Thoughts on Karate Uniforms Changes

I am not suggesting anyone change whatever tradition they are following. I am just exploring what happened when an Okinawan tradition 100 years ago with several hundred practitioners (discounting the school children who were studing versions of those arts) to today with 95,000,000 million students and adepts around the world practicing karate. Things change.

 

Thinking on when it was Toudi (Te) before karate, no one can really say what the students wore for training, except perhaps their street clothes (or less in very hot weather). Nor do we have an answer what the adepts who moved forward into their clan roles wore, Perhaps special uniforms of their role, perhaps not. In any case none of us would ever be a clan member entitled to dress as they dressed, we are never clan members.

 

So as time passed, and perhaps as karate was exported to Japan a sign of adaption began with the adoption of Japanese traditions as to what uniforms would become. Then again slowly those new traditions began to move back into Okinawa. The result became the dogi worn for karate. Certainly not one idea, but somewhat unique for each school.

 

Even in 1950’s Okinawa the dogi began to change, in size appropriate ones for the foreign students of the day.

 

Then when the export began (as there were literally no rules) change began into every level of the uniform. I am sure the original changes were to honor the past of their arts. However quickly the uniform began to change. Partially to reflect the new groups wanting something distinctive. Partially it began with karate competitors to look good and appeal to audiences.

 

Of course change kept occurring on Okinawa too, more so as they began to notice what was happening around the world.

 

With so many countries, ego’s needing gratification and other reasons, the standard of what was traditional kept moving too.

 

I am reminded of a saying from long ago, Q  “What is traditional karate?” A “Whatever your instructor told you traditional karate is.”

 

I would suggest that also applies to what uniforms is traditional.

 

Really one does not need a uniform to practice karate. In reality one does not normally want to advertise one is an adept either. So bare foot or shod foot, in Okinawan uniforms or in comfortable training clothes or in restrictive clothes one wears for work, all can serve as training clothing for karate. Just different needs.