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Victoria Pitt
11-04-2009, 11:16 AM
Yes, laugh if you must. I try keep everything in place, however it is really frustrating to me.

I have a hard time keeping my gi on. My belt is always coming untied or I can feel my pants starting to fall off! It seems funny when you're talking about it but when your in the middle of a seminar practicing breakfalls, trying to be all suave and pull your pants up so no one notices every time you're rolling on your back, it can be a tad stressful! Last week during weapons (of course when I was the one counting) my belt flew off and here I am with an open gi (I learned to wear a tank top at all times after my second class so I was still modest!). I finished my counting then ran to the edge of the mat to sort myself out (which then only lasted for 10 more mins before my belt started to go again).

I cannot for the life of me figure out why my gi won't stay on right when everyone else's seems to be fine. Am I missing some trick to this? I have asked people in the dojo and they just think its funny. Maybe that is why I am not catching on... I'm always too worried if my pants are going to stay up! It's beyond annoying.

And yes, we discussed suspenders but I realized that I might get shoulder burns!

(now you all know the reason why I want to rank enough to get a hakima... not to say I'm super Aikido woman but in case my pants fall down, no one will see!)

Tinyboy344
11-04-2009, 11:26 AM
I have a solution. SUPER GLUE! It fixes everything that comes apart :D j/k

I think you should tie everything tighter and double knot, except the belt of course :p . New belts tend to get untied easier than worn ones.

ninjaqutie
11-04-2009, 12:01 PM
What type of pants do you have? If you have the drawstring type, try double knotting them. New belts are notorious for coming untied. It takes some time to break them in (esp. the really thick belts). Tie it as tight as you can or have a big strong guy tighten the knot as much as possible. Your belt shouldn't be just falling off of you if you have it tied properly (though I am sure it can!). If you tuck the belt behind the layers before you do the last knot, this should keep it up even if it does come unknotted. I have found (to my sensei's dismay) that I have to tie my belt around my waist and not the hips to keep mine snug and in position. If I tie mine on the hips, it seems to loosen up more and then rides up to my chest. Maybe try tying it at different locations to figure out if one works better. Finally, the last thing you could try (talk to your sensei first to see if it is okay) some females put velcro on their gi to help keep it closed better. Since most aikido students wear judo gi, you don't really have the ties like you do with karate gi's to help keep it closed.

Good luck!

Victoria Pitt
11-04-2009, 12:03 PM
I have a solution. SUPER GLUE! It fixes everything that comes apart :D j/k

I think you should tie everything tighter and double knot, except the belt of course :p . New belts tend to get untied easier than worn ones.

=( I square knot my pants. Sometimes I think I've lose 5lbs between warm ups and technique and that is why suddenly my pants are falling off. I have tried compensating by going tighter but (and maybe I am the only one this happens to) when I get all sweaty and need to take my pants off after class, I can't get the strings to loosen up!

Perhaps I should try a different gi maker? I just said I wouldn't purchase another gi until the ones I have wear out or I rank (so I can put the patch on the nice new gi and wear that one when I am going to a seminar or visiting. It becomes my "Sunday Best" gi).

Victoria Pitt
11-04-2009, 12:07 PM
What type of pants do you have? I have found (to my sensei's dismay) that I have to tie my belt around my waist and not the hips to keep mine snug and in position. If I tie mine on the hips, it seems to loosen up more and then rides up to my chest. Maybe try tying it at different locations to figure out if one works better. Finally, the last thing you could try (talk to your sensei first to see if it is okay) some females put velcro on their gi to help keep it closed better. Since most aikido students wear judo gi, you don't really have the ties like you do with karate gi's to help keep it closed.

Good luck!

Drawstring... is there another kind?

Also, I did hurt my back when I first started and its been sore ever since. I realize that having the belt really tight was causing more pain in my back and limiting my movement... so I actually purchased a belt one size up so that I could still have it around my hips but enough left over after I knot it. I never thought to "tuck" it so I will try that.

Voitokas
11-04-2009, 12:17 PM
For the belt, I'd wash it with every load of laundry until it gets soft enough not to come undone. That is a common problem with new belts. I've heard there are creative ways to tie them so they don't come undone, but I don't know them. Once you've washed it ~20 times it should stay tied in the normal reef knot.

For the pants, I'd go with a double-knotted shoelace knot rather than a square knot. You can tie it tightly and still get it undone.

