyakasha!

[MrTremere]

It came back as good as new. It's value is a matter of personal believe...It is "just" a uniform...but the importance placed on it is a very personal thing. I for one am very proud to have started kendo and look forward to my personal development. However, having lived through the Northridge Earthquake and then having my parents place burn down 6 months later, stuff is just stuff. Except for personal photos not much of MY stuff has that much sentimental value. It's just stuff. Call me jaded...

[Raiza]

...or enlightened.

:)

[etherknot]

I wouldnt wear it for work. It'd be a bugger trying to type with kote on, although the men might help when reading Excel spreadsheets. Anyway if I took a shinken in I'd be tempted to use it.... :D

"The Effectiveness of Bokken Useage in Technical Support" to be published shortly.

[nodachi]

I agree with the people who felt uncomfortable wearing bogu as a costume. Just doesn't feel right, especially since it is not a COSTUME, it's part of something much much bigger and more serious and I would feel as if I was taking it too lightly if I wore it and heard people tell me "nice costume". <insert painful grimace>

However, random question, different direction...

What about a culture fair? Does that make it any different? Or would you still feel it was costume-ish and inappropriate? Just curious what people's thoughts were, I am not sure where I stand if the question is altered yet.

[Neil Gendzwill]

IWhat about a culture fair? Does that make it any different? Or would you still feel it was costume-ish and inappropriate?
We have a culture fair every year here, and our club has a booth in the "Asia-Pacific" pavilion. When I'm at the booth, I wear hakama and keikogi. It's in the spirit of the fair, and clearly identifies me as a staffer and not some random passer-by. I don't wear my dogi when visiting other pavilions. That's the job of the pavilion ambassadors, who usually wear more formal kimono for the job.

As far as wearing dogi to costume parties - I did it when I was younger, and was not pleased with the results. It just felt wrong, and inappropriate. Also, it is so clearly not a costume. Hakama and kendogi are obviously real, functional clothing and as such feel out of place mixed in with the guy wearing tinfoil because he's "leftovers".

[indigo0086]

It depends on how you view haloween I guess. I myself don't even remember when haloween is but I see it as a time to have fun and dress in something you wouldn't normally wear, which Is why I wouldn't wear a hakama to a haloween party (let alone go to one). Plus mine is too sweaty and stinky to wear outside the dojo and house. I would say buy yourself something from here.
http://www.shop-japan.co.jp/english-boku/index.3html.htm

for everything else I would normally say "you spent your money on it, why ask us what you want to do with it", but am afraid of being ridiculed.

[Vortex]

If I didnt have to work for halloween I would totally bogu up and while I handed out candy... And probably scare a few of the kids as well with my "overpowering kiai" or something...

[enkorat]

Hmm this got me thinking about something that happened a few years ago when I was in college....

In another martial art I was doing, we of a certain rank had to do "skits" during the yearly awards party/dinner thing that we had every year. Since this was a multidicipline program there were several martial arts under one umbrella organization.

Just before this skit that we were supposed to do, we were also coincidentally cleaning out one of our equipment closets and were getting rid of stuff that we weren't using anymore. We discovered a box of obsolete uniforms used in a different martial arts style than ours, and we all got the bright idea to use these obsolete uniforms as "costumes" in our skit.

Again, since we were doing a different style art, we didn't normally wear these uniforms, and in addition they were obsolete and not used anymore. So we really didn't see them as uniforms in the first place.

Fast forward a few weeks and we have our skit along with the other martial arts clubs, and we all thought that our skit went down pretty well, I remember it getting a good share of laughs...

Then the director of the program got up after we were done (a very high ranking individual in many of the martial arts in our program) and gave us a very long lecture about the fact that we had completely disrespected the concept behind the "way" of a martial art by disrespecting the uniform and not using it in a respectful manner. He was very angry actually.

All of us were stunned, as a group we had no intention of disrepecting our arts or our "way". We didn't see these obsolete uniforms as "uniforms" but rather "costumes". I was very young then and I didn't really understand why our director was so upset. I don't think none of us really understood.

Reading this thread this morning though made me realize what the difference between a "uniform" and a "costume" is, and why I wouldn't wear my keikogi as a Halloween costume or as a costume in a skit anymore.

