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Old 03-19-2003, 12:00 PM   #1
zachbiesanz
Dojo: New York Aikikai; Byakkokan Dojo (Toyama Ryu Battodo)
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Funny hair

As you can see, I have a mohawk, and it's pretty big. How many instructors would allow me to wear it up? I always wear it down when visiting or attending seminars, but my sensei loves it and expresses his disappointment when it's not in full effect. Besides funny haircuts, how does colored (i don't mean natural-looking, think pink or green) hair go over? One of the reasons I don't dye my hair often is that I never know when the next seminar is going to be, and don't want to have to worry about dying it "normal" in time.

I also never have the guts to ask if it's ok to wear my hair up at seminars or other dojo for some reason. Maybe I just think they'll look at me like I'm crazy.

Note: having a mohawk doesn't interfere with practice in any way. If anything, it only makes me get extra low for shihonage and us a good reminder to center those sword cuts.

Aikido is the art of hitting an assailant with the planet.
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Old 03-19-2003, 12:05 PM   #2
Erik Young
Dojo: Wilmington Kokikai Dojo
Location: Downingtown
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Personally I think it's great. Used to have a similar 'do myself (bright blue). Do what you do if it makes you happy.

Peace,

Erik

HAve you heard the one about the agnostic dyslexic? He wasn't sure if he believed in the existence of Dog.
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Old 03-19-2003, 12:09 PM   #3
akiy
 
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Curious -- could a spike cause injury if it poked someone in the eye? If so, I would caution against having your hair up in that manner...

-- Jun

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Old 03-19-2003, 12:21 PM   #4
lt-rentaroo
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Hello,

I second what Jun has said, but am also curious as to how you get the hair to stand up like that. Do you use extra strong hair gel?

I'm not poking fun, I'm just curious. Take Care!

LOUIS A. SHARPE, JR.
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Old 03-19-2003, 12:25 PM   #5
happysod
Dojo: Kiburn, London, UK
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I had no problems with coloured hair (sadly it's no more) when I was practicing at dojo's within my association, outside this group I did get some bad reactions as I was obviously "not the right sort" - as for the mohawk, doesn't it get flattened by the first ukemi?

Jun, don't think you need to be worried about the spike, you're more likely to get your eye put out by a good solid pigtail lash rather than by this type of hairstyle...
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Old 03-19-2003, 12:29 PM   #6
rachmass
Dojo: Aikido of Cincinnati/Huron Valley Aikikai
Location: Somerset Michigan
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I had this really good friend who wore her long hair (she could sit on it) as a tight braid. She was constantly using that as a weapon, and I got hit in the face by it numerous times. Unfortunately she also often got it knelt on, and she had to be careful getting up from a pin so she didn't break her neck!
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Old 03-19-2003, 12:36 PM   #7
zachbiesanz
Dojo: New York Aikikai; Byakkokan Dojo (Toyama Ryu Battodo)
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As for the mohawk queries: I use Elmer's school glue. at 25 cents a bottle, it's cheap and effective. It's also water soluble so it washes out relatively easily. When it's up, it's still pretty flexible, and is hardly a risk to the eyes. It is also very resilient, and ukemi doesn't phase it too badly. Actually, it aids in helping my to remember to keep my head tucked in--way in.

Aikido is the art of hitting an assailant with the planet.
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Old 03-19-2003, 01:34 PM   #8
Kent Enfield
 
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Look at all the convenient handles.

Kentokuseisei
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Old 03-19-2003, 02:01 PM   #9
kung fu hamster
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Hi Zach,

I'd like to see what a mohawk looks like after 20 minutes of iriminage (heh heh), but on a more practical note, just want to mention that longish hair can be hazardous... one unknown blackbelt at a seminar threw me and accidentally stepped on my hair and tripped - his toes got tangled and I lay there stunned as I heard him ripping out rather a large pelt from my scalp. Everyone was pretty grossed out, me too...

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Old 03-19-2003, 02:47 PM   #10
Bronson
 
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As long as it doens't interfere with technique or pose a safety concern I'd be fine with it. As for color...who cares. We used to have a guy that would dye his hair to match whatever color belt he was testing for and a girl who's hair color changed on a weekly basis. They trained just like everybody else and nobody really gave a rip.

Personally I shave all mine off.

Bronson

This head brought to you by Headblade

"A pacifist is not really a pacifist if he is unable to make a choice between violence and non-violence. A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence."
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Old 03-19-2003, 06:22 PM   #11
lt-rentaroo
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WOW, another use for Elmer's School Glue; if you're happy with it and your training partners don't mind, then more KI to you.

Take Care!

LOUIS A. SHARPE, JR.
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Old 03-19-2003, 07:53 PM   #12
TomE
 
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I sometimes used egg-white when I had a mohawk, but that was before I started aikido (and even then I usually left it down). I imagine 15 minutes of ukemi would have ruined it anyway - hardened egg-white doesn't bend too well. A friend of mine (who also does aikido, and also used to hang out in the local punk scene) tried just about everything she could think of in the past (tip: certain kinds of industrial soap are just perfect, but _not_ when it's raining outside ).