All that said, things will still come apart sometimes! The tank top's probably a good idea...

ramenboy
11-04-2009, 12:40 PM
hahahaha

hey victoria! its me jerry!

hmmm... hips are supposed to keep the pants from falling down...

anyways, try this. pull the drawstrings tight around the waist, tie a bow, then fold the waist over the drawstrings. that should keep the drawstrings from untying

its worked for me. even without the hakama.

as for the jacket, you can try geting a white kendo gi that ties inside the jacekt and at the lapel. we use those for iaido and it works fine.

see you at the dojo

ninjaqutie
11-04-2009, 12:48 PM
There are other styles of pants. Some have elastic and bujin has elastic waists, a belt and has a zipper even.

As for the belt, you can try a few different ways and this is one of them. You start off with the tradtional way. After you wrap it around and have it at the front, cross left over right and bring the belt up and behind both layers of belts (not just one), then do right over left to finish the square knot.

This is the little trick: Once that is done, you can take the right end of the belt and bring it up towards your face. Then stick it down between the two layers of the tied belt and then pull it tight in the direction towards the floor. Then do the same with the left end, but this time on the left side of the knot. It will give you an extra way to keep it secure. Just ask your sensei to make sure it is alright. I am having a hard time finding a pic of it though... but I did find this video and it looks like he did what I mentioned

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTxgMlwNc-Q&feature=related

Peter Wong
11-04-2009, 12:57 PM
I would do what Jeremy said with the belt. I would put knit elastic around the waist of the pants, so if they do come untied they still will stay up.

Shadowfax
11-04-2009, 01:02 PM
I had a few wardrobe issues in the beginning too. But I've about sorted them out.

Since nature has been so very generous to me, I have found that a regular white t-shirt is preferable even to a tank top. For some reason tank tops still tend to create modestly issues for me. And if that does not distract the other members of the dojo it sure as heck distracts me. Shirts do tend to ride up under the gi top but a looser belt tie seems to actually help keep that more controlled than a tight one.Not to mention it makes breathing and moving a bit easier. ;) I also wear a karate gi which has the handy ties to help in the case that my belt should come undone. If your gi does not have them you can easily add them by buying some white cotton ribbon, at the fabric store, and sewing them on.

I've only had my belt come undone a couple of times and it does seem that once it got broken in it was no longer an issue.

For the pants. Do you have that little loop at the front? Run the strings both through that loop (one heading in each direction) then tie your knot over the top of it tight. To losen the knot jsut grab one of the string ends and give a hard pull upward. It always works for me.

Cotton does stretch some as you sweat and warm up so its not your imagination. Your belts and ties do stretch out and get loose.

Victoria Pitt
11-04-2009, 01:06 PM
*waves at Jerry* Hello!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will try in class tomorrow and see if I am more successful. I do notice that I have been getting distracted by worrying about my clothes so hopefully this will solve that!

Thanks again! =D

Tambreet
11-04-2009, 01:14 PM
I hate the standard drawstring pants and could never figure out how to tie them so they didn't fall down. So I switched to zipper pants (http://www.bujindesign.com/aikido-uniforms-heavyweight-aikido-uniforms-c-22_90_97/heavyweight-aikido-zipper-pants-p-334) and haven't gone back since.

As for the belt, there are ways you can tie that so it absolutely won't come undone (sorry, don't have a link for that).

Pauliina Lievonen
11-04-2009, 01:30 PM
What I do is (starting with the innermost layer): tuck my t-shirt under my underpants so it doesn't come loose. Tie the drawstring of the pants like Cherie said through the little loop, the knot it with half a shoestring tie, that is, I make a loop on one side only, that way the knot is somewhat more secure but I can still pull it open after practice (and yes mine gets sweaty and difficult to undo). I've sewn extra ties on all my jackets, and then after a couple years had them ripped off all but one jacket, haven't bothered to put them back...my obi goes around my waist because that is the only place it will stay. Make sure you know how to make a proper knot on the obi, ask one of the seniors.

And when I'm not wearing a hakama, I will be adjusting my jacket all class long, but if you look around, so is everybody else. It gives a welcome little breather every now and then. :)

kvaak
Pauliina

tjeziorny
11-04-2009, 01:50 PM
Had the same problem with with my belt. After my first seminar, where re-tying it every few minutes for 6 hours got really annoying, I found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksKl1ptKUV8

This knot does not loosen and will not come undone, at least I haven't been able to make it happen!

Tom

Fred Little
11-04-2009, 01:53 PM
Regarding drawstring pants:

Once, I had similar issues in vigorous practice, so I studied the question of "how do I tie my pants" pretty carefully. What I found was that if I pulled the strings taut from the front and then tied them, they always came loose. However, if I pulled the strings taut at my sides, on the same line as the back of the pants, then snugged and tied the knot in front, they tended to stay tied.

Hope this helps.

