Changing clothes

[BluishHue]

I think Bailee was asking a mature question, and I think she was saying that these people were not wearing underclothes with hearts OR hello kitty She was asking the other girls here if it bothered them and how they felt about it, not that she thought it should be outlawed or how horrible it was. It sounds as if it was a large training and that at her home dojo people are more private. I also see how she was wondering if it was a "your just a girl and shouldn't be here practicing kendo anyway" attitude because i have heard it myself in the past.

I know where I practice if a guy does change in the public areas they are mostly always hidden or do it with some modesty. If some guy was changing and flashing me his winky I might be feeling a little icky (we gurls know you guys treasure your prize and presents but USUALLY we don't unless it is OUR prize!)

Yes it is a Japanese sport and you all say "no biggie they don't care if they are without clothes in public", but somehow I don't see a group of Japanese women kendoists getting nude on the floor while changing in front of all--however i am NOT Japanese and am the farthest person in the world to be an expert on Japanese culture. But I do know that in my small and limited world it is not the norm to be naked in front of a group of strangers unless it is a strip club and you are getting paid to be there OR it is prison and you have to hope you don't drop the soap...

I believe (Bailee let me know if I am wrong) that she was asking a cultural question from more experienced folks because she is not exactly in the midst of a huge Japanese community (Wyoming) and did not know how to act appropriately.

Sorry Bailee, I guess you should be asking more mature questions so these guys have more serious things to discuss like ninjas and pirates.

[Paikea]

I guess you should be asking more mature questions so these guys have more serious things to discuss like ninjas and pirates.

Not when there are questions of decorum, knickers and geniousness to be settled.

[Anime12478]

I just go to the bathroom or locker room to change for obvious reasons . While the club consists of only men (most of the time), since the room is immediately given to the people after us, it's kinda weird to do that all of the sudden to people unfamiliar with me or the club members.

[Oroshi]

Yes it is a Japanese sport and you all say "no biggie they don't care if they are without clothes in public", but somehow I don't see a group of Japanese women kendoists getting nude on the floor while changing in front of all--however i am NOT Japanese and am the farthest person in the world to be an expert on Japanese culture.

When I did keiko in Japan women and men always changed in separate areas, although there was an emphasis on women going away to change in privacy whilst men just got on with changing where they were (even if women were still present).

I think the level of body consciousness in Japan is heavily dependent on where you are in the country, the age of the people in question and your relationship to them. It's a lot more up-tight in some ways than many people realise, but in others it's so lax it can feel like a different country.

[Bokushingu]

I think Bailee was asking a mature question, and I think she was saying that these people were not wearing underclothes with hearts OR hello kitty She was asking the other girls here if it bothered them and how they felt about it, not that she thought it should be outlawed or how horrible it was. It sounds as if it was a large training and that at her home dojo people are more private. I also see how she was wondering if it was a "your just a girl and shouldn't be here practicing kendo anyway" attitude because i have heard it myself in the past.

I know where I practice if a guy does change in the public areas they are mostly always hidden or do it with some modesty. If some guy was changing and flashing me his winky I might be feeling a little icky (we gurls know you guys treasure your prize and presents but USUALLY we don't unless it is OUR prize!)

Yes it is a Japanese sport and you all say "no biggie they don't care if they are without clothes in public", but somehow I don't see a group of Japanese women kendoists getting nude on the floor while changing in front of all--however i am NOT Japanese and am the farthest person in the world to be an expert on Japanese culture. But I do know that in my small and limited world it is not the norm to be naked in front of a group of strangers unless it is a strip club and you are getting paid to be there OR it is prison and you have to hope you don't drop the soap...

I believe (Bailee let me know if I am wrong) that she was asking a cultural question from more experienced folks because she is not exactly in the midst of a huge Japanese community (Wyoming) and did not know how to act appropriately.

Sorry Bailee, I guess you should be asking more mature questions so these guys have more serious things to discuss like ninjas and pirates.

I do agree with you about the first & second paragraph. but i believe you made a mistake in judgement of the guys on this tread: they were using a little bit of humor to try to make her feel better & more comfortable--it's kind of a healing thing. i have to admit, i didn't read that they werent wearing underwear; so, i think most guys here didnt also. Sometime on a public internet forum it's better not to be too serious (i myself have learned that recently). Serious tones can be easily misread & misunderstood.

