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Old 10-20-2008, 06:47 AM   #1
AnniN
Dojo: Menai Ki Society
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Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Just wondering, all aikido people i've seen have had white gis... Is it just a coincidence or is white the only ok colour in dojos? Or is it ok to wear whatever colour gi you want ? I know it probably varies with different clubs but I would like to hear your opinion! I have a terrible itch to get a blue or black gi, they would look so good once I get a hakama!
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Old 10-20-2008, 07:40 AM   #2
Randy Sexton
Dojo: Aikido of Lake Keowee
Location: South Carolina
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

As a Tae Kwon Do martial artist I had some really cool looking gi for competition which looked great for the show. It draws attention to you as an individual and makes you stand out as unique. For example, someone may not immediately recall your name but they remember the guy in the cool black gi with the red stripe! Psychologically, it was equivalent to Superman putting on the red tights and cape causing you a point of focus for the transition from normal to Martial Artist! Good for show, good for psychological reasons, good for individuality.
As an Aikido martial artist, my objective is to blend, be humble, and become part of the universe rather than focus on my individualiy. Putting on the traditional white (symbol of purity) gi and my traditional back Hakama is putting on the super suit but creating for me a different psychological effect. One of calm and readiness to train in Aikido. To focus on humility and lose the competitiveness and ready myself to train and to face my inner fears and inner enemy. The only trophy to win is my own soul.
To answer your question I know some who express their individuality by using a black, gray, blue or other color of hakama. I've read in post-war Japan many Aikidoka wore any hakama that they could get which could be black or brightly colored ranging from cotton to silk!
I think most of us tend to express our individuality with our choice of weapon bags, kanji on our training weapons, and different styles, sizes, and weights of our bokken and jo.
IMHO I recommend you rejoice in your uniqueness and express your individuality but use humility and good judgement.
Just thoughts from the TKD guy in the black gi with the red stripes and doing the Korean sword form with the the red handle and black stripe down the spine of the bokken. It was a good look for the right place.

Doc

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will"
Gandhi
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Old 10-20-2008, 08:12 AM   #3
Demetrio Cereijo
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

You can see aikido instructors and practitioners wearing other than white keikogi/black hakama in old pics and videos.

Some examples are O Sensei, Abe Tadashi, Noro Masamichi.

I don't think white keikogi w/ black hakama is really traditional. However, when you're in Rome...
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Old 10-20-2008, 09:57 AM   #4
Flintstone
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Also Mochizuki and others...

Actually I don't believe white keikogi plus black hakama is that traditional. I usually wear blue uwagi, only sometimes I use white.
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Old 10-21-2008, 12:01 PM   #5
ramenboy
Dojo: midwest aikido center
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Anni Nurminen wrote: View Post
...I know it probably varies with different clubs but I would like to hear your opinion! I have a terrible itch to get a blue or black gi, they would look so good once I get a hakama!
dude,forget about us. whatever colour your dojo/instructor tells you to wear, you wear!

:P
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Old 10-21-2008, 02:35 PM   #6
AnniN
Dojo: Menai Ki Society
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Thanks for your advice I mainly meant to ask about people's opinions about different coloured gis in general though, what they wear and how things are in their dojos... How far is it acceptable to go in terms of individuality of dogis?
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Old 10-21-2008, 02:50 PM   #7
Andrew S
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Anni Nurminen wrote: View Post
How far is it acceptable to go in terms of individuality of dogis?
In my dojo, you get to choose the colour...

...for the name stitching on your hakama. And your hakama may be indigo or black.

Warning: Do not bend, fold or otherwise abuse... until we get to the dojo..


合気道研心会 Aikido Kenshinkai
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Old 10-21-2008, 03:16 PM   #8
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

If you sew your own dogi, you get to pick the white or unbleached cotton or hemp fabric its made of :-) otherwise, what you usually see is a judogi or karate gi or a Bujin aikido gi.... your choice of white or off white!

