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Stephenjudoka
1st April 2001, 23:50
Hi all,

What is your opinion of coloured Judo Gi for competition.
I don't mean just blue and white, how about different colour Gi's for different clubs.

Just think how this would look on TV. What I thought of is say colours similar to football jersey's. I.e. Red and white like Manchester Unitied or Orange and Blue for Luton.

In Internationals you could wear your countries colours.
Red, white and blue for G.B. and Star and Stripes for U.S.A.

I know traditionalists will hate this but this is the 2001 is it time to move on.

Stephen Sweetlove

Brian Griffin
2nd April 2001, 02:11
Aye laddy!

An' the Scots will look bonny in Blackwatch plaid jackets...
...with Royal Stuart trousers.

Can we color-coordinate the belts, as well?

Hawai'ian judoka in Aloha-gi ?

Would the USAF team _have_ to wear blue polyester?

Would the US Army team wear their black berets?

Now that blue gi are everywhere, what do we call a "kohaku shiai?"
And shouldn't 6th-8th dan be a _blue_ & white paneled belt?


After all, this is 2001; it's time to move on.

MarkF
2nd April 2001, 07:46
Originally posted by Brian Griffin
Aye laddy!

An' the Scots will look bonny in Blackwatch plaid jackets...
...with Royal Stuart trousers.

Can we color-coordinate the belts, as well?

Hawai'ian judoka in Aloha-gi ?

Would the USAF team _have_ to wear blue polyester?

Would the US Army team wear their black berets?

Now that blue gi are everywhere, what do we call a "kohaku shiai?"
And shouldn't 6th-8th dan be a _blue_ & white paneled belt?


After all, this is 2001; it's time to move on.

Brian,
Fine comeback. First which came to mind was Richie Barathy, then Dr. Dai Soke of some "combat judo" club.

The twist on this seems to be, no matter how much one fights against this, e.g., Japan Judo Federation Vs the Blue Judogi. Sounds like two tag teams in pro-rasslin' but the fact is that the Japanese put up a fierce fight concerning the message and content of the color white plus other more rational reasons. We still now have the blue dogi in major events, mostly international, but I have a couple of students who wear blue.

One good reason today for the different color dogi is that, in spite of the reason for introducing them (making judo more appealing to TV and those who watch and follow certain judoka), is that it lowered official error, IE, shinban error, by enough to make that change a good one.

But as to multicolor dogi similar to the NFL, it doesn't make sense. First, there would have to be team judo. While each national group going to the Olympics is called a team, there are no team standings officially, everyone is out for number one, individually. If one can fix this into a team concept (possibly by adding kata competion to international contests, and awards to teams such as gymnastics) then possibly we can talk about other colors, designs, etc. This entails money as well, and except for the IOC/IJF, there isn't much, particularly in judo, even within the IJF and NGBs.

All the rest has been tried in other MA, mostly gendai, but I've seen black dogi with bright, white belts being worn by high ranking teachers, so is it really a matter of advertising and buying whichever looks good, or is it really something to concerns ourselves (judoka)?

I believe the color white is a part of judo, just as rei, the kamisa (be it there or not, we are still following the practice when bowing before mounting the mat, or entering the dojo), white is still the traditional color of the dogi (or the natural color of cotton some still wear), the blue dogi now not a problem as things do change, and it is 2001. Waza has changed when effected by rule of play, but the basic principle in waza is still there.
*****

If you haven't all ready, go to the Koryu forum, and read the thread called "Here a soke, there a soke, everywhere a soke." While it is a nice history lesson, there is the opinion of one Prof. Bodiford mentions which all Kodokan Judoka should really take note of. Tradition was there in the beginning, and I am not so sure Mr. Kano wasn't thinking of it, in his own way.

So "White is all right, but blue is cool." Is that modern enough for ya'll?:cool:

Mark

MarkF
2nd April 2001, 07:58
http://204.95.207.136/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=4521

This is the link to the thread to which I referred so I brought it here.

For those who have not read it, or not in its entirety, I think most judoka would be surprised at the link the Kodokan has to this subject.

The first post is long, but it is the one you should read.

Mark

Stephenjudoka
2nd April 2001, 16:26
Well I am sorry but in Europe coloured gi's are already in use.

There is a team competition held every year in Paris and each club has its own coloured gi.

I was against it until I saw the competition but I must admit it really added to the occassion.
Obviously the gi's were not multi coloured but were plain colours like red, orange, green and blue.

One of the things that has held Judo back is the lack of interest children show towards it. Perhaps adding colour might just bring Judo into the spotlight.

To bring money into the sport you need interest from the population. Judo to the untrained eye can be very boring to watch - nearly as bad as cricket.
Something needs to be done to make it more interesting.

This is not a new idea as Anton GEESINK had advocated it in the 70's.

To be honest I want to stimulate debate - you never know a new idea might be discovered.

My own opinion is we should stay with white and blue but I knew this subject would get people going.

Stephen Sweetlove

Ben Reinhardt
3rd April 2001, 04:21
Blue and white are fine with me. As a referee, it makes it a lot easier to score in certain situations. Multiple colors might make it easier, or more difficult, depending on the mix of colors.

Ben Reinhardt

MarkF
3rd April 2001, 10:22
Don't aplogize Stephen. It isn't a bad idea in the proper context. It seems we still use those colors on obi people wear which came out of Europe. I gave you a sarcastic answer because of the multicolored, red, white, and blue, etc., and the NFL thing.

But it wouldn't be a bad idea for team judo as well. I suppose it could also be used in grading a student. If the color is important, perhaps the problem isn't that there is too many, but that it doesn't cover the body.

But the way the Japanese squealed about the blue dogi, this is going to give them hemmorhoids.:D

It is easier when the sides are wearing differing colors. That certainly has had an unexpectedly good outcome in tournaments. Those little tiny ribbons they tied to our backs when I was a kid, just wasn't enough.

Mark

Aaron Fields
7th April 2001, 00:48
Whatever happened to a good quality natural dogi? That is the color I like, good old, "don't show the dirt so bad" natural. As far as the idea of colors and judogi I dislike it. Also, just because people are doing it doesn't make it a good idea. Just look at the "reality TV" craze or extreme (spelled with a X) sports.

MarkF
7th April 2001, 07:54
In the sixties, all judogi came in the natural color of cotton which was a light tan color. Some still come that way today, but most prefer the bleached look.

Tokuo "Bob" Ota, my teacher's instructions on washing the dogi to beginners:

"Wash it in da code water. Hang to dwy in da bathroom for two to three days. Do not use da bleach."

When I asked him once the reasons for it, he looked at me as if I asked him "Why did the chicken cross the road?" He then said, "No wear. Last longer. You used da bleach, didn't you."

I had just purchased another dogi from him. I had been wearing the same dogi I bought when I was fifteen or so, one which doesn't fit anymore, but not for the reason you think. It still fit in every department, except for one. It doesn't allow for middle age growth around the, well, middle.

Aaron is wrong, even though he is right. Certainly, it is better to prolong the life of a dogi, which it does if left to the natural abilities of the cotton used in the manufacture. Mr. Ota's dogi always looked as if it came straight out of the package. He taught classes three hours, four nights a week since forever (that stopped with his passing in December of 1989).

But colored dogi have been around since I began at the age of twelve, just not in judo dojo. Perhaps the times have changed and colored dogi described by Stephen is here to stay. I can accept that, as I have accepted the blue dogi (Aaron we can have this discussion next week.:).

Sometimes, though, even with the modern realities, we can see the old ways shine through. Judo is judo, and it probably matters little the colors of our practice clothes. It all comes out in the wash, anyway.:D

Mark