The Black Uniform

[clapping_tiger]

I read an interesting article this weekend on why most Kenpo Systems use a black Uniform. I don't have the article in front of me, so I will do the best I can from memory. If anyone is interested I will get that article and post it verbatim in here.

The white uniform represented purity and innocence. Back in the early days (some of you Senior's can probably verify this or discredit this story)the Kenpo people wanted to show that their art was different from the traditional arts and sport karate. They wanted to black gi to show that this was a deadly fighting art(with the black being seen as deadly and vicious), and not just another sport art. It also was said to have a psychological effect on other competitors. According to the article it said that Chuck Norris was quoted as saying he hated fighting those Kenpo Fighters in their Black Gi's. I assume he may have been referring to Steve (Muhammad) Sanders. That is basically what the article said, if you want more I will post it.


P.S. If this is inaccurate don't kill the messenger.

-Jason Johnson

 

[KenpoDragon]

I for one would very much like to see and read this article that you are referring to. Please post it so that the enquiring minds can see it.

:asian:

 

[John Bishop]

I would also like to see the article. The kenpo tradition was for instructors to wear black gi's and students to wear white gi's. Kajukenbo was the first system to start wearing black gi's for all students in the 50s. The fighters clad in black in the 50-60s would have been Kajukenbo fighters like Carlos Bunda, who won the first 2 IKC's in the lightweight division, and Al Dacascos who still has the record for most 1st places in one IKC competition.
Or Phil Cornan who beat both Chuck Norris, and Joe Lewis.
Most if not all of Mr. Parker's fighters in the 50-60s wore white.

 

[clapping_tiger]

I will have to post it tomorrow. Another student gave me the article to read and I left it at the school. I will get it tomorrow and post it then.

-Jason Johnson

 

[Michael Billings]

What I heard was that at a tournament Mr. Parkers saw a large footprint on a white gi. The point was called even if the judges did not see the kick land. "Hmmmmm...." says he, and thus the black uniform. Look ma, no footprint. That would be at the time that Steve Sanders Mohammid was fighting extensively.

Mr. LaBounty has an interesting take on white v. black uniforms. Or at least he did a couple of decades ago, when asked why he wore white.

Oss,

 

[arnisador]

How a Black Gi brought about Elvis Presley's divorce.

 

[redfang]

There is an article discussing the black gi origin on the Tracy karate website. I don't have the URL offhand, but its easy enough to find.

 

[John Bishop]

From the Tracys Website

"The full use of the "Black Gi" was actually instituted by Sijo Emperado and used by all Kajukenbo stylists of all ranks.

The first Black Uniforms imported to the United States were so thin and flimsy, they were torn with the first hard grab or throw.

Originally most Kenpo practitioners had to use unbleached Judo uniforms (bleaching to make them WHITE weakened the material) to hold up to the grabbing and throwing. Early Kenpo as taught in the 50's was very much Kenpo-Jiu Jitsu: realistic grabs and hard throws.

This is where the main break would come between "Traditional Kenpo" and "American Kenpo." When quality black uniforms became available (usually from one of the Kajukenbo sources), black uniforms became the accepted standard for all students.

Ed Parker and American Kenpo took another path: Only instructors were allowed to wear a "Black Gi."

"he wearing of a "Black Gi" also had a great "psychological" effect. I remember reading a article by Chuck Norris when he related that as a "brown belt" what concern him most were those "Kenpo fighters in black uniforms" . . . if they wore a beard, as Ralph Castellanos did, it was even worse!

For over 30 years the "Black Uniform" gave Kenpo its unique identity; Kenpo and Kajukenbo were the only styles wearing the "Black Gi'! Today so many are wearing "Black Gi's" you can't tell if they are Kenpo or Kajukenbo stylists, until you see them fight! (We are the ones disqualified for excessive contact). Just wearing a "Black Gi" does not make you a fighter.

The Black Gi is part of our Kenpo/Kempo/Kajukenbo heritage and distinguishes us from all other Martial Arts. It states to the entire world: "We are a fighting art"!

 

[Zepp]

I was always under the impression that black was worn so that the blood wouldn't show.

 

[KenpoDragon]

Originally posted by Zepp
I was always under the impression that black was worn so that the blood wouldn't show.

By that I'm sure you mean the other guys blood, right???

 

[webpage20022003]

Originally posted by clapping_tiger
I read an interesting article this weekend on why most Kenpo Systems use a black Uniform. I don't have the article in front of me, so I will do the best I can from memory. If anyone is interested I will get that article and post it verbatim in here.

The white uniform represented purity and innocence. Back in the early days (some of you Senior's can probably verify this or discredit this story)the Kenpo people wanted to show that their art was different from the traditional arts and sport karate. They wanted to black gi to show that this was a deadly fighting art(with the black being seen as deadly and vicious), and not just another sport art. It also was said to have a psychological effect on other competitors. According to the article it said that Chuck Norris was quoted as saying he hated fighting those Kenpo Fighters in their Black Gi's. I assume he may have been referring to Steve (Muhammad) Sanders. That is basically what the article said, if you want more I will post it.


