Wearing the Hakama and Gi

Wearing the Hakama and Gi
S. D. inlan
May 10, 2012
e Hakama and Gi
e hakama (袴, “pants/skirt”) and keiko gi (稽古着, “practice jacket”)
are the traditional clothes worn during a kendo practice. As kendo is a
martial art descending from a Japanese military class, as well as being a
strong modern do, appearance is an integral part of the practice of kendo.
Showing proper aention to ones appearance while practicing shows
respect for yourself, your sensei and peers, all kendoka who have trained
before you, and perhaps most importantly to the meaning of the art you
practice.
Wearing e Hakama and Gi
e following gives instructions on how to wear a gi, obi¹ (帯, “belt”),
and hakama.
Figure 1: e hakamas pleats symbolize
a number of ideals from Confucianism
and Bushido ([1, 2]). e five front pleats
represent the five cardinal Confucian values
(gojo). e two back pleats are said to
represent chu & ko which give rise ([5]) to
the gorin, the Confucian five bonds of filial
piety. Other interpretations indicate the
rear pleats represent yu and meiyo from
Bushido.
Figure 2: e gi, obi, and hakama.
1
e obi is included here for completeness;
it is not required to be worn during kendo
practice. Simply ignore all reference to it if
you are not wearing one.
Keiko Gi: “Practice Jacket”
Figure 3: Wearing the keiko gi.
Put the gi on and tie the inner
then the outer pairs of himo (紐,
“strings”) in bows. e outer bow
should lay horizontal, the bow
loops and excess himo should be
equal length.
Ensure your gi closes at the collar bone; it is improper for it to gape
open. Also be sure that the collar of the gi is snug against the back of the
neck. Normally nothing is worn underneath the gi save for women who
will wear a sports bra or equivalent. If one does wear something under
the gi, an undershirt or a T-shirt, then traditionally it should not be visible
through the collar of the gi.
If your bow lays vertically then simply
reverse how you loop the himo while tying
it and it will sit properly.
     2
Obi: “Belt”
Tie the obi as indicted in figure 5. Be sure that it is neat, secure, and at
the proper level on your waist.
Figure 4: (Le) Correctly tied himo lay
horizontally, (Right) incorrectly tied himo
lay vertically.
e obi is an optional item and is not worn
by all kendoka. is is but one of many
methods for wearing the obi. See [4] for
more.
Figure 5: Wearing the obi.
     3
Hakama: “Split pants/skirt”
e following shows one method for tying the hakama.
Figure 6: Step into the hakama.
Step into the hakama with your le
foot, then the right.
Procedures in kendo are oen done in the
order “le then right”, with “right then le”
for the reverse. For example, when you
remove the hakama it is “right foot, then
le foot”.
Figure 7: Pull the hakama to your waist.
Next, pull the waistband of the
hakama up to your waist. If wearing the obi, the hakama waistband
should sit such that it is flush with
its upper edge.
Figure 8: Bring the belts to the back then to
the front, crossing right over le each time.
Bring the long belts from the front
of your waist to your back, and
cross them right over le above the
obi. en bring them back to the
front below the waist on a downward angle. Cross them right over
the le.
Bring the belts to the back again
from the where they just crossed
in the front and tie them in a bow.
is bow should be below the obi.
Pull your gi down to remove any
bulging and to straighten out any
bunching.
Figure 9: Tie the belts below the obi, in a
bow.
     4
Pull up the backside of the hakama
and put the small spatula aached
to the koshiita (腰板, “backplate”)
in behind the long belts siing
above the obi. Bring the small belts
from the back to the front keeping
them on top of the descending long
belts. Cross them right over le at
the same place where the long belts
had crossed last.
Figure 10: Bring the rear belts to the front,
crossing them right over le.
Figure 11: Bring the short belt up through
the long belts at the waist.
Bring the right short belt under then
up and behind the crossed long belts
in the front of your waist.
Figure 12: Tie the le and right short belts
together.
Bring it down over the front, and tie
it in a knot with the le short belt.
Figure 13: Tuck the excess belt in behind
the short belts on the hip.
Pull the knot tight, then tuck the
excess in behind the descending
short belts on the hip on each side.
     5
Figure 14: Properly worn gi, obi, & hakama.
e gi, obi, and hakama are worn
correctly.
Z
Key Points:
Be sure to get a properly sized hakama
when purchasing one. e retailer will be
able to indicate which size is appropriate.
1. e belts of the hakama must be tied neatly and securely.
2. e hakama should come to a level just above the foot covering the
bones of the ankle.
3. e boom of the hakama should be angled somewhat, being higher at
the rear than it is in the front.
4. It is considered improper if there is a space or gap between your lower
back and the koshiita. Wearing your hakama properly and keeping a
straight and proper posture will prevent this from happening.
Washing the Hakama and Gi
Keeping your hakama and gi clean is a necessity as with any type of
sports equipment. is is explained in the following excerpt²:
2
Hiroshi Ozawa. Kendo: e Definitive
Guide. Kodansha International, 1997
“Proper care of the keiko-gi and hakama is an essential part of Kendo.
During keiko, these garments will absorb body perspiration and become soiled
and smelly. Obviously, this is unhealthy for the wearer and offensive for others
in the dojo.”
Washing the Gi
It is recommended that you hand wash your gi in cold water with a mild
detergent³. Also, let your gi hang dry instead of using a dryer as you risk
shrinking your gi.
3
In particular, never use detergent which
has any kind of bleach or “whitening”
component to it; it is best to use mild
detergent made for dark colours.
Soaking in Vinegar?
Washing the Hakama
e hakama must be hand washed and hung to dry.
1. Fold the hakama as indicated beginning on p.⁇.
2. Fill a tub or basin with enough (cold) water to submerge your hakama
and mix in some mild detergent (if needed).
3. Place your hakama in the water.
e dye used on the hakama and gi tends
to readily bleed out, especially when new.
ere is a widespread belief that soaking
your uniform in vinegar will bind the dye
to the material. is is true only for silks
and nylons; it will have no effect on the
coon hakama and gi.
     6
4. Unfold the hakama if space permits.
5. Press out any air pockets to keep the hakama submerged.
6. Let the hakama soak for about twenty minutes. Use your hand to rub
out any visible dirt or stains.
7. Drain the dirty water aer the hakama have been soaked.
8. Using clean water rinse the remaining detergent from the hakama.
9. Press as much excess water from the hakama as you can.
10. Re-fold your hakama if necessary.
11. Remove them from the tub and hang your hakama up to dry.
Drying the Gi & Hakama
Gi. Hang the gi to dry in a well ventilated area on a heavy hanger or by
threading a rod or shinai through the arms.
Hakama. Hang the hakama to dry in a well ventilated area using the small
loops on the inside. Use clothes pins to keep it aligned.
References
[1] Dr. Jonathan Bannister. Ethics in Martial Arts. Pacific Northwest Budo
Association. http://www.aishinkai.com/Ethics_in_Martial_Arts.html.
[2] T.O. Holt. Kendo Beginner’s Guide. British Kendo Association. http:
//www.kendo.org.uk/files/beginnersbooklet20092.pdf.
[3] Hiroshi Ozawa. Kendo: e Definitive Guide. Kodansha International,
1997.
[4] Various Methods to Tie the Obi and Hakama (Japanese). http://kimonoo.
net/kituke.html.
[5] Wikipedia. Confucianism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism.
Figure 15: Use clothes pins to help keep the
hakama aligned while drying.
Figure 16: (Le) Using a rod to hang the gi
and (Right) using the small inner loops to
hang the hakama.