Kung Fu Pajamas

[AdrianK]

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel they really need to GO.

IMHO, they just look so goofy on people who are supposedly striving to be legitimate martial artists. Whats the point of them? Most of the ones people wear are poorly made, poorly fitted, improper for legitimate training, and just plain ridiculous. And even if they were all high quality, I honestly feel they make kung fu look like a joke.

To illustrate my point:
Ugh (http://superiormartialarts.com/images/kungsu4.jpg)
Ugh 2 (http://www.amas.net/items/025c.jpg)
Ugh 3 (http://www.martial-art-shop.co.uk/sports/images/detailed/d_218.jpg)
Ugh 4 (http://superiormartialarts.com/images8/spade1031.jpg)

I just don't think they have any place in a studio that promises legitimate training.
[/endrant]

[Lee Chiang Po]

What would you recommend a person wear when training gung fu? I wear shorts mostly, but sometimes I wear loose fitting pants. You need to wear something all the time that gives you freedom of movement.

[TenTigers]

who gives a rat's what people wear?
Most people train in t-shirts and lantern pants, or sweats or shorts. The pj's are usually for demos.
They were never intended for training.
It's pretty obvious.
sheesh.

[zhugeliang]

You'd hate what I wear. Usually some battered t-shirt from the flea markets of China and ripped up sport pants from Walmart, or maybe it was Kmart long ago, something like that. Works for wushu, don't know about you.

[Taryn P.]

Having started BJJ, I have to wear a gi in there (most days). I've never had to wear a gi in any training environment before. The person who invented that thing should be taken out back and shot. It is the most impractical garment imaginable for MA.

[AdrianK]

What would you recommend a person wear when training gung fu? I wear shorts mostly, but sometimes I wear loose fitting pants. You need to wear something all the time that gives you freedom of movement.

Normal workout clothes, pretty much. They're way cheaper, usually more durable, easily washed and easily put on.



who gives a rat's what people wear?
Most people train in t-shirts and lantern pants, or sweats or shorts. The pj's are usually for demos.
They were never intended for training.
It's pretty obvious.
sheesh.

I've been to quite a few kung fu schools out here that require them when training :|

Its not that uncommon either. I've seen it on plenty of websites while looking for schools around the country.

And sure, they can wear their kung fu pajamas whenever they want, its not my business. It just comes off as ridiculous to me.

[David43515]

Usually if a place requires them for anything other than demos, it`s just because the school owner is making money selling them. If they require them they usually require that it`s the kind they conveniently sell, not just anything that might pass for traditional.

[AdrianK]

Thats generally how it is.

Not to mention how they're exploiting the mystique and culture of kung fu to entice students that wouldn't normally practice martial arts.

[yutyeesam]

I wish there was a JKD school that required its students to all wear the bumble bee track outfit. Do you know how insanely cool that would be?

On the other end, I think it's pretty hilarious that some Shaolin schools require students to wear monk outfits. I'd need to wear a long haired white wig w/eyebrow extensions with that, tho.

Seriously tho, I've never been much of a fan for the Chinese designs for martial arts wear. Our uniform now is our black t-shirt w/logo, black sweats, and when it's cold, our top is our black track jacket (American Apparel) with logo. While it doesn't quite satisfy the traditional cultural experience for some, the clothes do say the words "Kung-Fu" somewhere, so there's some comfort in that. I guess. Oh, and there's a yin-yang in there, too. That helps. :)

-123

[AdrianK]

On that subject, can anyone tell me the reason for kung fu shoes?

Sure, you don't want to track in dirt or anything into your training area, but then again, you're never going to fight with them on.

Boxers train with their shoes of differing weights and designs because they fight with them on. When the hell is anyone going to fight with those slippery, light kung fu shoes on? :rolleyes:

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYgqZECK-Ro

cotton is what I wear.

any sneakers with good soles.

shoes with poor quality got worn pretty quickly.

actually, we used to be bear chest/back, when I practiced in high school in Taipei, Taiwan in 1970s.

why? it was always hot and humind in the summer.

you sweated even just standing in the practice ground. so any t-shirt will be soaked with sweat fairly soon.

