Coloured gi

[Denryuu]

Konnichi wa, minna-san!This is my first post here, I'm still a beginner at kendo but I have ambition and I fell in love with kendo since I touched a shinai. Now, theres a question I'd like to ask. Is it possible to find in the internet a red kendogi? aia tried a lot of sites but they all ofer either blue or white.

[taiwnezboi]

red? are you even allowed to wear a red gi?

[qpuppy]

heya Denryuu....

Yeah.. i have seen coloured, other than Blue, Black or White gis... but why do you want a red (or coloured gi)? if you are a beginner.. I recommmend that you should not stand out by your apprearance... if you want to stand out... you should stand out by you abilities.

Al

[taiwnezboi]

hey qpuppy.. just wondering what colors you have seen.. I've only seen blue.. white.. and black.. I thought you were only supposed to wear plain colors.. never seen anyone wear something like a red gi in a tournament or anything...

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Denryuu
Is it possible to find in the internet a red kendogi? aia tried a lot of sites but they all ofer either blue or white.

Hi Denryuu,

I have found a red one for you, it is at http://www.richardnorton.net/biography/rock_solid.html.

But if you are considering wearing one for Kendo, blue gis are the tradition. Probably because they were originally dyed with grass indigo dye. That dye is dark blueish and has antibacterial qualities - so the gi didn't stink after a few sweaty training sessions!

White gis are usually worn by women and sometimes by men. Some 5th Dans wear white gis and hakamas occasionally.

If you really want to stand out in a red gi, ask your teacher first.


Richard (in blue)
PS my avatar is only a graphic depiction! :-)

[inner_cent]

Originally posted by taiwnezboi
hey qpuppy.. just wondering what colors you have seen.. I've only seen blue.. white.. and black.. I thought you were only supposed to wear plain colors.. never seen anyone wear something like a red gi in a tournament or anything...

I have seen other colour as well... some kendo shop's catelogue do carry some other colour of Gi and Hakama.... eg. pink, purple, brown, ... etc......
But as far as I have seen, no one,and I repeat, no a single one, that wear any other colour except white or navy blue ......
If I am you, I'll prefer lay low by wearing blue, after that you feel you are good enough, check with sensei if you are allowed to wear other colour.

[Denryuu]

Thanks, kendouka. I'll ask my teacher about it but what I want the red kendougi(or keikogi as it's also called) is for use mainly at practice. I understsnd that in games they usually use indigo blue.
I wanted to have a combination of a redgi and a black hakama.
It isn't for standing out, it's more of an aesthetic preference.

[qpuppy]

Heya taiwnezboi

Well.. my bro, inner_cent said it... we have seen those colours.. soooo.. well I dont recommend it unless you are up there with the seneis and want to stand out to the others.... :P

Cheers.... ;)
ALvin

[Ares2907]

Even at practise it's ALWAYS blue or white.
(unless you're a certain Yamaguchi sensei, and she's 7 Dan so she's apparently allowed).
Some advice - leave the flamboyancy for outside the dojo. It'll save you from one of those moments years down the track where you slap your forehead and think 'WTF was I thinking?'

[mingshi]

Wearing unorthodox uniforms will get you into serious trouble, because you are showing:-

1) DISREPECTFUL TO THE ART!
2) IGNORANCE IN ITS PHILOSOPHY!
3) "What the hell is this X-Kan Karate kid doing in our Kendo dojo???"

Be very aware.

[alexpollijr]

Indeed.

Beginners have this tendency of 'aesthetic' preference. But, as Mingshi and ares said, it's no good. I take it that you don't have a japanese sensei, right? Stick to the tradition, keep a low profile. Trying to be different will only attract different types of negative reactions. Maybe even hazardous reactions.

Besides that, indigo blue looks so nice.

Alex Polli

[KhawMengLee]

Denryuu: Don't feel disheartened. No one here is trying to put you down, so don't take offence at strong words.

The point here is that by tradition everyone wears either white or blue. I admit myself that a red gi would be cool but it is not done. This also could be the result of your club wanting uniformity. You represent a group or "clan" and by dressing differently you are setting yourself apart from your group.

Its like getting a set of bogu before your sensei okays it. You are basically saying to him/her, "stuff what you think I will do what I want." Better to watch and learn and follow.

PEACE
MENG

[taiwnezboi]

gosh.. had a dream last night of the people at my dojang all wearing red gis.. it was weird.. =P .. anyways.. I agree with what everyone said about white and blue being the tradition.. also.. bogus are either blue or white usually too.. so if the gi is a different color than the kote.. it makes it stand out and easier to hit..

