Help with my hakama please!

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[holloway_dan]

Hey, got my shodan recently and am getting used to tying my hakama. The way my style teaches you to tie it is to tie your black belt as usual so the knot is at the front. You then put on your hakama and tie the back cords at the front in a bow. The for the front, tuck the front into your belt,and wrap the cords around yur back then tie at the front. However, whenever i train, the front of the hakama comes untucked from my belt so that my belt shows a bit at the front. V annoying. Ne suggestions at remedying this??
Thanks

[Michael Varin]

Hello Dan,

Hakama were not meant to be worn over judo style rank belts. I have found that they actually ruin hakama, although you should be able to tie it so it does not sag. I realize you just got your black belt and it might not be the way others in your dojo do it, but you should consider not wearing it. You can find a more appropriate belt.

[ramenboy]

hey dan,

congrats on your recent promotion!

at any rate, aside from wrapping the front of the hakama and front himo a couple times around my obi, i tie the hakama for aikido the same way i tie it for iaido:

•wrap the front of the hakama (and himo) around your belt. cross the himo at the back, bring them around to cross in the front, and tie in the back (no, the knot does not affect your ukemi...you shouldn't be rolling square on the back anyways, right?...). then,

•insert the plastic tab into your obi, so the koshita doesn't slip down, thread the rear himo under your obi to the front, and tie in whatever knot you like.

hope that makes sense.

[Eric Webber]

Something I've noticed over the years is that when someone starts wearing a hakama they tend have trouble keeping it from sagging. The more experieced practioners generally do not have this problem, their hakama tend to stay in place. Is it that they tie it different, or is their aikido and movement different? Philosophical quandry?.....

Nonetheless, to help with the issue at hand, try to keep all the tension on your belt, front and back himo (straps) the same; try not to tie the back straps really tight to keep your rear up, nor crank the front to keep the front up; tie everything to an even and comfortable snuggness.

As well, there are techniques which simply pull your garments and will encourage your hakama to move around and come loose from its moorings. Give it a tug and an adjustment and you'll learn as you go.

[Janet Rosen]

An advantage of tying the front first, back last, is that it is easier at busy seminars to treat the hak like "Dr. Denton's" for bathroom breaks! :-)