She now has a normal hairstyle (and life), and I've shaved everything off some years ago. It's so much more practical - only now I sometimes get mistaken for a nazi skinhead outside our dojo (usually by the same people who gave/would give me the evil eye for being a "punk", so I don't really take it very seriously). *shrug*

One of our members had a mohawk at one time, so I know for a fact that sensei doesn't really mind (though it was shorter than yours, and not colored). This guy did say it bothered him a bit when he was doing backward rolls; he eventually shaved it off.

To do is to be. (Nietzsche) ... To be is to do. (Descartes) ... Do be do be do. (Sinatra).
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Old 03-20-2003, 06:39 AM   #13
Kelly Allen
Dojo: Friends Dojo
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Question Shurakin

I can't help but think if you were thrown into a wall you would stick like a human shuraken.
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Old 03-20-2003, 07:19 AM   #14
JimAde
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Talking Big hair rules

Quote:
Kent Enfield wrote:
Look at all the convenient handles.
This is just what my sensei used to say. I have quite long hair (mid-back) that I wear in a ponytail for practice. He used to love demonstarting how to throw me using my hair if you miss the head grab in iriminage

Remember: No matter where you go...There you are.
-Buckaroo Banzai
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Old 03-21-2003, 08:22 AM   #15
DavidEllard
Dojo: Dunstable/Dinton
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I've had a few hair issues - people standing on my pony tail when i'm being thrown - and leaving long strands of it on the mat under there foot. I also died it red for Red Nose Day here in the uk - and my gi got cover in the dye when i was sweating later that evening!

As for the Mo looks fab to me, as long as it doesn't get in the way when rolling(?) I think i't would add colour to a seminaar.

I did once train with a newbie whose face was covered in piercings - and i did feel long term there was a genuine safety issue for her and others around her there...
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Old 03-21-2003, 01:18 PM   #16
JimAde
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Quote:
David Ellard (DavidEllard) wrote:
I did once train with a newbie whose face was covered in piercings - and i did feel long term there was a genuine safety issue for her and others around her there...
I don't have any facial piercings, so forgive a dumb question: Couldn't she just remove the jewelry during practice?

Remember: No matter where you go...There you are.
-Buckaroo Banzai
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Old 03-22-2003, 05:42 AM   #17
WilliamWessel
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A lot of spots in the face (especially the eyebrow) heal amazingly fast. I had a friend who took out his eyebrow piercing to go to court one day, and by the end of the day when he went to put it back in, he had to do it with a steralized needle because the hole already started to seal back up.

On the hair note, I was wondering the same thing, I'm white and I have pretty long dreadlocks which can get some odd reactions from some of the more closeminded people.
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Old 03-23-2003, 11:11 AM   #18
zachbiesanz
Dojo: New York Aikikai; Byakkokan Dojo (Toyama Ryu Battodo)
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with time, any piercing can be taken out for enough time for a whole day'sseminar. For example, my roommate has had his lipring for three years, and despite being one of the fastest healing piercings, he can take it out for about two days before it starts to close. In the first six months or so, however, it would start closeing within 5-10 minutes.

Aikido is the art of hitting an assailant with the planet.
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Old 03-24-2003, 03:06 PM   #19
Joe Jutsu
Dojo: Currently relocating
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I'm a fellow Aikidoka who's also white and has dreadlocks. Let me tell you, I've had some interseting questions about them, especially from my sensei's wife who is a 70 something year old Japanese lady (she could not believe that my locks are all my hair and has insisted on touching them several times ). Besides getting knelt on during the occasional pinning technique, they really do not get in the way, except during the intense training sessions in the July heat in Kansas!! That was the only time that I felt like cutting them for Aikido reasons. If anything they allow me to be a little lazy with my ukemi, because they supply quite a cushion on the back of my head which keeps my head quite safe from striking the matt without me ever having to think about it . But after years of growing them, what was an outward symbol of non-attachment has admittedly become something I'm quite attached to. I think it is a testament to the Aikido community that they are for the most part very accepting of different backgrounds and belief systems. More power to self expression.

Peace.
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Old 03-25-2003, 07:50 AM   #20
ian
 
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As long as its safe I wouldn't care what someone's hair is like. I think long hair can be a risk as it is easily grabbed in fights, but if you don't mind chunks of it coming out I think it is fine in the dojo (I've done kaiten-nage on someone before and left a large patch of hair under my foot).

One time someone was wearing a nipple ring under their gi, and during tenchi-nage I was pushing laterally against the chest and my hand caught on it - not very nice for them.

---understanding aikido is understanding the training method---
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Old 03-26-2003, 03:50 AM   #21
WilliamWessel
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Quote:
Joe Prophet (Joe Jutsu) wrote:
If anything they allow me to be a little lazy with my ukemi, because they supply quite a cushion on the back of my head which keeps my head quite safe from striking the matt without me ever having to think about it .
Yeah, that's definatly something i've found with snowboarding, they provide great padding/cushioning =P
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