[chidokan]

instead of getting a red gi why not get one of those colourful do's? There are some really subtle colours as well as some over the top ones...The youth team at Ozu had a two tone one which was actually quite good in blue and silver mix. (more subtle than it sounds!)

Tim Hamilton

[Confound]

There is a disturbance in the force, Mingshi. There's a Rurouni Kenshin imitator in the house. I'm guessing you're looking for blue or white hakama as well? Could I interest you in a reversed blade sword? How about hakama and a haori in authentic Shinsengumi colours? Don't you mean you fell in love with kendou the first time you saw an episode of Rurouni Kenshin?

I guess we all have our own reasons for starting kendou...

On a more serious note: The remarks about blue kote showing up more clearly against a red gi are very true. I find the same with blue kote against a white uniform as well. This is why I will never, ever wear white. (Except in iaidou, where there are no kote, and no one is going to be hitting me, hopefully, since my senseis use either a shinken or a katana.)

Also, in the beginning, you want to attract attention because of your good form and respect toward other kendouka. You don't want to be known as 'that smart arse with the flaming red kaiko gi', or 'the silly little hotshot who tries to imitate anime'. You'll foster a better reputation for yourself by focusing on the principles of kendou rather than its outer trappings.

c

[AlexM]

Why not red (or any other color for that matter)? Why only blue or white?

When I first read the original post I thought: "A red gi? Weird". I then asked myself why it was weird? I couldn't find an answer beyond: "It's tradition, stick with it." Is there an actual reason behind the limited kendo color-scheme? Maybe someone with a bit more insight could let us know. Until that happens I couldn't care less what color someone's gi is.

I would personally never wear a gi that's not blue (mine already has red writing on the left sleeve). This is because (in no particular order): 1)People would react strongly to such individualism/weirdness 2)I can't afford another kendogi 3)dark colors look good for kendo (plus they're slimming). I share other people's advice on this subject: Probably best to abstain from doing something out of the ordinary that'll draw stares from others.

Mingshi, (at the risk of being cut into little pieces) why is wearing red "disrespectful of the art" and an "ignorance of its philosophy"? Just asking (politely).

[taiwnezboi]

I think only white and blue should be worn because of the kote reason that I mentioned before. The only colors that I've seen bogu come in are white and blue, and it's better to wear a gi that matches the kote.

[Hyaku]

In Japan red is associated with high military rank. Sometimes we see older Sensei with a red sageo. But they have perhaps been presented with it. They dont buy it themseves.

Its not so much the keikogi colour as the himo on the Bogu. The indigo comes off on the keikogi. So if its a white gi (mostly worn by girls and more experienced people that dont sweat) we use white himo.

I suppose it all depends exactly how far you want to take this thing. The clothing Bogu and even the method of Kendo "is" changeable. But why do you want to change it? It's the togetherness of what we do and what we wear that is all part of this "Sogo budo".

Do we really want some American style Mac-dojo uniform with stars and stripes and pretty belts?

Part of the beauty of Kendo is getting into the dojo late to find some new face up the top end in his smart indigo gear moving like some young dancer. Then he takes off his men and you find out its a visiting Kyudan in his seventies.

Or it could be that guy that you are watching beating the hell out of everyone. Then he takes off his men and you find out you have been watching a gaijin?

We make all look the same but we are not. Our individuality shows in our performance on the dojo floor!

Hyaku

[CypherSushi]

hmmm... I have been thinking about getting a white gi the next time I buy one. So I was wondering.. is it only girls or women too that wear white?
I know many females wear indigo to "disguise" themselves among the guys, but I already have white kote (The smallest the club had, my hands are tiny!) so I am already standing out. Not to mention I was the only female at last weekends taikai. :)

[mingshi]

AlexM, I'll only cut people who actually wear red kendogi in pieces. Don't worry.

Hyaku has put it very well. You know how well a fellow Kendoka is by crossing your shinai with his/hers. You stand out from the crowd by your excellent Kendo. That's the same reason why we don't have colour belts.

Concepts of Kendo (I hate quoting this all the time, but...)
"...To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor,
To associate with others with sincerity,
And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself."
Self is made the least important. Try not to be so ambitious.

So they still have a tradition of labeling the person with their gi...?White= girls ...and experienced people who don't sweat :) nice
blue= whoever (since it is so common for male and female to wear these)
Musashi pattern= kids....mmm, so cute...

