Tradition or Change: White or Colored Uniform

[MichiganTKD]

I think one of the reasons why we have etiquette, aside from keeping us in tune with whatever traditions a style evolved from, is to maintain a sense of civility and respect.

In Tae Kwon Do, there were problems originally with students misusing it in gangs and causing trouble. Aside from the various traditions that the Kwan heads came from, etiquette was a way to lift Tae Kwon Do from the level of mere streetfighting to Art worthy of respect. It would be easy as mentioned to just have no etiquette, work out, hit the bag, spar, and go home. But serious students need more than that. Similar to the Hwa Rang and the Samurai. Without etiquette, ethics, and a sense of tradition, we become just fighters willing to scrap.

 

[Marginal]

There's also the element of marketing it abroad. If you present TKD as simply training people how to kick other people in the head, it's not going to go over as well as a "discipline that teaches self-control, integrity etc" will.

That, and if you're a jerk, people don't really want to be around you, much less train with you.

 

[terryl965]

There's also the element of marketing it abroad. If you present TKD as simply training people how to kick other people in the head, it's not going to go over as well as a "discipline that teaches self-control, integrity etc" will.

That, and if you're a jerk, people don't really want to be around you, much less train with you.

Very well said Marginal TKD is more then kick to the head and with anything in life nobody wants to work with ajerk so why train with one.GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[MichiganTKD]

One of the reasons why boxing has such a bad reputation. It does not present itself as an Art with tradition, etiquette, and philosophy. People take boxing because they want to be able to fight. And I don't want any boxers bitching at me. You know it's true.
Yes, there are gyms that try to instill a sense of respect in boxers. But the image most people have of boxers is the loopy fighter who took too many hits and Mike Tyson. 'Nuff said.

 

[ipscshooter]

At our school, students wear all white uniforms until red belt/black stripe, at which point they are allowed to wear black pants with white top. Once reaching black belt, students may wear all white, all black, black pants/white top, or white pants/black top. All gradings, including dan gradings, are done in all white. Tournament uniforms may be any color as the student chooses, I suppose even those weird looking XMA uniforms, although I've never seen anyone wear anything but white or black. I like the black pants/white top look, it's OK with my instructor, so that's what I wear. (Isn't this the traditional uniform for Kuk Sool Won?) I don't see how allowing these types of uniform choices affect the other traditional aspects of TKD, like respect, indomitable spirit, etc., etc., etc. Those traits are not instilled through something as superficial as training clothes.

And, if we're talking about "tradition"... V-necks? What would General Choi think?

 

[glad2bhere]

Kuk Sool Won? Rudy would probably know better than I. I thought the old uniform was all Black and later the organization adopted the snazzie "generals' uniform".

BTW: I should know this--- but I don't. Does anyone know where the Hapkido instructor tops, either white w/ black diamonds or black w/ white diamonds came from? It was all the rage a few years back, though I have not seen them as much now as before. This isn't another "tradition" like the TKD v-neck, is it? Anyone?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[ipscshooter]

Actually, in looking around the net a bit, it seems that most KSW schools wear all black. My son took some JKD lessons from a guy whose primary art was KSW, and he wore a white over black combo.

 

[MichiganTKD]

The V-neck was adopted by the WTF after Gen. Choi left Korea. Onstensibly to differentiate their uniforms from the ones he used, but also to give Tae Kwon Do a separate uniform identity away from the traditional karate uniforms. Up until the V-neck, Tae Kwon Do and karate uniforms were pretty much identical. So no, the V-neck is not traditional in the classical sense of the word, but it was authorized by the WTF as a whole rather than individual instructors doing what they wanted.
My Instructor (6th Dan) wore the traditional uniform for many years. He only started wearing the V-neck recently. I guess the peer pressure was too much

 

[kwanjang]

Kuk Sool Won? Rudy would probably know better than I. I thought the old uniform was all Black and later the organization adopted the snazzie "generals' uniform".
Best Wishes,

Bruce

The Kuk Sool Dobok is all black. At black belt level, they may have gold fringe, and for special occasions they may wear the Chung Guhn Dobok which is trimmed in silver for 1-3rd dahn, silver/red stripe for 4th dahn, red for 5-6 dahn, red with gold stripe for 7th dahn, gold for 8th dahn.

There is no such thing as a "mainly Kuk Sool" school, because they don't allow mixed arts. If one practices more than one art in a school, the school is not WKSA. Many former WKSA Kuk Sool people had to call the art they taught by a different name because of trademark rights.

WKSA reportedly has recently lost the TM rights in some countries, as it was deemed a generic name. In any case, it is VERY expensive to defend against TM infringement, and perhaps that is the reason why we now see more folks use the word Kuk Sool in their school/art/org (even in the US).

 

[ParrotheadTPA]

Our school uses different color pants to show different levels of leadership...red is a coach, blue is an assistant instructor, black is a certified instructor, uncertified instructors wear white. Other than that things are fairly traditional. As a lower ranking belt, I did find it useful in figuring out who was who in the beginning.

 

[MichiganTKD]

Normally in our organization, all black belts from Instructor on down wear the black V-neck. Instructors and assistants will wear a patch indicating them as such, otherwise they dress equally. Team members wear special red/blue demo uniforms while performing, but black V-necks for all other occasions (testing, tournaments, class etc.).
Up until recently, the only uniform I ever saw our Grandmaster wear was a white V-neck.