Martial arts are practiced for self defense and sport but often have their origins in warfare. Many countries have a national martial art. The design of the uniform is dictated by the demands of the techniques practiced. Martial arts that require that you to be able to grip your opponent often use strong jackets and pants whereas striking martial arts are often performed while wearing a more minimalist uniform to facilitate ease of movement. There are a variety of types of martial arts uniforms.
Grappling-Based Martial Arts
Grappling martial arts, such as Japanese Judo, Russian Sambo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, involve holding and throwing. This means that you need to be able to get hold of and maintain a firm grasp on your opponent. Players of the grappling martial arts usually wear strong cotton jackets and pants called gi. A gi is a loose fitting garment that is manufactured to withstand a lot of wear and tear. Gi is a Japanese term but is used in most grappling martial arts irrespective of the country of origin with the exception of Russia where it is called a Kurtka. Gi are held in place with knotted belts and are based on Japanese kimonos.
Striking-Based Martial Arts
Striking martial arts such as European kickboxing, Thai boxing and French Savate allow you to use your hands and feet as weapons. This means that uniforms for these types of martial arts must be nonrestrictive to allow for the performance of high kicks. Although some kick boxers wear long pants, it is more common for fighters to wear shorts. Japanese Karate and Chinese Kung Fu are the main exceptions and participants in these arts wear lightweight variations of the traditional gi uniform.
Weapons-Based Martial Arts
Some martial arts, such as Japanese Kendo, fencing and Filipino Eskrima, use weapons. Where Kendo uses a wooden pole to simulate a Samuri sword, the sport of fencing uses non-lethal swords with no sharp points or edges. Filipino Eskrima is a stick fighting system where participants use two short batons made of wood. Because of the potential dangers of the weapons-based martial arts, uniforms are designed to protect the fighters from injury. Helmets, face masks, padded gloves, chest protectors and groin protectors are all part of the uniforms worn for weapons-based martial arts.
Ranks Within Martial Arts
Many martial arts use elements of their uniforms to indicate rank. The most common way is the use of colored belt. Judo, Sambo, Karate and Kung Fu all use belts, or sashes in the case of Kung Fu, to indicate seniority. A white belt or sash usually indicates a novice while a black belt indicates an expert. French Savate boxers wear different colored gloves to indicate their rank but, in the case of Western boxers, professional boxers fight bare chested while amateurs wear singlets and head guards. Some martial arts, such as fencing, Thai boxing and wrestling, have no indicators of rank within their uniforms.
References
- "Training for Warriors: The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Workout"; Martin Rooney; 2008
- "The Martial Arts Book"; Laura Scandiffio and Nicolas Debon; 2010
- "The Original Martial Arts Encyclopedia: Tradition, History, Pioneers"; John Corcoran, Emil Farkas, and Stuart Sobel; 1993
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