[Bailemor]

I must admit we do not have any women in our club (at the moment, and not for the lack of trying) but i always ensure that if needed there are changing facilities for the fairer sex so that they are not embarressed by the brutish men about.

David

[Nukitsuke]

PGSmith is pretty much right about it I think. Most of the men don't really care and just put down their gear and change once they reach the dojo. There aren't always changing rooms nearby. There is one room that the women use to change in or they come already dressed in their hakama.

Nobody bats an eye basically when we change - it's just the norm.

I'm curious to see if North American dojo culture would be the same...

[stephanie dee]

Pah!!! If there wasn't a seperate area for us ladies to change in at out Dojo, I wouldn't be bothered if I had to change in front of the blokes, and if they were bothered about me being there then that offended person would just have to leave! Or get a grip and stop being such a gimp

[Pugtm]

PGSmith is pretty much right about it I think. Most of the men don't really care and just put down their gear and change once they reach the dojo. There aren't always changing rooms nearby. There is one room that the women use to change in or they come already dressed in their hakama.

Nobody bats an eye basically when we change - it's just the norm.

I'm curious to see if North American dojo culture would be the same...

we have a blend of the two. We wait till the women leave and then change or if i need to leave early then i use the restroom or changing rooms. Generally try to be decent about it. Most of the time i change at home and arrive there already in uniform and sometime(when in a hurry)i leave it on till i come home.

[namabiru]

Doesn't really bother me. I choose to not start stripping down right there on the floor, but I'll often leave the changing room door open (in a hallway) so I can join in on the chatter.

Personal choice though.

[male73]

The thread has got me curious to know how women really feel about the subject. If I may ask, what would be acceptable to our lovely sisters of the sword (well, ok, I get carried away -- sisters of the shinai)?

In our case, there's a mixture of several practices with regard to men (or male, to be clear) since we have an amalgamation of different cultures in our Philippine dojo. Most of the japanese senseis change right there in the dojo. Most Pinoy males change inside the comfort room/changing room. Some male Pinoys would come out fully clothed, some without their shirts on, but never without trousers or lower garment or just wearing their briefs or boxers. Kendokas of the female persuasion always change in the comfort room.

Personally, I change inside the comfort room and come out with no shirt on to fold my gear since I'm still sweating and will continue to sweat a lot while fixing my gear. If I put my shirt on immediately after I change and while folding things, my shirt ends up soggy and wet. My question would be, is this acceptable to the fairer sex or would it make our sisters uncomfortable?

[lucy]

My question would be, is this acceptable to the fairer sex or would it make our sisters uncomfortable?

As long as nobody runs around stark naked I don't care. Depending on the males I rather appreciate some "shirtlessness" from time to time.

[Smakfull]

As long as nobody runs around stark naked I don't care.

Yes... About that... I once met a man that was nearly stark naked in our dojo. Except he had his tenugi tied around his... well.

Made me cry from laughing

('twas my boyfriend, and he knew it would only be me and a fistful of guys around )

[Newbie]

I haven't read the whole thread so I might be reiterating - I always wear sports pants and a singlet under my hakama and gi. I usually put them on before I go to training so I'm wearing them under my clothes - no big deal. That means when I'm getting changed, I'm hardly in my underwear! For some reason I'll often go to the change rooms to get changed before training but can't be stuffed after training and just get changed in the dojo. You'll often see people, guys and girls alike, that'll duck off to the change room to get changed even when most people are getting changed in the dojo itself. Noone pays attention so if that would make you feel more comfortable, don't worry about going into the toilets/changeroom. We've got some guys who are happy to strip down to their jocks in the dojo and girls who are quite happy to strip to their bra to get changed, too. Different levels of modesty for different people. Don't feel like you have to be put into an embarrassing situation if you're not comfortable with it.

[Ignatz]

As long as nobody runs around stark naked I don't care. Depending on the males I rather appreciate some "shirtlessness" from time to time.

About 35 years too late.