putting on hakama and keikogi

[william]

hello / i have been told that when putting on hakama and keikogi that the left foot and arm are put in first can someone tell me the reason behind this / thank you.

[Tsunemori]

Never heard about the arm thing, but an Iaido teacher once explained about the left leg.

Supposedly, you need to be ready for an attack at any time. If you put your left leg in first and you are attacked, you can drop your hakama and move forward with your right foot to attack back. If you put your right leg in first and someone attacks you, your right leg will be stuck in the hakama and you will stumble.

[NigelSponge]

well in Japan it seems most things are on, or start on the left. Like when going up stairs to a shrine(?) you walk on the left side of the stairs(?), and from what i've seen most stretches start with the left side, and don't you put your left hand down first when you do rei from seiza as well?
Glad someone asked this! i wanna know the real reason too =D

[Zornocology]

my understanding is left the right for boys, right then left for girls. not sure how accurate this is...
the left first thing always made sense to me because if you are doing left then right as Tsunemori-san said, you are always ready to defend yourself

[Welshy]

I've always done it right leg first, just because that's the way I'm used to putting my trousers on. I wasn't aware there was a correct order to putting on hakama, but guess I should've seen it coming (Japan, you silly, silly country).

[NoNameKleenex]

I've also heard that it was left leg first for much the same reason as being ready (back in the day, I guess) to counterattack easily. I've also been told that it's reversed when visiting another dojo (although I can't remember why - probably an etiquette thing). I have to admit that if anyone were watching me that closely when putting on my hakama, I'd be a little uncomfortable.

I've also been told that putting kote on *can't remember which side first* is also part of being constantly ready to counterattack.

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean somebody's not out to get me!"

[1speed]

In The Heart of Kendo Craig Sensei tells of a conversation that he and Chiba Sensei had in which Chiba Sensei tell him about the position of mokuso, with the left hand over the right. He said that "The left hand, being closer to the heart, is the good side..."
I suppose that's why we put the left leg into the hakama first, Rei with the left down first, and put on and take off the left kote first.

Los

[Halcyon]

Never mind all this "which leg first?" stuff. Just do this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pShf2VuAu_Q

[william]

hello / thank you for all the information / william