Aristeia

There is a practical reason for asking jack to take of the hakama. In *that* particular dojo it's got a particular meaning attached to it. By the sensei, by the students. How do you think the other students would react to someone breaking one of their strong cultural tennants? Would they think it's fair. To go to someone elses house and say "hey I understand this is the way you and everyone else here does it but it makes me uncomfortable so I don't wanna" and then complain when you're told that will exclude you from participation seems....odd. If the hakama really doesn't mean anything why not just take it off when local rules dictate? And if it does mean something - then respect the meaning given by that club and take it off. Either way, take the damn thing off and train, or go down the road. Simple imo.