FL

Kevin Leavitt
11-04-2009, 02:04 PM
I just checked this thread out simply cause it had something about clothing coming off and noticed that Fred LIttle posted a comment. :)

I have no answer, my Obi always comes loose and I have to re-tie my pants a few times during practice.

Janet Rosen
11-04-2009, 02:43 PM
I always put waistband elastic into my gi pants to help keep them up. I always take a white shoelace, cut it in half, and sew the halves to the gi top to greate a "modesty tie" - sometimes I also do a set at the waistline of the top.
http://www.aikiweb.com/columns/themirror/2005_11.html

eyrie
11-04-2009, 05:40 PM
I find elastic waistbands dreadfully awful... I prefer the older style gi pants where the drawstring loops back and tightens on itself. (See attached).

You can also get gi tops with modesty ties, so that in the event that your belt comes undone (which it shouldn't if it's wrapped properly), your modesty isn't.

phitruong
11-04-2009, 05:53 PM
bujin gi got elastic and draw string for pant. gi top got modesty ties. i kinda like gi that designed by aikido folks for aikido folks. i heard the owner of bujin design knows a bit about aikido. :)

Janet Rosen
11-04-2009, 06:01 PM
I find elastic waistbands dreadfully awful... .
You are a man = no hips > elastic sucks
OP is a woman = hips > elastic rocks

Janet Rosen
11-04-2009, 06:03 PM
bujin gi got elastic and draw string for pant. gi top got modesty ties. i kinda like gi that designed by aikido folks for aikido folks. i heard the owner of bujin design knows a bit about aikido. :)
heheheh. If someone has the $ to spend on quality gi, can't go wrong with their woman's gi top (although I'd still add a tie at the bustline - at least on the old version I own it only tied at the waist); I've never worn but have seen their pants and they really are well designed.

eyrie
11-04-2009, 06:06 PM
You are a man = no hips > elastic sucks
OP is a woman = hips > elastic rocks I am? How astute Janet! :p

I'll have you know that I have shapely hips, and man boobs to match! :D

Rob Watson
11-04-2009, 07:49 PM
However, if I pulled the strings taut at my sides, on the same line as the back of the pants, then snugged and tied the knot in front, they tended to stay tied.

Recently I've been going a bit higher on the belly and a bit tighter with the gi pants tie - the extra pressure from the belly really keeps the knot tight.

Had the same problem with with my belt. After my first seminar, where re-tying it every few minutes for 6 hours got really annoying, I found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksKl1ptKUV8

This knot does not loosen and will not come undone, at least I haven't been able to make it happen!

Tom

I switched to this method of knotting the belt ~2 years ago and never had the belt come untied since. My gi jacket does tend to ride up a bit more with this type of knot compared to before when using a square knot.

With a hakama the jacket rides up less but I still notice it a bit and adjust as needed.

heathererandolph
11-04-2009, 07:50 PM
Once you have tightened the draw string of the pants, even out the gathers in the fabric (spread them out) and re tighten. What happens is the draw string is usually flat, so it catches. You could double knot the square not if that comes undone. The Bu Jin pants with the drawstring work better because the drawstring is round so it doesn't take as much work, but they are more expensive of course. For the belt, have someone pull it really tightly. Don't use fabric softener!

Janet Rosen
11-04-2009, 09:36 PM
I am? How astute Janet! :p


A baccalaureate in nursing science and 30 years in the profession - I've learned SOMEthing!
{giggling}

tim evans
11-04-2009, 10:59 PM
Yes, laugh if you must. I try keep everything in place, however it is really frustrating to me.

I have a hard time keeping my gi on. My belt is always coming untied or I can feel my pants starting to fall off! It seems funny when you're talking about it but when your in the middle of a seminar practicing breakfalls, trying to be all suave and pull your pants up so no one notices every time you're rolling on your back, it can be a tad stressful! Last week during weapons (of course when I was the one counting) my belt flew off and here I am with an open gi (I learned to wear a tank top at all times after my second class so I was still modest!). I finished my counting then ran to the edge of the mat to sort myself out (which then only lasted for 10 more mins before my belt started to go again).

I cannot for the life of me figure out why my gi won't stay on right when everyone else's seems to be fine. Am I missing some trick to this? I have asked people in the dojo and they just think its funny. Maybe that is why I am not catching on... I'm always too worried if my pants are going to stay up! It's beyond annoying.

And yes, we discussed suspenders but I realized that I might get shoulder burns!

(now you all know the reason why I want to rank enough to get a hakima... not to say I'm super Aikido woman but in case my pants fall down, no one will see!)

