What is your interpretation of the black Gi?

Question

I've had a lot of questions lately, not sure why...but this one is sparking my interest. I was at a school that chose to wear a black Gi instead of white. They never really mentioned why, until I heard them explaining it to a new potential student.

"So why do you guys wear the black Gi instead of white?"

"Many schools use the white Gi because white stands for peace, we are a combat school. OK? Black stands for combat and that is what we do."

I chuckled a bit at this when it happened, but now I have a seriously huge hard time swallowing it.

So, is the black Gi just for personal school's choice? Just to look good? Or,

Does it denote "hardcore combat." As stated by that school?

Or is there an entirely different meaning to it?


Thanks.

Answer 1

The color and ornamental design of the Gi is based on preference and bias alone. Instructors more into conservative practices will insist on novices wearing White etc. etc.



More liberal or brash instructors may not care or those who wish to make a fashion statement may insist on wearing black.



There is a degree of psychology involved and it actually can intimidate less experienced competitors how-ever in truth... the color of the Gi is to a certain extent much like the color of the belt.



Just because one has the black belt doesn't mean that person went through the same trials and successes as the person next to them with the same black belt.



Judge a fighter by testing their skills, not by what they wear.

Answer 2

I prefer a black Gi.The school I am in currently only allows black belts to wear a black Gi and then only on Saturdays when the classes are not as formal. The reason I prefer a black Gi is simple, it does not show dirt as much. In a white gi the first time you hit the floor it shows, dirty foot prints also show up on a white gi as black streaks. That and I just like the way a good black Gi looks.



Is there a significance in the black gi vs the white gi? Not that I have ever heard other than it is traditional for a Gi to be white. That stems simply from the fact that dyes were expensive and not widely available, so the common person could only afford an Unbleached off white Gi.



The story you were given amounts to nothing more than a gimmick just like adding "combat" before a style to make it sound more realistic, like combat JuJitsu or some such. It is just a marketing ploy.

Answer 3

*****



I wear a Black Gi most of the time now. Some schools wear only white. Some wear only black. some allow the salt and pepper Gi which is a white top and black pants. Kenpo and Kempo styles are more likely to wear black Gi than other styles, but not always. Some Dojo allow both white Gi or Black Gi. Usually the lower ranks wear white Gi then wear black Gi once they reach Black belt. There are no universal rules as to who is supposed to wear white or black. It is sometimes specified by an organization or school. sometimes it is left totally up to the students.There was an article i read some time ago about the origin of the Black Gi. I'll try to research it and see if I can find it again. If so I'll post it here.





Edit: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Found one article on Black Gi It is historically correct. It may not be the only answer, but it does show something that is fact rather than conjecture.



http://www.tracyskarate.com/FAQ%27S/blackgi.htm





Edit: I too was under the impression that white was used because the color white relates to Peace. However, someone pointed out that in Japan the color white symbolizes death. Just something to think about.



...

Answer 4

Hi there



Its just the colour of the Gi which isnt really that important.



However what is important is that its the prefered colour of the organisation that it is representing.

Also that its kept clean and ironed by the student which shows respect for what it represents.



Traditional arts mostly keep the white Gi or hakima. Some koryu have a different Gi coloured top and schools of ninjutsu wear a black gi although thats not historically correct either.



However It does make it much easier for the average jo when watching the movies to destinguish between the good and the bad guys! lol



Its just a colour. It doesnt mean its darker art or an aggressive art. Thats just absolute twaddle!



Edit: Pugs has found an interesting article here



http://www.tracyskarate.com/FAQ%27S/blac…



But if you are to skim over the gloss of it especially when it trys to pad it out with quotes from the art of war you should come to the conclusion that it is in fact a practice that comes from gendai budo arts. Meaning that the wearing of a black gi a modern practice and one of personal choice nothing more.



Best wishes



idai

Answer 5

Black Gi

Answer 6

In Hawaii, Prof James Mitose of Kenpo Jujitsu wore a black gi, while the students wore white gi's. Prof Mitose's student Prof William K.S. Chow wore a black gi, while the students wore white gi's. Prof Chow's student Sijo Adriano Emperado created Kajukenbo and in the beginning, everyone in Kajukenbo wore white gi's. During the mid 1960's, Sijo Emperado asked Kajukenbo practitioners to dye their uniforms black in order to show respect for Chinese martial artists, who created Gung-fu techniques which went into Kajukenbo. Chinese martial artists traditionally wore black uniforms.



After Kajukenbo people adopted black gi's, practitioners of Ed Parker's American Kenpo adopted black gi's. Eventually, a lot of Kenpo styles adopted black gi's and other martial arts adopted black gi's also.



Yes, faded black gi's look cool, you do look tough wearing them. But toughness is inside you, and not determined by the color of your gi. Either you are tough, or you are not. The gi doesn't change anything. In the Kajukenbo schools that I have trained in, the instructor always tells the new student, buy a gi only if you like Kajukenbo and you want to continue training in it. The majority quit and never came back, at least they did not waste money buying a gi. And some beginners did buy a black gi, and they quit anyways. So having the black gi alone does not make any more "hardcore combat" ready.



Having said that the hardcore and extremely hardcore Kajukenbo schools wear black gi's. So do the people who train in the Kajukenbo McDojos. And so do the people who train in the notorious Cerio and Villari Kempo schools. The black gi's do not make the Cerio and Villari people any more "hardcore combat" trained.



And I have seen Kajukenbo schools where they wear white gi's. To me, they stand out because they are supposed to be wearing a black gi, but we live in a free society, I guess any school can choose whatever color gi they want. The most important thing is good quality training.

Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

What is your interpretation of the black Gi?

I've had a lot of questions lately, not sure why...but this one is sparking my interest. I was at a school that chose to wear a black Gi instead of white. They never really mentioned why, until I heard them explaining it to a new potential student.



"So why do you guys wear the black Gi...

Answer 8

I've never heard of the black gi being worn because it means combat.



In our dojo we mostly wear back gi. But we are free to wear white if we desire. Our reason for wearing black over white is that we work out in a recreation center. They are supposed to clean the place for us, but they don't. Their are different classes that use the same area that we do before we do. They do not clean between scheduled activities. Therefor wearing black gi don't show as much of the dirt or sweat.

Answer 9

The school sets the rules and the students follow them. Where I train, black belts get black pants. Everyone wears the same, white top. The black pants or gi carry no special significance. It is just a question of style.

Answer 10

At my school we wear white until black belt and then get a white dobok with black cuffs and around the neck. I only wear black for weapons class but the dobok is only a different colour for that to distinguish between the other classes. I don't think there's any special meaning to it.

Answer 11

I agree with Kempo_ju. The gi is just stylized peasant clothing. It's the same sort of outfit worn by poor, agricultural peoples all over the world.

The Okinawan karate originators wore it because it was their clothes....



Later, the garment was reinforced for judo play; with heavy weight cloth and reinforced collar for grappling and throwing.



I remember reading an article years ago by a young Chinese-American lad who was thrilled to be able to go to China and study with a prominent Wushu troupe.

He bought an expensive kung-fu uniform to take with him. When he got there, he found all the Chinese guys wearing standard US-type sweats and Nike or Addidas sneakers....

Answer 12

I have often seen styles called kenpo wearing a black gi.

Like the others, I like the white for formal training and demos.

I like the black for getting dirty, like others said, the dirt doesn't show much.

And I have seen hard-core "combat guys" (lol at that one) training in both white and black.

The idea that training is different with different color gi is just silly.

Answer 13

I don't but in most schools it literally means more agressive and most of the times they had the ego (not necessarily skill) to boost their claim. I was in a school where you would wear a black gi once you reached black belt. It was something to look up to and I couldn't wait to get into one. Long story short I got tired of the 'holier than thou' and 'bow to your Sensei' $%!! really quick and haven't worn a black gi since.

Moreover, I have never ever in my 20 years of training and meeting thousands of people ever seen a real Okinawan master wear a black gi. Are we better than them???????



Edit:

OK I can see the getting dirty stuff but if you have a white gi you can see when someone takes care of their gi and actually washes it on a regular basis. I have two white gi, one for getting dirty and the nice one for more formal occasions.

Answer 14

Most of the schools I've ever been to allow black belts to wear a black uniform.



I prefer it, like others here, as a matter of practicality. I sweat even during the mildest stretching routines. Black has a tendency to hide sweat stains. Occasionally, I wear antiperspirant, which gets on the uniform and then it's next to impossible to wash out; this creates permanent sweat stains on the uniform (even if wearing a T-shirt underneath). I now prefer deodorant nowadays to antiperspirant, not just for the uniform problem, but for other reasons. Deodorant doesn't cause as much a problem to wash out as antiperspirant.



In the school I run, we don't have mats on the floor: it's a wood floor shared by other people who use shoes. The floor is thus dirty and dusty - that gets on uniforms, though it can be seen on white and black uniforms. I think, though, more dirt is hidden with black than white.



Many schools I see use colored uniforms to denote different degrees (dans) or different instruction responsibilities: a 1st dan, for instance, wears all white; 2nd wear white top (or bottom) and black bottom (or top); 3rd and above wear all black. One school I used to go to did this, but 4th and up wore blue top/black bottom. Another had referee uniforms: black bottom/red tops.



So it's just school preference.



I think the person you talked to got scammed. I don't subscribe to the peace and purity crap that's often given; not that I don't believe in peace and purity, but I think it has nothing to do with uniforms, and more to do with poetry. I didn't like poetry in high school, and I don't like it now. (Although, I used it to propose to my wife - but that's another topic best left for the Love and Relationships section of Y!A ...LOL!)

Answer 15

One of the schools I teach at is all black until shodan. After shodan you may where whatever color or brand you choice. I believe it's just personal preference to require certain gi colors.

Answer 16

I prefer the black for workouts outside. Less chance noticing grass stains



The color doesn't denote anything like combat. As far as I'm aware

Answer 17

In my opinion, that school's explanation was full of it. They probably wear it because it looks cooler and many schools do not let colored belts wear any black whatsoever. So it's a marketing ploy.



I feel that only 2nd Dan should wear black uniforms. The schools that I've been with have let students wear a black shirt under their uniform at 1st Dan and then move to black uniforms at 2nd Dan. I like this philosophy.

Answer 18

color or patterns on gis/doboks dont mean anything untill higher level i think 3rd dan is the 1st time there is significance to the dobok color..ours is black now but 5/6 yrs ago it was blue? w/e

Answer 19

Hides blood stains better.

Which you could imply relates to "hardcore" bs.

But doesn't mean much if they're wailing on each other.



I prefer white. It looks nicer and you can tell who hasn't washed their gi.

Answer 20

At my old school we got to wear black doboks when we reached black belt. Then blue at 2nd. Red at 3rd. That's when my school shot itself to hell.



The way I see it, it's choice as is wearing any sort of uniform. Many styles don't have a "uniform" to speak of while others do...for various reasons.

Answer 21

a lot of people make a big deal out of things that don't matter.

Answer 22

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Answer 23

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