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-21-2008, 08:41 PM   #9
ColeH-22
Dojo: Eight Winds Aikido Society Pearl Dojo
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

In the dojo where I study at most of us wear the Traditional Whit Gi with the Black Hakama including our Sensie, but some of us also study Judo so some days we will wear our blue Judo Gi's. The only person that I know of that wears a Navy Blue Gi and Hakama is our Shihan or the founder of our Society/Club. Shihan Carmen Pelusi. We even have a guy that studies with us who teaches Kali and he wears the training gear from his dojo which is normally sweat pants and a t-shirt.
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Old 10-23-2008, 08:44 PM   #10
Mark Uttech
Dojo: Yoshin-ji Aikido of Marshall
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Onegaishimasu. The traditional aikido gi is white, but it seems that many of us go through a phase where we ponder wearing a blue or black gi.I went through a phase myself where, after being in a devastating car accident and being in a coma for 5 days plus spending 3 1/2 months in the hospital, one of the first things I said when coming out of coma was " I've been traveling. I have to wear a black gi now..." It seems that in the Noh theatre, the people wearing black are invisible. I went through a phase where I wore a black gi for about 4 months and then I wanted to look like everyone else again.

In gassho,

Mark

- Right combination works wonders -
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Old 10-24-2008, 02:09 AM   #11
Flintstone
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Mark Uttech wrote: View Post
The traditional aikido gi is white, [...]
But, again, who stablished this? We see pictures of high ranking old uchideshi wearing coloured keikogis. Ueshiba himself and all!
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Old 10-24-2008, 08:07 AM   #12
Andrew S
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

"Do you want the white, the off-white, the bone, the cream, the ivory or the beige dogi?"

Warning: Do not bend, fold or otherwise abuse... until we get to the dojo..


合気道研心会 Aikido Kenshinkai
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Old 10-24-2008, 01:04 PM   #13
dalen7
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Anni Nurminen wrote: View Post
Just wondering, all aikido people i've seen have had white gis... Is it just a coincidence or is white the only ok colour in dojos? Or is it ok to wear whatever colour gi you want ? I know it probably varies with different clubs but I would like to hear your opinion! I have a terrible itch to get a blue or black gi, they would look so good once I get a hakama!
Funny you should ask.

I remember at last years seminar, a 1st kyu came in dressed like all of us. But the next couple of days he came dressed in all black. (Hakama, gi top, etc.) It was funny, Sensei called him the black master picking at him. (jokingly of course.)

But I suppose he felt he wanted to wear what he wanted.

Personally I suppose it would be better to find out what the flow is at your dojo, but yes they sale black gis even at some of the Aikido stores. (Actually you can find all kind of colors as some of these places, and some nice hakamas at that. Found one handmade that I would love to get if I ranked black ever...though if I leave Hungary I would probably stop taking Aikdio, so not sure if I will reach black or not.)

Anyway...all the best.

Peace

dAlen

dAlen [day•lynn]
dum spiro spero - {While I have breathe - I have hope}

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Old 10-24-2008, 01:05 PM   #14
dalen7
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Mark Uttech wrote: View Post
Onegaishimasu. The traditional aikido gi is white, but it seems that many of us go through a phase where we ponder wearing a blue or black gi.I went through a phase myself where, after being in a devastating car accident and being in a coma for 5 days plus spending 3 1/2 months in the hospital, one of the first things I said when coming out of coma was " I've been traveling. I have to wear a black gi now..." It seems that in the Noh theatre, the people wearing black are invisible. I went through a phase where I wore a black gi for about 4 months and then I wanted to look like everyone else again.

In gassho,

Mark
Mark, and I thought I had it rough. (I was out when a car hit me on my bicycle...it was a transam.) But not for 5 days...glad your o.k. and here to talk about it.

(sorry, I know this isnt on topic.)

Peace

dAlen

dAlen [day•lynn]
dum spiro spero - {While I have breathe - I have hope}

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http://www.lightofinfinity.org

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http://dalen7.wordpress.com
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Old 10-24-2008, 01:08 PM   #15
BC
Location: Chicago, IL
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

I think white is the most common. However, there is at least one person in our dojo whose keiko gi is a yellowish light brown. Although I do not believe it is the result of any dyes - more a lack of washing. He has the odor to accompany his outfit as well...