I had the same problem with the drawstring pants so I went to awma.com and got me some pants with an elastic waistband and drawstrings problem solved as far as the gi top I have both judo and karate type .:)

GMaroda
11-05-2009, 12:17 AM
I had the same problem with the drawstring pants so I went to awma.com and got me some pants with an elastic waistband and drawstrings problem solved as far as the gi top I have both judo and karate type .:)

I may have to try those. Drawstring pants seem to stretch on me after a bit of practice.

Or, I could lose weight. Naaah!

Linda Eskin
11-05-2009, 01:01 AM
... Cotton does stretch some as you sweat and warm up so its not your imagination. Your belts and ties do stretch out and get loose.

I have a Bu Jin women's medium weight dogi, and love it. I didn't think I'd like the elastic, but it does serve as a good backup if the pants come untied. Mine do not have a zipper - just elastic and a drawstring. Cherie has a good point about cotton stretching during class. The drawsting in my pants is a nylon (?) cord, so it doesn't stretch. You could try replacing your drawstring with something like that (carefully...).

The jacket also has the modesty ties. My belt has never come completely undone, but even so the ties help keep things from getting bunched up.

I try to be in the habit of checking/tightening my belt from time to time, so it doesn't work loose.

batemanb
11-05-2009, 02:21 AM
Also, I did hurt my back when I first started and its been sore ever since. I realize that having the belt really tight was causing more pain in my back and limiting my movement... so I actually purchased a belt one size up so that I could still have it around my hips but enough left over after I knot it. I never thought to "tuck" it so I will try that.

That may be due to the way you tie the belt. Many people (including myself at first) tie the belt by starting in the middle at the front and then wrapping both ends round each side, coming back the the front. This cause an overlap, often with a slight twist which then protrudes and is a bit of lump in your back which can be very uncomfortable and painful when you do ukemi. Certainly used to give me a fair bit of bruising.

Nowadays, I start with one end at the front and then wrap the belt around from one side, back to the front and then continue round the same way a second time. There is no overlap at the back, no lump, and no pain caused by the belt.

With regards to the belt coming undone, it needs softening and then pulling tight when you do it up. Simples.

tim evans
11-05-2009, 08:53 AM
I may have to try those. Drawstring pants seem to stretch on me after a bit of practice.

Or, I could lose weight. Naaah!

I,m a husky guy so gi,s that are comfortable make practice a little less distracting I believe greg the pants I got are the gladiator series the only thing if you go for a karate style top go one size bigger than usual because they will shrink some in the wash.:)

Victoria Pitt
11-05-2009, 08:57 AM
Thank you everyone for your help!

I was late for class at the Uni last night so I ran to make Aikido instead, armed with new ideas on how to keep my clothes on for two hours.

So, this is where we are:

The rolling the waistband over the string = Didn't work.
Tying the belt then tucking the ends = EUREKA!! I was able to train for two hours without my gi flying open or having to re-tie my belt. That was awesome!

I am going to take out the string in my pants and get a longer one that is round and not flat and see if that helps. If not, then I'll try the sewing thing. At least now I know what to look for when I get ready to purchase a new gi. Thanks fro your help again! :D

Pauliina Lievonen
11-05-2009, 09:54 AM
Once you have tightened the draw string of the pants, even out the gathers in the fabric (spread them out) and re tighten. What happens is the draw string is usually flat, so it catches. Just saw this, this is exactly what I do with my pants as well. When I tighten the string I make sure the material is not only gathered in one place but that the string tightens both back and front.

Glad you already found a solution for the belt, Victoria. :)

kvaak
Pauliina

ramenboy
11-05-2009, 10:11 AM
...The rolling the waistband over the string = Didn't work...

glad i could help! :P

Victoria Pitt
11-05-2009, 10:20 AM
glad i could help! :P

That's okay. You can help me by making me remember how to roll backwards. FOREVER.

(I've done it successfully 4 times in almost a year. Then I forget.)

Garth Jones
11-05-2009, 11:23 AM
Yep, tucking the belt ends through after tying the knot really helps. Also, if your belt is a bit stiff, the knot won't hold as well. Wash it a few times, beat it on rocks, etc. until the knot is flatter. For the ultimate in keeping your gi together, wear a hakama.

ninjaqutie
11-05-2009, 11:45 AM
Glad the tip of tucking the ends helped! A few people in my dojo do that. I have never tried it, but I thought it was worth telling you about. It also keeps the belt ends from getting in your way since they are longer. I remember I got hit in the eye with my belt once and my eye would NOT stop watering after! That night, sensei gave me a size smaller belt to wear so I don't have that problem anymore.

Also, like someone else mentioned previously, try pulling the strings tight on the sides of your pants first, then tighten them again in the front. Like the previous poster, I find that this really makes a difference with my pants. I just tie mine like I would a shoelace and they seem to stay put.

