Top Ten Uses for Duct Tape [Archive]

Kevin Love

06-08-2009, 06:45 PM

Top Ten Uses for Duct Tape

Well, my elbow got tweaked recently. Again. (Must stay on my toes when I'm receiving hijiate!) And that got me thinking about duct tape, as I ripped off a goodly strip and applied it to my dogi.

What is it about duct tape that aikidoka love so much - the satisfying ripping sound that results from tearing it off the roll? the pretty colours? the fact that it solves tailoring issues more readily and easily than needle and thread? Here are a few uses I've discovered over the years; please help me round out the list:

1. Got an Injury? Use duct tape to mark off injured joints; if your partner is sporting tape, remember, they're not targets, they're precautionary markings. While there’s no hard and fast rule, traditions of colour coding may prevail in your dojo, i.e. red for elbows, green for shoulders, etc. - check with your seniors before application.

2. Got ‘dry cracker' feet? Slap on some tape to protect them and improve your suriashi at the same time.

3. Rip the knees out of your dogi pants? Patch them with duct tape. It’ll even stay on during laundering.

4. Got a big date this weekend? Why not remove unsightly facial or body hair by applying and quickly removing a few strategically placed strips. Put one over your mouth first to avoid alarming anyone with your screams.

5. Training partner talk too much? Assuming you outrank them, feel free to apply a little ‘duct tape silencer'.

6. Pants fall down during tests? Try duct tape suspenders.

7. Forget your kyu belt? No need to borrow one, just wrap some duct tape around your waist, leaving enough to tie a decent knot. Be sure to use the colour that reflects your rank.

8. Dogi always coming undone, revealing the fact that you're hairier than a musk ox? Tape it closed - your kyu belt will cover it up, leaving everyone to wonder how your dogi stays closed, even after a few rounds of mune mochi.

9. Pony tail fall out during ukemi? Try a duct tape scrunchie - it'll stay in place for weeks (but may cause your pillow to stick to your head in the morning).

10. Bokken keep slipping out of your hands? Don’t take a chance that it might hit Sensei. Wrap the hilt with duct tape to ensure a good grip.

May your training go well, and when it doesn't, may you have a good supply of duct tape!

Osu!

Kevin

PS For more Top Ten lists and other 'serious stuff' about aikido, please drop in for a visit at my web site - I'd love to hear from you!

Kevin

Linda Eskin

06-08-2009, 07:49 PM

Awesome list.

We use red duct tape for any kind of injury, *on* the injured part (well, on the dogi). I demonstrated some "how not to do it" ukemi recently, so I'm sporting red duct tape on my right shoulder. A great visual reminder to please not wrench it in ways my orthopedic guy wouldn't approve of.

Duct tape is a great pet hair remover, for when your black cat sleeps on your nice clean, warm-out-of-the-dryer dogi that you left folded neatly on the bed, too.

I don't think I'll try the scrunchie idea, though. Ouch.

Linda