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Sailor Sindbad
Yellow Belt
Joined: 05 Dec 2019
Posts: 50
Styles: Kobayashi Shorin-ryu, Shotokan
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 Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 8:05 am Post subject: |
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| DarthPenguin wrote: |
| Sailor Sindbad wrote: |
I moved from a dojo that gives free gis to new students to one that requires students to purchase their own.
I like the latter policy better.
The free gis given at the former are of obvious low quality and don't look very good. In my estimation, I'd assume that the intent of those free gis being issued is to get a student started immediately to give them time to purchase their own later, but it doesn't always work out like that. I've seen people make it all the way up to shodan with the free uniform, but not too long after, they purchase one that's higher quality (I'm assuming they were probably told to by the kancho).
I like the idea of students being required to purchase their gis from the beginning, because it requires them to compare gis and make selections based on those comparisons - i.e., they're more likely to select ones that are of higher quality.
I'd much rather see a white belt in an expensive gi than a black belt in a cheap one. |
Not wanting to be confrontational here but can i ask why? The quality of someone's gi (in my opinion at least) has no bearing at all upon their skills.
Martial arts is an expensive activity so i don't see why you would want to price people out by almost making them use a pricey gi?
I know that wherever i have trained they would much rather you turned up and trained in an old gi than didn't train at all - for me the decision to pay the greater fees for training more often vs an expensive gi is a no brainer.
I am probably being slightly hypocritical here as i just ordered myself a new Hirota karate gi which wasn't cheap and i use quite expensive bjj gi's too but i have never really looked at someone else's gi other than wondering what one they had as it looked a decent fit and they look the same size as me etc!
Can i ask what would be wrong with the black belt being in a cheap gi? Doesn't the colour of the belt show their dedication and commitment to the art?
Again i hope this doesn't come across as confrontational, i am genuinely curious as it is an opinion that i haven't heard before and it might be a line of thought i am oblivious too and a gap in my own knowledge! |
I'm retired military, so I have a thing about uniforms. To me, the higher the rank, the more important it is that you set the standard for appearance. And if someone of lower rank wants to step up, then it should be encouraged.
Again, it's the military in me. |
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DarthPenguin
Purple Belt
Joined: 03 Dec 2021
Posts: 584
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Styles: Shotokan, Judo, BJJ
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:43 am Post subject: |
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Makes sense though cheap doesn't always means 'looks cheap'
I suppose it comes down to if the issue is with appearance (ie not looking smart enough) which i can understand given your background (and tbh i would usually expect people to be presentable) or quality which is slightly different. If someone wants to use a cheap quality (but presentable looking) gi that just doesn't last as long until they have to replace it then i don't see the harm.
Might also be the bjj in me though! I remember training under an individual in a former style who was mega picky, if you had stubble you couldn't train etc as he said grooming and appearance was important (though mysteriously this rule got waived when he decided to grow his own beard..). I remember when i trained there is i was late due to transport issues getting to the class and turning arounf and going home if i was 5-10min late as there was no guarantee i would be able to take part and i might even get banned for a month! Was totally different when i began bjj - i remember automatically going to do the same and the coach noticed me turning round and asked what on earth i was doing? He told me that in his book the important thing was getting in as much training as possible. As long as your gi is clean etc and hygiene measures have been followed then he didn't care really |
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Sailor Sindbad
Yellow Belt
Joined: 05 Dec 2019
Posts: 50
Styles: Kobayashi Shorin-ryu, Shotokan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2023 7:09 am Post subject: |
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| DarthPenguin wrote: |
Makes sense though cheap doesn't always means 'looks cheap'
I suppose it comes down to if the issue is with appearance (ie not looking smart enough) which i can understand given your background (and tbh i would usually expect people to be presentable) or quality which is slightly different. If someone wants to use a cheap quality (but presentable looking) gi that just doesn't last as long until they have to replace it then i don't see the harm. |
And this can be an issue at times. Because they're not always going to replace it when it needs to be replaced. In all likelihood, someone who purchases something low quality to save a few bucks is also likely to delay replacing it when the time comes, since both are miserly acts (this is life in general, not just martial arts).
Bear in mind, I'm not saying that everyone should have to purchase a Japanese brand gi (though I'd encourage it if they're willing to spend the extra dollar), but there are decent ones that can be had in the $75 to $100 price range. |
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