Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

So I was reading Nick's article on why he wears a black belt now.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=559

I think he brings up some really good points about how we are perceived by other artists. Besides the candy cane belts, we as a collective are prety lax about the standard uniform of aiki arts...the hakama.




A month ago I went to a seidokan seminar. There was only one other guy not wearing a hakama. Of course he was the only other Tomiki guy. Seeing us made it sink in that Tomiki guys have gotten lazy about the hakama. Lord knows I am.

At KyuRyu Aikibudo September is wear your hakama month. Thus far we have been wearing them all kinds of stupid ways, and folding them all kinds of stupid ways, but we are learning. (and tripping) Some of us are finding we really like them. I invite ya'll to join us in our exercise.

I've got my hakama in my bag, though I rarely wear it. Nick shot some test video clips with and without hakama, and I must say the ones with hakama were a little more visually appealing.

You know, I've always liked to wear mine, but I'm usually the only one and I can't help but feel a little silly. For jodo, I even dig out the navy keikogi.

I've always wondered, though, if Tomiki line got away from it because he was also a judoka, and they obviously don't wear them anymore? Curious...

I've seen video of Tomiki, and he wasn't wearing hakama. Are there certain branches on the Tomiki tree that do or don't wear hakama these days?

Let me dust off my memory....

It seemed the Jiyushinkai yudansha always wore hakama at seminars and formal gatherings when I was training with them. So yes, they do. Day to day in the dojo there was usually only one or two guys wearing one. The hakama was special wear, not day to day for most, at least in Waddell Sensei's dojo. I think the Oklahoma City Jiyushinkai guys were always wearing them past yudansha when Steve Duncan was there. Not sure, but I guess you could always peek in their windows.

You guys are more aware than I, but I have rarely seen a Fugakukai guy in hakama - at least in media. KyuRyu had a member that was also a member of Fugakukai. When a picture was sent to Houston of him in hakama, the response that came back was "you guys play dress up."

I have never seen Nariyama of the JAA wear one, or anyone in the BAA. No I take that back, I have seen a film of some women in England wearing them.

I think the guys at the aikibudokan in Houston wear them.

Dr Lee Ah Hoi wears one from the films I have seen.

Neil Sanders wears one on his book cover. I have no idea what line he comes from.



The only picture I can recall seeing Tomiki in hakama. At this stage he is still under Ueshiba




I guess one of the reasons I brought it up, when you guys came down here - the hakama issue really puzzled the other Aikido guys off. I put on my hakama for an hour so they all knew it was cool to wear one. A small thing, but worth looking at.

As far a asthetics, it looks better on film, without a doubt. I think some of the awkward human stepping is disguised to make it look more other worldly.

looks like its mostly a special occassion for tomiki folks thing -- Nariyama does actually wear one in his book-- and aikibudokan does for videos etc but at the get together last year we just wore plain dogi-- some folks love to to throw around the "play dress up" critique but that goes both ways as most of the tomiki world can be critiqued for dressing down (really its just wanting to look more like tough guy judo players -- course a bunch are also tough guy judo players)--personally i like hakama -- they look kinda classy and they definatly project the aiki image --i'll take ya up on your challenge bub-- hakama for me for september

ps -- thanks for the word about the austin folks confusion -- valuable feedback

I remember reading in the forward of a Ueshiba aikido book (the name and author escapes me) about how the author showed up once to class when he was young and didn't have his hakama. Ueshiba made him sit on the sidelines and watch class because he wouldn't allow anyone to practice in their "underwear"! 😂

He also mentioned how most of the folks then had to borrow their grandfather's hakama because they didn't own any, and you would see all kind of patterns and colors. I guess we'll have to settle for plain ol' black or navy.

I've always been drawn to the formalities and traditions of the martial arts. I like the look of the hakama and I agree that it makes the practitioner look more elegant. I'll take the challenge, just as soon as my hakama arrives. 😉 Hoping it will be in by the end of the week.

i got a bunch of extra hakamas around if anybody wants one to wear til ya get yer own

I purchased a copy of Ellis Amdur's new book "Hidden in Plain Sight". In it there is a picture of Tomiki in action in a hakama. There is no information contained about the details of the picture.

good taste in reading there Scott -- i'm on it too

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the book when you are finished. Not so much the history, rather the thoughts about "internal strengths" and the manner in which they might be developed.

