White Gi

[Miss Warren]

I'm beginning to realise that there might be something going on with women and white gi and bogu.

Is there some tradition/trend/fashion? Or is just coincidence.

All 3 girls in our dojo wear blue, but I'm looking at old photos of our club, from before I started, and other images of Kendo from around the world and a lot of female Kendoka are wearing white gi and bogu.

[Tort-Speed]

Not sure what you mean by "there might be something going on...." but here, some new Kendo students especially in elementary~high school, may wear a white gi. Perhaps that contrast helps differentiate them from more experienced people such that their opponents or others practicing alongside take care, respectively, not to whack or possibly trip them up on a crowded floor.
Female Kendo teams may wear all white (gi/hakama) perhaps to distinguish themselves from others? And wearing white can feel/look "cooling" in the heat of summer, for ex.

[Kokoro777]

I think white has connotations of 'purity', 'newness' and 'cleanliness' in Japanese culture-traits one might associate with the fairer sex and children perhaps.

[FastKendo]

actually Musashi Kai Kendo wears white gi and hakama a lot even for men. I don't know their reason though..

[b8amack]

I think white has connotations of 'purity', 'newness' and 'cleanliness' in Japanese culture-traits one might associate with the fairer sex and children perhaps.

They're just as likely to fight dirty as anyone...

[penguin]

I think anyone can wear white do-gi if you want to. My teachers wear both white and navy blue. I do too, depends on the day which color fits my feeling.
Also some kendo-kai(dojo), they match all members in same color dogi and hakama. That looks better the kendo team tournament. In my hometown, high school girls wear white dogi and white hakama when they participate tournament even they don't wear them keiko everyday.

[b8amack]

The whole "white is for girls" thing is a Western imposition.

[Oroshi]

I recommend people read this: http://kenshi247.net/blog/2010/02/18...-of-yushinkan/

[penguin]

The whole "white is for girls" thing is a Western imposition.

That is not good impression for you, is it? I have no idea how high shool girls start wearing white the tournament for example. If they don't like it, it should be changed I hope.
However most of the time, the color of the dogi and hakama is now up to the individual as long as I see. Personally, I like men wear white dogi and white hakama. It looks very cool, fit on them!!

[smilingassassin]

When I buy my first Hakama and Gi shortly, I'll be buying blue. So then there will be four girls in your dojo wearing blue, Miss Warren!

[Miss Warren]

Well that clears things up. Even if it does leave this to wonder at...
http://www.e-bogu.com/Martial_Arts_e...omen_s/278.htm

Nakayama makes a good argument for White Gi.
Still, I'll stick with indigo. It looks nicer for longer, not having the tendancy to get bogu stains as white gi does.

Assassin, you're buying gi? I'll have to ask you about it at training.

[SanguineKendoka]

I think white has connotations of 'purity', 'newness' and 'cleanliness' in Japanese culture-traits one might associate with the fairer sex and children perhaps.

Sensei insists non-dan grades have to wear a white gi. Believe me, after a year and a half of use it's neither pure, clean or new.

[dwez]

Sensei insists non-dan grades have to wear a white gi. Believe me, after a year and a half of use it's neither pure, clean or new.

Indeed, but neither's your kendo It's certainly raised a few eyebrows when we've 'been on tour'. I recall sensei saying it was a practice followed from his sensei's dojo. I guess it's one of the wonderful variety of dojo customs that we experience throught the Kendo-World™.

Of course it's a nice feeling to graduate into a 'blue jacket' at first dan but in some respects feels like getting a belt. Still don't fully understand this 'no visible signs of rank, line up in rank order' mullarky. Not that I care, I'd be more than happy to be first in line for the dojo invaders

[Kokoro777]

Sensei insists non-dan grades have to wear a white gi.

Yes, that was the case at my dojo in Manchester many years ago. I bought an off white keikogi with diamond stitching on it from Oriental World.

[orangechicken]

I asked one of officers about it in the kendo club at my school, and she said that the girls just decided to wear white gi and hakama because it was more feminine looking. (and on a side note: so the men could distinguish them as women, and perhaps go easier on them.) I should break this tradition and wear blue!