Glad you got one problem solved though!

Shadowfax
11-05-2009, 01:15 PM
For the ultimate in keeping your gi together, wear a hakama.

ugh forever trying to get people to put on a hakima....:rolleyes:

Glad you found the solution to one part of the problem. Hopefully you will get the other part fixed soon too. I'm betting a Hakima really would do the trick. ;)

Victoria Pitt
11-05-2009, 02:45 PM
Ah yes.. I am sure the answer for most things is "wear a hakama"! However at the rate I am going I figure I'll get that hakama in about ten years if I am lucky. In the meantime, no one wants to see my out of shape butt so I better sort the pants out.

Then again, maybe I won't. More motivation to get back INTO shape!:p

Shadowfax
11-05-2009, 09:20 PM
lol its ok Victoria. Garth is one of my senseis and I just got to the stage (6th kyu) where, in our dojo, they kinda sorta would really really like if we'd start wearing one. I figure I got enough trouble tripping over my own feet to deal with but I'll be hakima shopping in the near future I think. ;)

I'll let you know if it really works. Might be useful incentive to improve even faster. :D

Victoria Pitt
11-05-2009, 10:37 PM
lol its ok Victoria. Garth is one of my senseis and I just got to the stage (6th kyu) where, in our dojo, they kinda sorta would really really like if we'd start wearing one. I figure I got enough trouble tripping over my own feet to deal with but I'll be hakima shopping in the near future I think. ;)

I'll let you know if it really works. Might be useful incentive to improve even faster. :D

Ah... in our Dojo, 1st dan get to wear them only, but that is just our tradition. It may change however. It was mentioned in passing one night.

P.S. My gi stayed closed again tonight due to the new belt tuck thing. YAY! There is hope!

ninjaqutie
11-06-2009, 11:49 AM
::claps:: Don't you just love the simple achievements in life. HAHA. I know I do. :D Like you, only yudansha are allowed to wear hakama in my dojo. I was told that a select few first kyu are allowed on rare occassion though (I have only seen one).

ramenboy
11-06-2009, 11:55 AM
...Like you, only yudansha are allowed to wear hakama in my dojo...

ash, you and victoria are both birankai dojo, so the practice is the same :)

then again, many dojos/orgs do the same thing

by the way, congrats vic! 2 days in a row!!!!!! :P

BC
11-06-2009, 01:56 PM
Jerry - I thought you went commando under your hakama!

ramenboy
11-06-2009, 02:29 PM
Jerry - I thought you went commando under your hakama!

hahahahahahaa only on special occasions :P

NagaBaba
11-06-2009, 03:09 PM
glad i could help! :P
Hello Jerome,
Please make sure she is over 16 when you are helping with pants adjustment. Remember what happened with this aikido instructor in California....he is in jail now...;) :D

Victoria Pitt
11-06-2009, 03:26 PM
Hello Jerome,
Please make sure she is over 16 when you are helping with pants adjustment. Remember what happened with this aikido instructor in California....he is in jail now...;) :D

OMG... sixteen... that was so long ago, I barely remember it... I do seem to recall that New Kids on the Block Posters were in every girl's locker. And using hair spray to make your bangs levitate straight off your head was the norm.

The age thing is safe. The commando under the hakama is worrisome, esp since I have been know to nut guys once or twice in class during suwari waza. Effective technique to be sure, but "not Aikido".

(can you tell I have hear the "not Aikido" more than once? hahah.)

ninjaqutie
11-06-2009, 03:29 PM
Oh jeez!

Victoria Pitt
11-06-2009, 03:46 PM
^^ I told you I was really bad. :(

ninjaqutie
11-06-2009, 05:32 PM
Haha.... I wasn't so much as talking about you! I was actually responding to Szczepan Janczuk's statement. You just happened to post while I was reading and typing mine I guess.

Just tell them that you didn't mean to use such an advanced atemi on them. ;) At least you know you have a good chance of using that on the street since it seems to come naturally. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

In my last dojo I got a huge bruise on my knee because I kneed a guy in the balls pretty hard. Our sensei required guys to wear cups, so he was alright for the most part.

gdandscompserv
11-06-2009, 06:16 PM
I can't seem to keep my eyes off this thread!:D

ninjaqutie
11-06-2009, 10:03 PM
Glad you find all of us entertaining. :)

Azz
11-08-2009, 12:16 AM
*Sigh*... U nfortunately i know too well the problems with keeping a gi on!!
When i did my fifth Kyu GRADING last year I had the lovely surprise of my pants tie coming undone and my pants slowly heading towards my ankles in a particularly crucial part of the grading. As i was the only person grading, i happened to have the attention of the whole dojo.
I statred thinking.."hmmm.. i am sure my pants are falling down.
1 Can anyone else tell?
2 Do i fail if i stop in the middle of my grading to tie them up?
3 Do i continue and show uninterupted mind?
4 Do i fail cause i can't tie up my pants properly?
5 Am i wearing decent undies?
6 Am i wearing any undies at all?
7 Can i sstop myself bursting out laughing right now?"
So many dilema's over a piece of string..