The point behind Halloween and "acting" in a skit, is to pretend that you are something other than yourself. That's the fun of Halloween as an adult, one day to act out something that you're not and be a little more crazy than you'd normally be. I've dressed up as the guy from "A Clockwork Orange" and Neo from the Matrix for Halloween, and I am in no way a brutal psychopathic murderer or "The One". I wish I can dodge bullets, but I know that I can't. But it was fun to go out and party and be something I'm not normally. The "costume" helps you pretend that you're this character.

Thus there is a very big distinction between a keikogi "uniform" and a costume. When I put on the keikogi, I am *not* pretending I am a kenshi. I am a kenshi, and it is a part of me and a part of my life. Whenever I put on that uniform I acknowledge that I am sincerely trying to be the best kendoka that I can be.

Sure, many people who see me at school or at work, or as a teacher will never see me in keikogi or in bogu. And yes, I'd like to show them that part of my life, and by extention that part of myself that they don't see. We all do, we all like kendo and we all think its a cool thing that all of our friends should do too. And in the end it is in a way a somewhat vunerable thing to show people another part of yourself.

But to come to a Halloween function expecting to show a new part of yourself to your other coworkers or friends won't work. You're trying to say "hey look at this other part of me, isn't it cool?" and other people during Halloween are thinking "wow look how well he's pretending." or "wow that's a cool costume (i.e. its not real)"

So ya, mini-moment of enlightment for myself today...

[MrTremere]

I'm wearing my bogu to work [didn't wear it last year]... but not clubing...I'll save the ninja costume for that. ;)

[Paburo]

i think it mostly depends on your frame of mind.

some years ago when i was in aikido, i wasnt 'allowed' to wear a hakama. but on some cultural language event at college, i was in charge to represent japan and nihongo, so i wore a grey hakama, uwagi and haori.

when some aikido mates and senpai saw me they were all 'why are you wearing a hakama? you cant wear a hakama yet, youre not shodan!'.

i think that was pretty lame. any non martial 'otaku' anime kid can wear a hakama on some manga convention freely, but i, who did it on the purpose of spreading japanese culture and representing it among all the other languages, did WRONG? c'mon....

as i see it, if you wear your uniform with the intention of spreading the word and letting your friends know about your martial art, even on halloween, and you wear it respectfully and carefully i see nothing wrong about it.

now if you wear it lightly, more for the 'cool' factor than anything else, and more with the thought youll call the attention with it and show off, then thats pretty lame too.

in any case, if youre to wear your gi and bougu on the street be aware of the consequences... some people will feel true interest about your look. some other will just mock and make fun of your 'weirdo' costume.... but then again, this has happened to me on public demonstrations and on the gym we train and on the street on seminars when we move from our rooms to the practice place with bogu on...

and i'm used to it, i think most of us had gone through this. different approaches from non-kendo people about kendo and bougu. whatever they think or say, mock or make fun, that wont affect my personal view on kendo, on my gi or my kendogu.

[Andoru]

when some aikido mates and senpai saw me they were all 'why are you wearing a hakama? you cant wear a hakama yet, youre not shodan!'.

I did aikido many years before, and wondered at that time why hakama cannot be worn until one has reached shodan. Do you happen to know the reasoning behind this?

[Paburo]

I did aikido many years before, and wondered at that time why hakama cannot be worn until one has reached shodan. Do you happen to know the reasoning behind this?

i do actually...

see. originally the founder of aikido (Ueshiba Morihei) encouraged ALL of his students to wear a hakama. there are funny stories on how some of his students lacking a training hakama showed up with the silk embroided super expensive and valuable formal hakama of their grandpas for instance. the point was, hakama was encouraged to wear. one day a student(saotome-sensei if i recall well) showed up only with his uwagi and pants(what they use in modern judo and karate now) BUT without a hakama, and ueshiba promptly took him off the class saying -'where do you think you're going with just your underwear?!'. 'sit there and watch the class!!'.

now the million euro question is, if the founder encouraged the use of the hakama for ALL practitioners in such a hardcore way, how come nowadays in most schools ONLY students above SHODAN are allowed to wear it?

it's because on near post war times (or was it pre-war :P) cloth was scarce, and hakamas weren't so easily availiable to all practitioners back then... sooooo someone came up with the great idea of 'why dont we just say that newbies dont wear hakamas and instead reserve them for the more advanced students?'. and that still lasts to this day for most schools.

ironic hey? :D

[indigo0086]

I was wondering what's the worst thing that people think will happen? Their sensei scolding them? Losing confidence in yourself. Somehow losing your physical and mental ability because you wore your hakama outside the dojo? If you think there is nothing wrong with it, then there shouldn't be right?

