The uniform we wear is mostly just for the functionality. When we do grabs and grappling, we don’t want to potentially rip or stretch our street clothes, so we wear a uniform. We also feel more like martial artists with a uniform on.
The uniform is called a do bok in Korean, a gi in Japanese and a fu in Chinese.
Types and Colors
Because we don’t practice one particular style, we don’t require a particular type or color uniform.
Some people in our classes wear black, some wear white, and some even wear pink. 🙂
There are many different types of uniforms that people wear to do martial arts.
Basically the two types we see most fall in to the category of pullover top and wrap around top.
Pants are relatively the same. Some have reinforced knees and a tie rope for the waist that’s more sturdy, but they’re all functionally the same.
The other main difference between uniforms is the weight. Heavyweight is harder to rip, good for grappling and throws. Lighter weight is cooler and better for summer training and styles that do a lot of full gear sparring.
Belts
Belts are one way to measure your progress. It’s something you can see when you think about how far you’ve come and what lies ahead.
I have to point out, though. Some people get too wrapped up in belts. They make the belt the goal. It’s not.
All the things you learn, the growth, and the skill – that’s what really matters. That’s what each student should be focusing on.
Here is a video on how I like to tie a belt.