At my RECENT 2nd kyu GRADING i had the pleasure of expeiriancing my gi jacket (with modesty ties) flying open as my belt decided to literally fall off. Thank goodness for the black singlet i had on underneath ( which i tuck firmly into my undies b.t.w.)

Our senior instructor (female) came up to me after that and asked "Do you have to take off your clothes every time you grade?" *sigh*:o

So, i am gonna try that 'other way' of tying my belt, get a hakama, try velcro and now possibly SUPER GLUE! Because i too am sick of my clothes falling off!

kokyu
11-08-2009, 09:40 AM
I've learned tonnes from this thread...

Also think most pants will sag a bit after lots of vigorous ukemi... it might help to make sure the pants end above the ankles before practice
(either by alteration or lots of trips to the dryer :) )

... so a bit of sagging won't trip your feet

Victoria Pitt
11-08-2009, 09:51 AM
I statred thinking.."hmmm.. i am sure my pants are falling down.
1 Can anyone else tell?
2 Do i fail if i stop in the middle of my grading to tie them up?
3 Do i continue and show uninterupted mind?
4 Do i fail cause i can't tie up my pants properly?
5 Am i wearing decent undies?
6 Am i wearing any undies at all?
7 Can i sstop myself bursting out laughing right now?"


That made me LAUGH!! I have had those thoughts exactly. I'm of the "no undies camp unless its a special date." I used to (well I still do but not so much) ride bicycles. You don't wear undies under bike pants. EVER. But my pants don't fall down usually so its not a problem. Still, in my dresser, I now have my special "Aikido drawer". That keeps my gi, my tank tops, sport panties, and my sports bras that I used for Aikido so I never have to wonder if I am dressed under my gi and am not wearing holey or too sexy underwear in case my pants do fall down.

I am getting paranoid lately that you can see what color my underwear is through my gi. I haven't checked because I keep forgetting- it only crosses my mind when I am being taken down in a strange position. I've also thought about finding adult Wonder Woman underoos lately just because it would be funny IF my pants DID come down. We'd all be truly laughing together, and I could forget how mortified I am!

ninjaqutie
11-08-2009, 01:30 PM
I am getting paranoid lately that you can see what color my underwear is through my gi. I haven't checked because I keep forgetting- it only crosses my mind when I am being taken down in a strange position.

I actually have this problem. My husband and I have gi's from the exact same supplier, but for some strang reason my gi pants are quite thin and his are normal. I actually have to "test drive" underwear before I deam them dojo worthy. The last time I went shopping at Victorias Secret I thought "Will this show through my gi pants?"

I can only get away with light pink, nude and off white. I absolutely hate not wearing whatever underwear I happen to have on. I always get slightly jealous when I see another girl changing in the dressing room and she has on these dark plum underwear! I wanna wear dark plum underwear too............ :(

Linda Eskin
11-08-2009, 01:37 PM
..."Will this show through my gi pants?"

That's really funny. I was going to post about that today on the "You Might Be An Aikido Addict If" discussion. There are no classes today, so I'm wearing one of those Colors We Can't Wear Under a Gi. :D My underwear drawer is divided into two areas - Gi-Safe, and Other.

Shadowfax
11-08-2009, 01:51 PM
I've also thought about finding adult Wonder Woman underoos lately just because it would be funny IF my pants DID come down. We'd all be truly laughing together, and I could forget how mortified I am!

ROTFL!!!! That almost made me choke. What a great plan!

Yeah Linda that would definitely come under YMBAAAI

gdandscompserv
11-08-2009, 03:16 PM
I actually have this problem. My husband and I have gi's from the exact same supplier, but for some strang reason my gi pants are quite thin and his are normal
We do that on purpose!:p

