Clothes for classes

The most common among the many martial arts clothing used in training - "kimono".

Coming to the Aikido classroom, you can see that everyone is wearing a special uniform for training, consisting of a jacket made of dense fabric and pants.

This suit is called a "kimono".

Kimono disciplines, adjusts to the training system and is the best clothing for training, because it takes into account all the features of the functional loads that the trainee faces.

The Aikido technique uses grips for the jacket, so it is made of durable material. Places subject to the most intense impact (shoulders, armholes, knees) are reinforced with special inserts that increase the strength of the kimono.

The jacket should not sit too tightly and restrict movement. An additional advantage of a kimono jacket is the presence of special internal ties: such a kimono will not break on the chest, even with active movements.

The belt of trousers can be regulated by an elastic band or ties. The belt on an elastic band is more convenient to use, but less durable, than a variant on ties. Trousers for oriental martial arts are usually made with ties, but with this type of fixation they do not hold well at the waist, especially in children. It is better if the pants are sewn elastic.

Stripes are sewn on the kimono - emblems of clubs where children are engaged.

The aikido belt must be of sufficient length. Twice wrapped around the waist, it should reach the ends to the bottom edge of the jacket. The color of the belt depends on the results achieved. Beginners are given a white belt after passing a special exam.

As with most other martial arts, Aikido has a traditional discharge system. It includes both student degrees and master classes. You can estimate the level of aikido by the color of its belt. The sequence of color changes in the belts in Aikido can vary significantly, depending on the style, consider the main colors of the belts for the traditional direction of Aikikai.

The method of tying the belt

White - the color of snow, the color of the birth of life, the color of the beginning of the new year, the color of a blank sheet on which to write the first lines of Aikido.

Yellow is the color of the rising spring sun, the color of the morning star, the color of the beginning of the year and the beginning of the day.

Orange - represents the beginning of a long journey that the student has yet to go, he is already on the right path, the Aikido sun illuminated him with its rays, but these are only the first steps.

Red - the color of fruit ripeness and maturity of knowledge, the color of autumn - the time of harvest and summing up. The owner of the red belt must look at the path traveled and define new goals and new tasks.

Green - The color of blooming nature, the color of summer. At this level, the teacher sees that the student is already sprouting sown grains, but these grains are still very small and weak. The student takes the first steps in understanding and perceiving Aikido and himself as a whole.

Blue is the color of the sky and the depths of the sea. The student wearing this belt thinks about the immensity of the world, the unknowability of all Aikido, realizes that it is part of the whole. The owner of the blue belt rises to new heights of Aikido and at the same time descends into the unknown depths of the philosophy of martial arts.

Brown - the color of the tree trunk. Despite all the weather and winds, this tree is firmly rooted in the earth - the culture and traditions of Aikido. It is very much connected with Aikido.

Black is the color of wisdom. Black combines all the colors of the spectrum - he understood all the stages of Aikido, went through all the stages from white to brown. Holder of the black belt - the fighter has mastered the technique, morality, culture and etiquette of Aikido.

Hakama is a part of the traditional Japanese costume of a samurai-rider, which is a wide and long pants made of very dense fabric, now used to practice some martial arts, including Aikido.

Aikidoki who have a Dan degree, as well as girls who have a degree above 3 Kyu, are allowed to wear a skirt-pants called a hakama. In Aikido, it is black or dark blue. Traditional hacks are made of a fabric that consists of 50% cotton and 50% polyester. This composition provides the best appearance, good shape and strength.

Hakamas are tied over the waist on a kimono, low on the thighs, which also helps to focus on the area of gravity. Hakama hides the movements of the legs, as well as gives elegance and beauty to the movements in Aikido.

Traditionally, a hakama has seven folds - five at the front and two at the back, and like most things in Japan, each has its own meaning.

The meaning given by Morihei Ueshiba:

- DZIN (friendliness)

- GI (honesty, fairness)

- RAY (politeness, etiquette)

- THOSE (wisdom)

- IDU (sincerity)

- TU (loyalty, devotion)

- KO (reverence for elders or piety)

The length of the hakama should be up to the ankle. If it is longer, it will be tangled in the legs, and it is not necessary to take it shorter, because after washing it will sit down a bit, so it will be just right.

Disguised in traditional samurai clothing, Aikido practitioners begin training with the feeling that their spirit and body become one before training.