Robert Cronin
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Old 10-24-2008, 01:43 PM   #16
ramenboy
Dojo: midwest aikido center
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Robert Cronin wrote: View Post
...there is at least one person in our dojo whose keiko gi is a yellowish light brown. Although I do not believe it is the result of any dyes...
hahhahahahaha

bob, i wonder what's worse... this guy, or our buddy 'skids' from a few years ago :P
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Old 10-24-2008, 02:30 PM   #17
Sy Labthavikul
Dojo: Aikido Academy USA of Alhambra
Location: Los Angeles area, CA
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

I think the white keikogi/black hakama becoming a tradition is a recent phenomena. I've been told that when Kano's judo-style keikogi became popular they were white simply because it was much much cheaper to not dye them (indigo being extremely pricey and all). People just kept using the white keikogi, and after-the-fact, our human need to rationalize came up with all sorts of explanations like it represents purity or uniformity or the beginner's mind or whatever.

I don't know why hakama are now predominantly black; I've seen old traditional hakama that were grey or indigo with stripes.

Ultimately, I wear white keikogi because everyone else in my dojo does and its widely available. I doesn't really effect my training what color I wear; if anything I'd be interested in training in street clothes because it changes the dynamics of what you can and cannot do.


---------------------------------
train as if the tengu will never visit, execute as if they already have
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Old 10-27-2008, 01:03 PM   #18
BC
Location: Chicago, IL
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Jerome Cervantes wrote: View Post
hahhahahahaha

bob, i wonder what's worse... this guy, or our buddy 'skids' from a few years ago :P
LOL! I forgot about Skids! Hard to believe...

Robert Cronin
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Old 10-27-2008, 02:48 PM   #19
AnniN
Dojo: Menai Ki Society
Location: North Wales
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

oh man, now I really wish I could wear a blue gi! My sensei seems pretty stubborn about wearing only white. Maybe I could convince him with some hard evidence of Ueshiba & Co. wearing different coloured gis? I suppose there's some sort of official rule somewhere that states :"Thou shalt not wear a blue dogi.." Womder if anyone's ever had a black gi and white hakama? :P
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Old 04-29-2009, 02:42 PM   #20
ninjaqutie
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

When I took aikijitsu, we wore black gi's. I absolutely LOVED wearing black. Doesn't show dirt/stains as easy, isn't see through (I hate having to pick out underwear that won't show through my thin aikido/judo pants) and I just plain loved the look of black gi's. I particularly liked how the black belts blended in with the gi. Made the black belts look very modest.

I don't have anything wrong with wearing a white gi now though. You do what is called for at your dojo. A colored gi does just the same thing as a white gi... though colors are pretty!
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Old 04-29-2009, 04:58 PM   #21
eyrie
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Personally, I like this...
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Ignatius
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Old 04-29-2009, 09:02 PM   #22
seank
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Ignatius Teo wrote: View Post
Personally, I like this...
It's Spaceball One!

They've gone to plaid!
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Old 04-29-2009, 09:27 PM   #23
eyrie
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

I see... your Schwartz is bigger than mine...

Seriously, the diamond stitching (as modelled above by my good friend Dan Djurdjevic) helps reinforce the uwagi and prevents tearing, not to mention the rather interesting and disconcerting depth-perception effect it creates.

I see bugei.com sells these as "very traditional" dojo clothing in white and blue... but we're getting off topic.
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Old 04-29-2009, 11:02 PM   #24
Kent Enfield
 
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Quote:
Ignatius Teo wrote: View Post
Seriously, the diamond stitching (as modelled above by my good friend Dan Djurdjevic) helps reinforce the uwagi and prevents tearing, not to mention the rather interesting and disconcerting depth-perception effect it creates.

I see bugei.com sells these as "very traditional" dojo clothing in white and blue... but we're getting off topic.
Those are called musashi keikogi. "Musashi" in this case is 無刺し and means "unstitched". They are kendogi, and they are traditional--for little kids. The lack of stitching makes them cheaper (kids will grow out of them), but it also means the item is weaker and doesn't provide as much padding against blows. Despite being sometimes marketed to adults outside Japan, inside it you'll be hard pressed to find an adult wearing one.

Kentokuseisei
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Old 06-04-2009, 04:06 AM   #25
Erik Rosén
Dojo: OSI
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Re: Is white the only acceptable colour for gi?

Hombu Dojo sells both "hospital white" and off white colored gis. So off white should be acceptable. I prefer unbleached because it has less of an impact on climate change.

M. Ueshiba "The art of peace starts with you"

Good luck with your training!

:-) Erik
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On the impact of bleaching and scouring cotton:
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