P.S. If this is inaccurate don't kill the messenger.

-Jason Johnson

I know where you read this article. It is from AL TRACY web site.
Your is 99.9% accurate to AL TRACY's article on his web site

I READ this article at AL TRACY site. Not sure if it is true but it's really entertaining

Kempo is War Art

*why am i always the last ONE to tell it is from AL TRACY web site????*:soapbox: :soapbox:

i need to work on my SPEED

 

[webpage20022003]

Originally posted by KenpoDragon
By that I'm sure you mean the other guys blood, right???

let's hope so

 

[clapping_tiger]

I know where you read this article. It is from AL TRACY web site.

Actually I read the article in a newsletter from the Combat Hapkido Federation. The article was written by Master Robert T. Yarborough and here are his words from the article.

“ Why should we wear black uniforms? Is it just for a sense of style or to make us look different? I say yes. But to understand why, we must go back and look at a bit of history.

In the mid 70’s when I first started training in Kempo (Kenpo), we wore black. This tradition started in 1937 when Masayoshi (James) Mitose returned from training with his Grandfather, Sukehei Yoshida (Kenpo/ Kosho 20th Great Grand Master) in Japan. He wanted to send a message to the other Martial Artists in Hawaii that his “Art” was not just another Japanese or Okinawan Martial Art. He did so by wearing a black Gi. This was contrary to the nature of the traditional Martial Arts where white was an indication of purity. Black took on the meaning of evil and was an indication of death and bruising. The message the black Gi sent was that Kenpo was a war art. The black Gi also had a great psychological effect. Chuck Norris related in an article that as a brown belt what concerned him most were those “Kenpo Fighters in black uniforms”. From a historical perspective, the black Gi certainly fits our Combat Hapkido style. In the modern Self Defense arena we are in every sense of the word a WAR art. Let’s all make black uniforms our tradition and tell the entire world: “We don’t play sports in white uniforms… We are a fighting art!!” ”

So that’s the article. Any ideas on how accurate it is?

 

[John Bishop]

The black gi belongs to the Kajukenbo and Kenpo families. Everyone else wearing one is just trying to take advantage of the reputation that the Kajukenbo/Kenpo fighters earned in the 60s-70s.
Let them start their own tradition, and earn their own reputation. :soapbox:

 

[KenpoDragon]

Originally posted by John Bishop
The black gi belongs to the Kajukenbo and Kenpo families. Everyone else wearing one is just trying to take advantage of the reputation that the Kajukenbo/Kenpo fighters earned in the 60s-70s.
Let them start their own tradition, and earn their own reputation. :soapbox:

I agree with Mr.Bishop, let them earn the reputation "we" have fought for.

:boxing:

:asian:

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by John Bishop
Let them start their own tradition, and earn their own reputation.

I assume you are being facetitious? This is the karate version of the judo uniform, itself a modified version of traditional Japanese garments--claiming the idea of changing its color to black seems a bit much! Even if Kajukenbo did it first, it's a simple and natural modification!

 

[clapping_tiger]

It doesn't really matter to me what the color of their uniforms are. I have gone to tournaments and you see blue, red, gold, yellow, white, multi-colored, checkered, stripes, ...........
You even see other schools with black uniforms and they are not Kenpo schools. In my opinion I represent the art, not what color uniform I am wearing, however I do prefer the black uniform for 2 reasons, It doesn't show any dirt you may have brushed up against, and it does seem to have a psychological effect to a certain degree.

 

[clapping_tiger]

And I know, my uniform is actually grey now, but hey, that just shows that it is getting some good hard use. And as much as I know I should buy a new one, I think I will have a hard time retiring my old friend. It has been with me since the beginning of my Kenpo training and taken as taken every kick, punch, and takedown I have.

 

[John Bishop]

Well, actually the gi is not a traditional Japanese garmint. The kimono was worn by both men and women in Japan. And the hakama used in jujitsu, aikido, and the sword arts is reflective of this style of Japanese garmints.
Gi's were worn by Okinawan karate practitioners with a sash or rope. The judo people adopted the gi and added the "obi" modern karate/judo style belt.
And then the traditional Japanese who practiced "Karate-do" bleached the gi pure white to represent the "purity of spirit" while practicing the the "karate-do" versus the Okinawan "Karate-jutsu".
The Kenpo/Kajukenbo practitioners of Hawaii were the first to use the black gi's and establish themselves as the fighters in black. If some of the newer Kenpo pratitioners fail to take pride in this Kenpo tradition, then that is their loss. Many of us have been around long enough to remember when anyone you saw in black was part of the Kenpo/Kajukenbo "ohana".

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by John Bishop
Many of us have been around long enough to remember when anyone you saw in black was part of the Kenpo/Kajukenbo "ohana".

Indeed, I must grant that for quite some while a black gi did make me think Kenpo as the likely art of the person. It was the comment that others should "start their own tradition" that caught my attention--it is too strong to call it a Kenpo tradition, I feel, given what a minor variation it is of the basic Karate uniform.