I also had a kung fu towel and bucket of water.

why? I needed a big towel to wipe off the sweat from my body and head.

a cool bucket of water to soak the sweat towel and ringe dry to be re-used.

guess what the towel was worn off easily, too.

so

cotton really cuts it for me.

--

:)

[yutyeesam]

I think the Ninja Tabi Boots are made of the same stuff. Perhaps it is to be a Silent But Deadly Kung-Fu Assassin.

Pajamas and slippers as the outfit. You could go straight to bed after practice, and then wake up and practice some more.

Big fan of wrestling shoes for practice. Not that Feiyue stuff (Sorry Gene).

[TenTigers]

Thats generally how it is.

Not to mention how they're exploiting the mystique and culture of kung fu to entice students that wouldn't normally practice martial arts.

is that a bad thing? I don't see how.

As far as shoes go, I require a separate pair of sneakers, or wrestling boots. I don't want someone tracking outside dirt onto my floor, where people's faces will be. When we put down the new zebra mats, I will probably require feyues because the gum rubber sole won't wear out the surface.
The slippers are useless. If you buy them so they're comfortable, they will loosen up and fly off your feet. If you buy them tight, your toes crunch up. The brown rubber sole has sharp edges, and there is no traction.

We require uniforms as well-t-shirt and lantern pants.
Neat, ironed and laundered.
I want my students working, sweating and hitting, but I don't want my school to look like a rag-tag bunch of db's.
I want people to walk into my school and feel that they're in a serious, professional, traditional training hall. I don't run a gym, I run a Mo-Kwoon.

I happen to wear a frog button uniform. The pants are the same as my students, but I wear a traditional top. Why? Because I want no mistaking who is the instructor when a person walks in.Plain and simple.
Uniforms create a mindset and atmosphere. It creates a feeling of belonging, and being part of a team. That is why there are sports team uniforms, and also why they are worn in the military. It creates cohesiveness.
We also line up, bow in, train in ranks, say ,"Yes Sir!" and stand at attention.
This creates a group energy that you can feel. Along with that, it uses principles of NLP. The way you stand, hold yourself, and use your voice will affect how you feel about yourself.

[-木叶-]

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel they really need to GO.

IMHO, they just look so goofy on people who are supposedly striving to be legitimate martial artists. Whats the point of them? Most of the ones people wear are poorly made, poorly fitted, improper for legitimate training, and just plain ridiculous. And even if they were all high quality, I honestly feel they make kung fu look like a joke.
[/endrant]

Kungfu zhuang, or Tang Zhuang, (Kungfu clothing), is a tradition which is
good to upkeep.

The photos shown are... funny... real funny even to a Chinese (me).
Those clothing, are meant for performance (hence the shiny material and bright
colors). No doubt they are quality and some are real silk.

IMHO they are suppose to look this way: click here (http://item.taobao.com/auction/item_detail-db2-582f5c9c6811150e14e4bf3309288b21.htm)
Scroll through the page to see big pics of how it looks like. I have one set, and its not expensive, i believe its in China RMB.

(BTW i am not promoting for the site, i do not gain anything from this. I just want to show the pictures, and on the site it says i am not suppose to reproduce the pictures, so i have to put the link)

[bawang]

if you want to look like real authentic kung fu make your manchu shirt out of rough blue fabric and sprinkle dirt on it and dont eat for a few days

i think "kung fu costume" represents the homersexualization of chinese martial arts

just searching boxer rebel on google u can see exactly what kung fu people wore

http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/asstd/boxer3.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/BoxerSoldiers.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Boxer_tianjing.jpg

they look nothing like silk pjamas theyre jst normal clothing for farmers

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Don't judge a book by its cover... i pay attention to the person not their choice of clothes.. if you're worrying about the 'pajamas', you're probably not that interested in the art, itself.. personally, i favor the pants with the elastic cuffs and good quality sneakers.. while i don't enforce uniformity, i understand its usefulness.. it's not about the clothes.