One of my Sensei still wears his white pair of Kote... but they're getting fairly blue (and dirty) because everyone else wears blue ones...

[nodachi]

One of my sensei wears white on a regular basis. He is friggin awesome too!

[Hyaku]

One of my Sensei still wears his white pair of Kote... but they're getting fairly blue (and dirty) because everyone else wears blue ones...

__________________
Mingshi (Jenny) Wan
Junior member of Nenriki Kendo Dojo, London

Is that Harris Sensei or is somebody else copying him?

If its him ask him how he's managed to keep them in one piece so long?

Hyaku

[AlexM]

Cool. Good answers. I understand the concerns (never did like to justify things through tradition alone). That being said I still wouldn't care if someone (not me obviously) wore a red gi. It's just a color thing after all. So someone wants to stand out a bit, why should I care? They still have to fight like everybody else.

A flamming neon pink gi might be a problem though...

[Confound]

I've seen a male kendou team wearing entirely white. I have a male sempai who wears white. I would tend to agree with Hyaku about himo leaving ugly stains on white gi. No matter how much you wash them, they still look grimy and dirty. It's the other reason I'll never buy white bogu, the kote always end up looking like you went dumpster diving with them.

c

[KhawMengLee]

Hmmnnn...I wash washing my white inner kote gloves and lucky tenegui with my gi the other day. I totally gorgot the dye runs in hot water and washed them in a medium/hot setting...now my gloves and tenegui are pink...I still wear it because its my lucky one but...grrr

Of yeah, Confound, one of the sandan who trains with us uses a pink hello kitty tenegui(you are right, she is taking over the world). But no one should underestimate her cause she kicks arse.

PEACE
MENG

[KhawMengLee]

hmmnnn....I feel like Homer in the time his T-shirt was turned pink in the wash and he got sent to the Krazyhouse. :D

[CypherSushi]

ohh! I want a Hello Kitty tenugi... That would rock so hard :)

Anyone know where I would get a hold of one?

[ben]

The good think IMHO about everyone looking the same in their dogi is that the *real* differences between individuals stand out much more, ie how a person expresses themselves unconsciously - through their body posture and movement. This is much more interesting and educational than superficial satorial differences. Everyone truly is different in this fundamental sense. After seeing I don't know how many hundred different ways of doing a men cut, I'm still amazed when a beginner picks up a shinai and does it slightly differently than anyone I've seen before.

Having said that I do have a soft spot for HK and other kawaii mono - my shinai bag has cute pics of zoo animals all over it.

:D
b

[nodachi]

I watched a competition that the younger students in my club went to. Out of the sea of 100 or so blue and white dogi, there were two young kids who had these bright, flower printed, pink, yellow, and red hakama. Unless you were consciously trying to ignore it, your eyes were automatically drawn to these beacons of color amongst the other competitors. I wouldn't recomend it.

: )

[CypherSushi]

Just to make myself clear... I think that colourful tenugi is about as coulourful one should get in kendo. Indigo and white are cool and I think one should stick with tradition in this sense.
I do on the other hand keep the people I train and compete with separated by their tenugi colour :)

[mingshi]

Hyaku,

Harris said whenever he sent off his kote for repair, they came back in white (as in the original). He does have a pair where the wrist part is blue and the finger part is white...

And not so surprisingly I spot one copycat :p
-------------------------------------
Nodachi:
"two young kids who had these bright, flower printed, pink, yellow, and red hakama"

Oh no, that actually exists??? Where did they get the idea from? Pokemon??? Their Mom must be too bored watching Kendo all the time....
---------------------------------
CypherSushi,

Tenegui is pretty okay because anyway you've to fold it underneath the Men, so it's not that showy in a sense.

Recently I ask a Japanese classmate to buy some new ones (because I'm quite fed up with the limited choice of badly-calligraphed ones)....... She bought me one with instructions on "exercise with your tenegui"---it's a gift so I've to wear it~

[heri0n]

hey those shinsengumi gi's are the coolest! :D
i wish i had one :P
whats a haori anyway?

[nodachi]

Mingshi,

Actually, one of those flowered hakama was made by their sensei because the girl really liked them and so he made it as a present to her.

[rottunpunk]

ah sweet

we had alsorts of colours coming out for the iai gradings a couple of years ago

how about a tweed one?

:p

[Confound]

Cyphersushi,

If you REALLY want a Hello Kitty tenegui, I'll hook you up, but I want a piece of foreign food in exchange.

c

ps - I'm ordering purple iai hakama. I know, sacriledge. However, they're only for solo practice. My sensei would have an apoplexy.

