RED

My hair is super fine, so it will mostly stay in any style I set it in with minimal amounts of elastics.

I started keeping my hair short when I started Aikido for the exact reasons you just pointed out. People always would kneel on it, or pull it during techniques. (I have a teacher who uses the long hanging hair as part of the technique at times...ouch.) It got annoying, so cut it to about 3 inches long... sort of a pixie cut.

I'm growing my hair out however for my wedding. ( I want my long barrel curls on my wedding day damn it!)
So I'm running into some familiar issues with my hair. However, I've found a solution. I'm keeping my hair in tight, mid-high to high pig tails.

I look childish as hell.(especially being as small as I am.) And I'm sure visiting Aikidoka might not take a pig-tailed girl as serious... but whatever, it is practical. You can roll and have your entire neck area clear of barrettes, hair bands and buns. There's nothing to grab near the neck, mostly nothing to kneel on because the hair is strung up high, and nothing to roll on and get dug into your neck, or get ribbed out by the mat. Unlike the pony tail, the hair is pulled away from the center of your skull, allowing you to roll back without messing up the pony tails.

I look about 3 years old... but there's a reason that hair style works for little girls... it prevents them from mucking their hair up.


If I knew how to make corn-rows I would... lol