Tying The Hakama

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[Nafis Zahir]

When you put your Hakama on, how do you tie it? Do you tie the front first, or the back? Do you tuck the front behind the belt or lay it horizontally across the top of your belt? Do you tie your straps back around to the front, or behind your back? Straps underneath, or around the outside? Lastly, who taught you to tie your Hakama, or did you experiment with it until you came up with a good way for yourself?

After trying hundreds of ways (so it seems) I settled with tying the back first, then pulling the front up just over my obi, and then wrapping the straps around the outside of my waist, and finally tying the straps in the front and then tucking the excess strap inside of themselves. Just wanted to get some other viewpoints. Thanks!

[JJF]

I tuck the front behind the belt. Wraps the front straps twice around my obi, then cross them on the back, twist them once more on the front. I then twist them one more time on the back and finally tie them together between the gi and the hakama in the front (underneath).

Next I take the back straps above and behind my belt. Sometimes I even take them around my obi an extra time. Finally I tie them on the front op my hakama.

From my time in kendo I had learned to tie the back first and the let the front straps go around on the outside of the koshiita. I was told in my current dojo that it was considered wrong, so I've changed my ways (when in Rome). I think it is true that it looks cooler the way I do it now, but after an hour or so I really miss having my koshiita firmly tied to my back as it often 'hangs' a bit after rigorous practice.

[Nafis Zahir]

From my time in kendo I had learned to tie the back first and the let the front straps go around on the outside of the koshiita. I was told in my current dojo that it was considered wrong, so I've changed my ways (when in Rome). I think it is true that it looks cooler the way I do it now, but after an hour or so I really miss having my koshiita firmly tied to my back as it often 'hangs' a bit after rigorous practice.




That is the exact same problem I was having. I hate having my koshiita 'hang' while in practice. So I started doing it the way you use to. Is tying it the other way considered 'traditional' or does it really matter?

[Sonja2012]

I used to tie my hakama like the guys but found that it inhibits my breathing and - as my waistline is pretty high up - the knot was not where my center is. I could not wear it on my hips because due to the "conical" shape of my female body, it would slip upwards as soon as I started to move, and fall apart. So I have come up with a somewhat complicated way of tying my hakama, which involves leading the straps through in between the legs (it is known as the gi string way of tying the hakama in my dojo now ;) ). I know it is nowhere even near tradion, but now I´ve got the knot in front of my centre, which is a much better feeling in practice, and it is not making breathing difficult any more.

My first sensei said that one day he´ll write a book called "1000 and one ways of tying a hakama" :)

Sonja

[eyrie]

Learn how to wear and fold your hakama here:
http://www.bujindesign.com/use_hakama.html

[arjandevries]

Í allways begin with the back. When I do it like bujin does it (I have to bujin hakama's) it allways do not stay in place.
I have no a hakama with a extended frontpannel so the form stays ok!

My Japanese teacher Suganuma Sensei (fukuoka) does it this way to.
But then again; are their wrong ways???

Greetings,

Arjan

[Nafis Zahir]

My Japanese teacher Suganuma Sensei (fukuoka) does it this way to.
Arjan



So Does Suganuma Sensei also tie his straps around the outside?

[Bronson]

I've found that if I tie the back first I have to take the whole darn thing off if I need to got to the bathroom. If I tie the back last I can just untie the fancy knot in the front, drop the back, drop the gi pants and do my business :D

Now I just have to convince some company to make gi pants with a flap in the back ;)

Bronson

[arjandevries]

So Does Suganuma Sensei also tie his straps around the outside?


Only the ones from the frontpanel. Because of starting with the back it stays under the front.
It fits great and never slips.

Arjan

[Chuck.Gordon]

I tie front first, (no tuck for weapons work, so saya or bokuto slides between folds of the obi easily, but do tuck the front in for empty hand work to help keep the hak neat whilst engaging in romper room activities). Front panel himo are tied behind back.

If untucked, the upper edge of the waistband is just below the edge of my obi (I use a wider, softer, sword obi).

Back panel is tied last, plastic peanut butter spreader tab tucked into back of obi, himo tied in front in a simple square knot.

cg

[cguzik]

Chuck,

Two questions:

- Do you find that when you alternate between tucking the front for empty hand and not tucking for weapons, that this changes the length significantly enough to be an annoyance? I.e., do you end up either with a "high-water hakama" when tucking, or having it be too long when not tucking?

I also switch back and forth between tucked and untucked and find that I prefer to actually put on a longer or shorter hakama when doing so.

- Does the knot of the front himo in back bother you during any ukemi? I prefer to tie both knots in front if I am going to be doing any ukemi.

Chris

[Nafis Zahir]

When I was tying the front first and the knot behind the back, it did bother me. Also, when tying the front first, it does look nicer & neater, however, it does tend to slip down if you work out hard and it is also a chore to deal with all that extra strap you have left over from both himos. I tied the back first on Saturday and wrapped the front straps around the outside and tied them in the front. As Arjan wrote, it fit great, stayed in place, and never slipped. But is one way traditional?

[Bronson]

Does the knot of the front himo in back bother you during any ukemi? I prefer to tie both knots in front if I am going to be doing any ukemi.


Not Chuck but I too found the the knot in the back to be uncomfortable. Now I bring the front straps around, tie them in a square not in front, then pull the extra around the back and just tuck them through my obi and let them hang. I then tie the back like Chuck said only I do the fancy little folded knot thing with the dangling himo.

I also tuck for aikido and untuck for iaido...same reasons that Chuck stated.

Bronson

[Chuck.Gordon]

length significantly enough to be an annoyance? I.e., do you end up either with a "high-water hakama" when tucking, or having it be too long when not tucking?

Not terribly. I don't actually wear a hakama during 'regular' taijutsu class, but when I don the black laundry bag for demos or whatever, the tuck has never proved a problem.

I've got one hak that is WAY too long, and I have to tuck it to keep it short enough.

Hi-waters: Heck, I think most folks wear their hakama much too long, amyhow ...

Does the knot of the front himo in back bother you during any ukemi?

Not really. We seldom take ukemi directly flat anyway, almost always on the hip rather than the lower spine.


Chuck