Chantal
11-08-2009, 04:18 PM
haha ... this thread is very entertaining ... cause i do most of those things. Since day one at the dojo I have always chosen undies very carefully so as not to show through my gi pants AND so as to not ride in places I'd rather they not be ... doesn't feel good to have undies BETWEEN you bum instead of supporting your derriere .... and then you continue to train and all you can think of is "I have to get these things out of my butt soon or i am gonna freak" ... I must add here that I do not wear any panties whose purpose is to remain between my bum cheeks ... I go for comfort and cute ;) soooooo, here is the second part of my experience. I recently (about 2 months ago) went to the dojo and got changed only to realize that I forgot to take spare "aikido" undies. All I had on was little pink low rise "boy cut" style undies completely adorned with little monkeys ... I was like "holy shit ... this is gonna show BIG TIME!!!" ... haha ... I am the only girl in my dojo and ofcourse the guys noticed ... I was like "whatever ... I forgot my aikido undies" ... we kinda laughed it off ... but they could definately tell there were little monkeys on my undies ... oh goodness ... only me!! LOL

ninjaqutie
11-08-2009, 11:48 PM
Oh, I would be hella embarassed if that happened to me! I just know I would get a comment from a few people in the dojo. HAHA.

Linda Eskin
11-08-2009, 11:53 PM
I recently (about 2 months ago) went to the dojo and got changed only to realize that I forgot to take spare "aikido" undies. All I had on was little pink low rise "boy cut" style undies completely adorned with little monkeys ... I was like "holy shit ... this is gonna show BIG TIME!!!" ... haha ... I am the only girl in my dojo and ofcourse the guys noticed ...

OMG. You win. Actually LOLing over that. Pink, with Monkeys! Perfect. :p

Janet Rosen
11-09-2009, 12:09 AM
LOL!!!! Oh jeez - none of this has ever happened to me. I wear plain white cotton undies and a white sports bra; my elastic waist pants stay up and my modesty tied top stays tied unless we are doing a lot of lapel grabs - but then sports bra covers pretty well... of course, at my age any exposure would probably just be an alarming atemi ; ;-)

Azz
11-09-2009, 05:51 AM
"You Might Be An Aikido Addict If" There are no classes today, so I'm wearing one of those Colors We Can't Wear Under a Gi. :D

LOL.. that's bewdifal.. and so appropriate.. Being an Aikido Addict myself and having the 'Special' undies section in my drawer I can really relate to that.

There is no question about it. Learning about Aikido appropriate underwear is a long, hazardous and often embarrasing path. How many times do you have to make the mistake of wearing the ones that slowly fall down, ride up, glow through your pants, twist around or generally get themselves tied in a knot while you are leaping about the mat? It's so nice to know I am not alone. :D

DonMagee
11-10-2009, 07:10 AM
I've tied my belt every possible way and it always falls off. Always. It's to the point where in bjj or judo I simply stop putting it back on and just kick it off the mat ( note, most judo/aikido teachers get very angry at this, so it's probably a bad idea ).

As for my pants, I put them on, then I warm up. Usually this will cause the cotton to stretch out a bit. Then I untie them, pull the draw strings tighter, and retie it. This will usually last for the whole class.

Walter Martindale
11-10-2009, 01:10 PM
My experience is similar to Don's with the belt, but I can recall only few times where the pants have come loose.
As a previous poster has mentioned - pull the drawstrings out sideways until the pants are TIGHT. Put the drawstring through one of loops in front to keep them from riding around. In judo I tied the know with the loop inside the bow, in aikido the knot is off to the side - I don't notice a difference. Tie a bow - make sure the strings are drawn tight enough so that at the end of practice it takes a while for the skin to recover its "strapless" look...
The hakama helps with keeping the belt on, but whenever I'm doing anything without the hakama, any belt I've ever worn - old, new, judo, aikido - works loose.
W

wideawakedreamer
11-11-2009, 09:40 AM
LOL monkeys... :D

Your post reminds me of my high school days. For some reason the girls in my school were fond of wearing bras that had these little designs on them like polka dots or little flowers. How did I know this? Because the school uniform for girls consisted (and still does) of a blue pleated skirt and a white blouse - a very thin white blouse. Sometimes I'd tease them, "ooooh, nice flowers" and they'd laugh along with me. Never seen any of them wearing monkey panties though. Then again, i never really tried looking. :cool:

but they could definately tell there were little monkeys on my undies ... oh goodness ... only me!! LOL

wideawakedreamer
11-11-2009, 09:46 AM
Glad you find all of us entertaining. :)

Not only entertaining, but also mentally stimulating. The thought of having special Aikido underwear never crossed my mind until I read this thread. You learn something new every day... ;)

dps
11-11-2009, 11:10 AM
Have you tried duct tape? It comes in pretty colors.:)

http://www.packshipmichigan.com/store/images/583/cloth_duct_tape_colors_1.gif

dps

Victoria Pitt
11-11-2009, 11:15 AM
Well, if you think about it, e-bogu and the other martial arts stores could find another revenue to make money: Official Aikido Panties to wear under your gi- Guaranteed to be invisible, wick away sweat, and give +1 to skill.