A haori is a jacket worn over a kimono or other traditional Japanese clothes. Meng's famous avatar is wearing one.

[rottunpunk]

purple?

where from?

i want some and a purple jackert with kimono sleeves

dear santa, for christmas i would like....

:p

[CypherSushi]

ohh... that would be so cool Confound :) I am sorry for taking so long to reply, but that pesky thing called life came and ruined my online time. :) I am a teacher now.. a temp-teacher, It is one of the most fun jobs I've ever had.

What kind of foregin food? What do you relate to Sweden that would be fitting to send over?

[BigG]

Originally posted by rottunpunk
ah sweet

we had alsorts of colours coming out for the iai gradings a couple of years ago

how about a tweed one?

:p

Why not go nuts and have faux leather elbow patches as well.

This has been a very interesting thread to read but given the choice I'd go indigo ... don't ask me to justify it, it just feels 'right'

BigG

[jfluh9]

There's no problem with black hakamas....is there? I have read that it is one of the traditional colors, but what does everyone else think?

Thanks,
Jfluh9

[nodachi]

There's no problem with black hakamas....is there? I have read that it is one of the traditional colors, but what does everyone else think?

Thanks,
Jfluh9

Black hakamas are normal. They are usually the slightly cheaper ones than the super nice hakama with the expensive material too.

Black and blue and white are normal for kendo. This thread is talking about all those crazy colors that people see, like the American flag hakama someone found way back, ick, or a hello kitty hakama.

Sorry, I will be having nightmares about all those nasty hakama again just like everyone else for bringing them up again.

[KeijockMuniz]

Guys, that´s a lot of talking just because gi´s and hakama´s colours...
Well, since my firts month on kendo, I use black Gi and Hakama, and I´ve buyed that from people of Kokushikan Dojo (Vargem Grande/SP, Brazil), a very respected Dojo here in Brazil. My sensei never talked against it, just telled me that he likes blue gi and that I was looking like Darth Vader in this way, hehehe... besides, he wear a black hakama too. So, I guess we must worry only about correct kendo... I agree that a red gi is too much, but I´d never seen any rules about kendo clothing colors...

[]´s!

[kendomushi]

Usually the black hakama are a synthetic material, cheaper and lighter weight than the heavy blue cotton ones. I hvae only seen black, blue, and white used in kendo here. I have seen more formal gray and brown hakama worn for demonstrating kendo kata at tournaments.

[emitbrownne]

One thing I have noticed when fencing someone with a white Gi compared to a blue or black, is that you can see thier small movents a little clearer.

Maybe the dark colours hide subtle movements, and the shifting of shadows.

If you used a strong colour, like red, your opponent would see your movements a little better.....

A crazy idea, dunno if its true.... maybe I'm just more confident against whit Gi's....

[Nishi]

White gi equals kyu grade in most British dojo, mabye thats why you see them a little clearer.....just a thought!

[emitbrownne]

White gi equals kyu grade in most British dojo, mabye thats why you see them a little clearer.....just a thought!

Dont know what you mean... ;) :D :D :D

[Nishi]

Dont know what you mean... ;) :D :D :D

You mentioned you could see those in a white gi move a little clearer, or you where able to read them a bit more....i just thought it was mabye due to the white gi belonging to most kyu grades (in Britain anyway). So as you approach shodan mabye your starting to read the kyu grades a bit better...the white gi is just what they happen to be wearing.

Again, just a thought...was that clearer :D
(see ya tonight)

[xvikingx]

I think your right. I do find myself to be more confident against someone in a white gi as well. I think it may be because I associate them with lower kyu grades (like myself, white as a ghost... accept the sweat stains, blue X from the do, and blue wrists)
As far as colored gis/hakamas go, save it for the fashion show. If you want to look flashy and be cute, take up sport chambara or wing chun...wang chung.. or what ever. Although tasteful I dont even like the Korean uniforms (white w/ blue stripe).

This is how I feel..
-all kyu grades:black hakama/white gi
-shodan~7dan: blue on blue
-8dan & beyond: bear skin loin clothe and a bone through your nose

[KeijockMuniz]

Well, my sensei wears a white gi! Come here and let´s see if is the gi colours that gives such confidence! hehehe... or try this with a korean national team member, they wear white gi's too...

:evil:

If someone got pics of exotic (coloured) kendo clothes, please post here!