Be well..

[bawang]

hi taichibob i disagree with you. there are three things that to me represent what is wrong with kung fu today: the springy aluminum swords, the short flower spears and the silk pajama costume. instead of preserving chinese kung fu culture i think it brings it dowwn.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..


hi taichibob i disagree with you. there are three things that to me represent what is wrong with kung fu today: the springy aluminum swords, the short flower spears and the silk pajama costume. instead of preserving chinese kung fu culture i think it brings it dowwn.
Hi bawang: There are things that 'discredit' Kung Fu.. but, it's not what you seem to think.. the image you seem to think brings Kung Fu down, would elevate it IF Kung Fu could start being competitive in actual Combat competition.. IF Kung Fu dominated UFC while wearing 'pajamas', they would be the hottest items around..

I don't own a 'springy' sword (i have 6), my spears are at least 7 feet long waxwood, and i like the rayon/silk pants with the elastic cuffs.. i like good sneakers.. i don't have a uniform policy at my school except for sparring, and that's for the fighter's safety..

The decline of Kung Fu is specifically related to its inability to compete effectively with other fighting arts. But, you are welcome to disagree.

Be well..

[bawang]

hi, i think those thigns i mentioned symbolizes many kungfu people 's inability to fight and drifting from reality. if everybody learned to fight realistically those things wouldnt exist

i just think the floweriness and fanciness doesnt do justice for kung fu the art of cruelty elegance in brutality


when i was visiting taiping rebellion museum in nanjing i saw something amazing. i saw a a general 's sword, one meter long , half a inch thick, still with a little dried blood, still looks sharp. i remember in another museum seeing a han dynasty saber, 2 meters long one inch thick. it makes me sad how that had turned into floppy limp penus aluminum swords as symbol of kung fu. its very symbolic in my eyes

[Laukarbo]

I stopped wearing those when I was 14..now 25 years later I still dont wear them..we have our school shirts,just black with white logo..for demos we wear black pants and a sash and our school shirts. I personally dont have a problem with uniforms just dont like them on me...but hating them..thats waste of energy..or making a thread about it..silly....:cool::D

[Taryn P.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYgqZECK-Ro
actually, we used to be bear chest/back, when I practiced in high school in Taipei, Taiwan in 1970s.
:)

I guess you didn't have any female students in your class! :rolleyes:

[aktionmancer]

at our club, we require uniform (club tshirt, and black pants, white shoes (which you get yourself)

we dont make $$ on the shirts- we sell them for 7 bux each.

biggest reason we require them, I really think it helps students, especially the younger ones, develop a sense of belonging to the club.
that they are a part of something bigger than themselves which def helps with retention.

also, i think its cool when we have a full class all wearing the same thing and it looks like my own personal ninja army!

[AdrianK]

I don't have a problem with uniforms. Having a club T-shirt and pants and such are great. It makes sense. The pajamas don't, to me. To TenTigers about wearing it to assert that you're the instructor - I can definitely understand that.

[GeneChing]

One of the main reasons I train in Kung Fu is I like to walk around in my silk pajamas. The chicks dig it (especially the blondes (http://www.martialartsmart.net/1120.html))

[AdrianK]

Shes not a natural blonde! :D

[TenTigers]

Shes not a natural blonde! :D
nope, I don't think the collar matches the cuffs...

[TenTigers]

the carpet doesn't match the drapes....but a bare wood floor would cure that.

[IronWeasel]

the carpet doesn't match the drapes....but a bare wood floor would cure that.


Lol! Awesome...

[Yao Sing]

Who cares, I want one!!!

You guys are way too picky - next you'll be wanting apps for your forms. Geesh.

[TenTigers]

Who cares, I want one!!!

You guys are way too picky - next you'll be wanting apps for your forms. Geesh.

nah, I want forms for my apps.

[goju]

just train naked like that german terrorist on die hard three lol