Can someone explain the meaning of the hakama historically and perhaps the meaning it will have for us to now start wearing it. I am all for traditions and think it's really cool to wear but will it affect our practice? I have trained in several other aikido schools {non-Tomiki} and have in casual conversations heard from instructors that the hakama looks cool and is a tradition but they would rather not wear it as it is somewhat cumbersome and gets in the way.

The 7 folds in the hakama (5 in the front, 2 in the back) is said to have the following symbolic meaning:

1. Yuki = courage, valor, bravery
2. Jin = humanity, charity, benevolence
3. Gi = justice, righteousness, integrity
4. Rei = etiquette, courtesy, civility (also means bow/obeisance)
5. Makoto = sincerity, honesty, reality
6. Chugi = loyalty, fidelity, devotion
7. Meiyo = honor, credit, glory; also reputation, dignity, prestige

Here is a link to website that has some of the meaning behind the hakama.
http://www.westlord.com/aikido/eng-hakama.html

sagiba writes that the hakama originates as a type of chaps for the horse mounted samurai-- hence a link to feudal nobility (seven folds etc. ) how does it effect our practice? besides psychologically, i think not at all-- how does it effect image and market? -- i think it might alot since it folds into the dominant visual meme for aikido

The traditional rationale is that it supports the hara and koshi, increasing awareness of the one point and encouraging solid body movement. Also it looks cool.

As an aside, I was reading about the "one point" and what that means in Japanese culture, recalling that "maintain one point" was one of Tohei's 4 principles. Seems that one point is not simply a reference to the tan-t'ien (hara), but specifically refers to mind-body unity. Like an electric circuit, when the positive and negative poles are at one point, you have infinite voltage. So your aim is to remove the mind as a resistor between the intention and the action. This was described as fundamental to the Japanese (Zen) approach to every art and craft.

So, wear a hakama to eliminate your mind.

It's funny, in Dave Lowry's book "In the Dojo" he says he has never found any historical verification that the pleats had any meaning at all, but the article Derek linked to sited a first-hand account of Ueshiba himself relating those very meanings! Ah, well...

From my own experience wearing the hakama, I'd have to agree with Jack in that it definitely supports the hara, and increases awareness of my posture and encouraging solid body movement. I just feel the need to stand straighter, to move with more purpose and refinement. Undoubtedly all psychological, but interesting.

I also think it has something to do with what Nick was talking to me a while ago about how folks in different religions will get dressed in specific garb and go to a specific place, etc. to worship. It has a way of focusing the mind and body on what's going on that you don't quite get from normal everyday wear. (I might be butchering Nick's thoughts, so you're welcome to clarify, sir 😄 !)

For anyone interested in just how you put the thing on... I have spent a lot of time trying to find a good video showing how to put hakama on "correctly", and I've discovered two things:

1) There are as many ways to put them on and tie them as there are arts.
2) Almost all of the video are very hard to see because to dumb things are so dark.

That being said, I kind of like this one. It's for kendo, but it's pretty basic, and the guy is really thorough with his explanation and you can see things pretty well.

Of course, if you're looking for a practical reason for wearing it, well, there isn't any. There really isn't one for wearing any of it, the white dogi, whatever. If practicality is the concern, than I guess we might as well do what Bruce Lee did and practice in our street clothes with the focus on fighting on the street. Which, oddly enough, is exactly what the Japanese warrior class did--kimono and hakama was what they wore "on the street."

Presumably, though, we study aikido and judo for the more difficult-to-define "art" or "way" (they're not aiki-jujutsu or jujutsu, after all). So I suppose we have to look for other reasons for wearing hakama, or any of it, really. What does it do for our practice? our mindset? And those may vary, and be very personal. I have mine, but they may not be everyone's.

Sean Ashby wrote:It's funny, in Dave Lowry's book "In the Dojo" he says he has never found any historical verification that the pleats had any meaning at all, but the article Derek linked to sited a first-hand account of Ueshiba himself relating those very meanings! Ah, well...

From my own experience wearing the hakama, I'd have to agree with Jack in that it definitely supports the hara, and increases awareness of my posture and encouraging solid body movement. I just feel the need to stand straighter, to move with more purpose and refinement. Undoubtedly all psychological, but interesting.

Dave Lowry is kind of a koryu snob, and Ueshiba is about as gendai as you get (philosophy-and-innovation-driven rather than battlefield-samurai-pure-transmission). So he might not consider Ueshiba to be a "historical" source.

The koshita is designed to straighten your posture. If you can slump in a hakama, it's probably not tied tight enough. 😂