[Anime12478]

I think that it is also a division between the more experienced people and the lesser experienced people. When you are starting out, wearing a hakama is pretty cool, I will have to admit that. But as time goes on, you start to realize the inner meanings of Kendo or any martial art that uses that kind of clothing. When you go through the pain and sweat of something, you tend to appreciate things more.

It is similar in concept to being wealthy. Some people who were millionares since birth may not realize the troubles that it took to get to that point. They see the money aspect and the fact that they can buy a lot of stuff. Since poverty is something that few millionares have experienced, being rich is something that is sadly taken for granted. If you have gone through the toils of being poor and deciding if you are going to have food or heat every month, and then you get the money, then you will appreciate it more.

[MrTremere]

Hey it is appreciation for foriegn cultures that got all of us it to this sport. If your proud of you culture, sport, or team... go for it. Quite frankly, I see little spiritualism in kendo. Yes, we bow and focus on bettering ourselfs. I love kendo, I disagree with some of the percieved elitism mentioned in this board. If I'm wrong I would liked to educated.

[indigo0086]

The point behind Halloween and "acting" in a skit, is to pretend that you are something other than yourself. That's the fun of Halloween as an adult, one day to act out something that you're not and be a little more crazy than you'd normally be. I've dressed up as the guy from "A Clockwork Orange" and Neo from the Matrix for Halloween, and I am in no way a brutal psychopathic murderer or "The One". I wish I can dodge bullets, but I know that I can't. But it was fun to go out and party and be something I'm not normally. The "costume" helps you pretend that you're this character.

the point behind Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, how do you think that point compares to what most people in america celebrate it for? Halloween doesn't really have a point. There is no specific reason kids come to your door for candy, they aren't celebrating the first knocking on a door begging for candy by jesus christ. There's no point for TP'ing people houses and throwing eggs at your window. There is no point to Halloween, why can't you do what you want. I also don't know why I would have to ask persmission from someone else to use something I paid for.

[not-I]

I disagree with some of the percieved elitism mentioned in this board. If I'm wrong I would liked to educated.
Then try addressing specific statements in posts rather than an abstract notion of "perceived elitism."

[grasshopper_r2]

geez people it's not like the kekogi and hakama are sacred preistly robes. Heck wear 'em to the grocery store if you think you can get away with it. The outfit is just clothes. No grand-de-ous connotations. Have a good time...Trick-or-Treat.

[Paikea]

geez people it's not like the kekogi and hakama are sacred preistly robes. Heck wear 'em to the grocery store if you think you can get away with it. The outfit is just clothes. No grand-de-ous connotations. Have a good time...Trick-or-Treat.I can't see it as "just clothes". From my perspective, it's the same as a soldier, police officer or firefighter wearing their uniform as a "costume" for amusement. I like to think of Kendo as a serious pursuit, and to me, wearing the uniform and/or bogu outside that context is wrong.

Like someone wrote here a while back, my bogu IS my blood, sweat and commitment, it's what I wear when I try to work myself to death at the dojo and it's what I wear to Shai and Shinsa. I can't imagine using it for fun and games.

I prefer the example Ben posted a while back of the Shodan oji-san who bowed to her bogu before practice - I'll probably never make it much farther than she did, but it's that kind of serious for me.

Then again, my German ancestry tends to dominate the internal discussion between right and wrong, and I have a terrible tendency to know what's best for everyone. Gotta watch that.

