| Back in history, during the times when many | | | | martial art clothes that are worn have remained |
| martial arts were first developing, the martial art | | | | the same. In most Japanese martial arts the |
| clothes that practitioners wore were very similar | | | | wearing of a gi is a sign of respect both for the |
| to their normal everyday clothing. Often, life was | | | | art itself and to the ancestors - the forefathers |
| hard and extremely violent, either because of | | | | and masters of those particular styles. Some |
| criminal gangs and warlords fighting for power | | | | styles, such as judo, developed techniques that |
| over their regions, or because of occupation by | | | | use the garment itself for choking the opponent. |
| invading foreign armies. | | | | Of course, these techniques are still practised |
| Although it was common for martial arts to be | | | | today, but would not necessarily be available to |
| banned, people continued to practise them for | | | | the practitioner in a real self-defence situation, |
| self-protection. In such cases they needed to be | | | | since people do not walk around town wearing a |
| inconspicuous, so as not to be detected and | | | | gi these days. |
| punished. The use of everyday martial art clothes | | | | The majority of Chinese kung fu styles nowadays |
| made it harder for the occupying authorities to | | | | use martial art clothes that closely resemble |
| catch them. Furthermore, wearing such normal | | | | contemporary fashion. Very few kung fu clubs |
| clothes allowed techniques to be developed that | | | | and schools insist on black toggle fastening |
| were suitable for everyday life. For example, if | | | | jackets with white collars and cuffs, instead opting |
| the general fashion was for tighter trousers, it is | | | | for black kung fu bottoms or track pants and a |
| unlikely that high kicks would have been | | | | simple white t-shirt. Often the only sign that these |
| incorporated into local martial arts. | | | | people are kung fu students is a badge on the |
| The clothes themselves - not to mention the local | | | | t-shirt denoting which style they practise, or some |
| terrain - dictated which techniques became | | | | Chinese calligraphy for the name of their art. The |
| prevalent. And since most people wore baggy | | | | important point is that the clothing is practical for |
| trousers, and therefore were able to kick with | | | | fighting in a self-defence situation, and not so |
| freedom, it was historically the terrain that molded | | | | conspicuous in the first place that it makes the |
| the different styles. For example, kung fu styles | | | | wearer a target (although it must be noted that it |
| from northern China tend to feature high kicks | | | | is extremely rare to see a karate expert walking |
| and flying kicks, whereas southern Chinese styles | | | | the streets in his white uniform). |
| tend to be more associated with low stances and | | | | So the martial art clothes for today's warrior |
| powerful hand strikes, with a sprinkling of low | | | | need to be inconspicuous and "normal" - so you |
| kicks. This is no coincidence as northern China is | | | | can fit in with contemporary fashion and not |
| flat and dry and the ground is hard and stable; in | | | | make yourself a target - but also need to be |
| contrast the south is more boggy, and also more | | | | practical. In other words, find clothes that allow |
| densely populated, making high kicking a higher | | | | you to perform your techniques if you find |
| risk technique. | | | | yourself in danger, as otherwise you may end up |
| Today, people who train in martial arts are | | | | (rather ironically) a "fashion victim. |
| particularly noticeable. Fashion moved on, but the | | | | |