I *might* actually buy them, esp. as that I have a rank test coming up and can use all the help I can get.

Great... now I'm going to be worried the whole time I test that my pants are going to fall down and that hadn't occurred to me until this moment. Great. Just great. =/

ninjaqutie
11-11-2009, 12:36 PM
I know nike has some great sports underwear. I have their compression shorts and their normal boyshort underwear (wear them under my tennis dresses). Very breathable and they do come in white. I imagine they would work nicely for the white gi's. Mine isn't bleached though, so plain white would be blazing through my gi pants. You could always give those a shot! As for your pants during testing... hmm... you could always go with David's idea of duct tape! Use a pretty color though. ;)

A quick question about your drawstrings, do they have knots at the end? If not, try tying knots at the end of each string. Maybe that will help.

Mary Turner
11-11-2009, 03:55 PM
Recently I've been going a bit higher on the belly and a bit tighter with the gi pants tie - the extra pressure from the belly really keeps the knot tight.

I switched to this method of knotting the belt ~2 years ago and never had the belt come untied since. My gi jacket does tend to ride up a bit more with this type of knot compared to before when using a square knot.

With a hakama the jacket rides up less but I still notice it a bit and adjust as needed.

This works great! I have been standing here in front of the computer tying and re-tying my belt, but I finally got it! It's good for crisp new belts!

Thanks!

Victoria Pitt
11-11-2009, 04:17 PM
Because I am paranoid, I did a check just now in full daylight. I know that you CANNOT see what color underwear is under gi pants from e-bogu. That doesn't mean that you cannot see a pattern. I can't test that theory as that I don't wear patterned underwear unless its lace, and lace would be much too uncomfortable for training in. So this means I cannot officially speak for monkey underwear.

I am happy because I DO NOT wear white underwear. EVER. It feels wrong to me somehow.

I will pretend when I take my test that it is fashion night and use the double sided tape that holds uh... "assets" in check to hold my pants up!

Andrew Hinge
11-11-2009, 05:00 PM
With regards to the pants staying up..... make sure you tie up pretty tightly....the tuck the tails of the tie INTO AND BEHIND ITSELF...ie down into the inside of the pants......I have NEVER had my pants come loose like that...
as for the belt (Obi) ensure you have tied it .... left over right.... then right over left......make sure you pull it tight... if it comes loose then tuck the tails into and under the the belt itself..... there is nothing that says you HAVE to have the tails hanging down.....

regards
Andrew

dps
11-11-2009, 05:45 PM
I will pretend when I take my test that it is fashion night and use the double sided tape that holds uh... "assets" in check to hold my pants up!

Have it video taped and share it with us on Aikiweb.

David

Shadowfax
11-12-2009, 08:05 PM
Just had to stop in and report... Garth was right.. Hakima really does keep everything in place. Wore one for the first time tonight. First time ever I didn't have to stop and adjust a thing during an entire class. :D

Victoria Pitt
11-13-2009, 10:52 AM
Well, I'll have to remember to visit this thread in about ten years, when I think I might have earned my hakama and let you know. But by then, I may be more worried if my Depends are leaking through my gi!

Marc Kupper
01-24-2010, 03:59 PM
You are a man = no hips > elastic sucks
OP is a woman = hips > elastic rocks

Hmm, I'd never thought of it that way.

I have some pants that have three features that help them stay on better than the standard all cotton variety.

Elastic waistband. I like this as it means the belt/tie is not so essential.
The belt/tie is of round cotton rather than the flat material that's in the normal pants. There have been times where the flat material got stuck and I could not get the tie to slide enough to get the pants off.
They are two sizes smaller making for a snug fit.

I found them at a local Chinese martial arts outlet (they have many sharp pointy things we don't see in Aikido or Karate). I suspect if I phoned around to the various dojo, dojang, and other schools I'd find someone that carries this style and are available for sale.

I've seen gi tops with extra ties to keep them from flapping or sliding open. Many women use sports bras with some of these looking enough like outerwear that the wearers can change tops on the mat before/after class without feeling feeling self-conscious. Most of the women wear a shirt. I recommend shirts for the guys too as it helps in soaking up sweat. While people talk about Velcro I've never noticed anyone that uses it.

lbb
01-24-2010, 06:46 PM
The belt/tie is of round cotton rather than the flat material that's in the normal pants. There have been times where the flat material got stuck and I could not get the tie to slide enough to get the pants off.

Simple solution: replace the flat tie that comes with most gis with a length of nylon cord or thin rope. It won't stick (OTOH, it slips and comes untied more easily, so you need to tie a proper knot). Don't forget to tie a knot at the ends of the ties, or you'll go hunting for it after you do your laundry.