[grasshopper_r2]

Is it the CLOTHES that make the Person, or is it the PERSON that makes the clothes? I think: THE PERSON, IN THE CLOTHES, IS WHAT TRULEY MATTERS. Mabee the previous thread had the key to this..."In my perspective or What I perceive"...Things like this will be seen as: right by some, and wrong by others; seen as: more than is is by some, and for what it is by others. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"...was stated by a very wise man a long time ago. Personally, I never put faith into something I had to buy with money....On a lighter note...Has anyone ever called an egg a chicken ball?

[hyuna]

Many people have talked about whether or not it is taboo, per se.

I only wanted to add one other small point: I think it is a very odd question.

On Halloween people dress up in constumes, right? So, if you are kendoka, in what way is wearing kendogi a costume? It does not seem any more a "costume" than wearing your normal clothes.

I can see why someone who does not practice kendo might wear kendogi as a costume, in the same way that I could go to a costume party as a basketball player or a doctor or a vampire or anything else that I am not. However, I couldn't dress up as a kendoka unless, in my heart, I did not believe I really was one.

I think that is the core reason why it seems to me that wearing a uniform as a costume can sometimes seem disrespectful. It does not have to do with the clothes, rather, it says something about the way the person sees the thing the uniform represents and the way they relate to it.

[not-I]

I think that is the core reason why it seems to me that wearing a uniform as a costume can sometimes seem disrespectful. It does not have to do with the clothes, rather, it says something about the way the person sees the thing the uniform represents and the way they relate to it.
Good point. And to stretch the uniform analogy a bit, would a police officer or firefighter dress up as a police officer or firefighter for Halloween?

I think the main reason non-Japanese people consider wearing their kendo uniform as a costume is because of its novelty value in their respective cultures. But precisely because of this, they will likely be asked about it, and end up "representing" kendo to non-kendoka, whether they like it or not, and perhpas with a beer in their hand and a silly party hat. At a Halloween party, you're not really respresenting anything, you're pretending. The question is really whether you also consider your uniform to be fancy-dress.

[grasshopper_r2]

[QUOTE=not-I]Good point. And to stretch the uniform analogy a bit, would a police officer or firefighter dress up as a police officer or firefighter for Halloween?

Continue the thought... would an accountant dress as an accountant, a waitress dress as a waitress, would a clown dress as a clown??

Probably not, due to the fact that you dress that way for work every day, however, if you wanted to, there is nothing stopping you. Other than that "impersonating a police officer thing." Then again ??????

[EzzzE]

may i reexpand the question again away from halloween to 'other events' / 'no events'

since i recently started kendo, the question about wearing the hakama,uwagi and bogu not only inside the dojo uccured to me.

in the halloween question i concur with most of the others: i am a kendoka so i am not pretending, e.g. i would not wear it for halloween

then for other event's i don't see it too wrong to represent a culture and a part of a great sport, taking "sport" not likely, but including everything kendo involves for your life.

why would you or i have started kendo, if not for knowing japanese culture and having seen kendo. i would show myself in full bogu, if it were to represent kendo. (and i don't represent kendo on party's)

the hakama and uwagi in contrast are, as it has been said before, normal clothing in japanese culture. to us (if i may speak of non japanese as us) a hakama and gi are something totally new, only associated with kendo, to the japanese they are kendo, and culture and past. they are a more normal, not only bound to kendo, part of life and culture, and are worn in formal or historical occasions. nobody would look funny at you in japan for waering traditional old clothes, they would rather consider you as "old fashioned" or not "europeanized/americanized" yet - at the most.

i am aware that they hold a meaning , but i think it is up to each of ourself how sacred the hakama and gi are to us.

to end this up i may quote something said about the way a trainee sees things, i know it doesn't fit perfectly but i think it helps put things into focus

"There is an old adage used (and perhaps over-used) in the martial arts, to the effect that when you first see a mountain, it is just a mountain. Later, after training, you realize that the mountain is not just a mountain; it is something more. Finally, when you reach an enlightened state, you realize once more that the mountain is just a mountain. This saying hints at the fact that the Zen "beginner's mind" is often much closer to the proper perception of reality than is the mind of one who is actively seeking enlightenment. It also warns that an over-concern with the search itself often hinders perception. "

from http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=55
i hope the author won't object to em freely posting this here