| I think the uniform can be important, but I have 2 viewpoints on it:
1. Combat: Based on combat, my opinion is wear exactly what you would wear when you are out on the street. Alot of people I train with will often times show up in jeans and I think that is perfectly acceptable. No sense in wearing something in class that has more functionality that what you would wear on the street. We fight how we train and this part of the picture is certainly not an exception to that idea.
2. Culture: Part of the reason I study CMA is to learn more about the culture, the history, and the way of life they used to lead. A traditional kung fu jacket with frog buttons and such isnt a uniform to me...It simply the garb that was/is worn by those in that part of the world. And I enjoy wearing that type of shirt, not only because I love that type of clothing, but also because I feel it helps me get in touch with that culture a bit better. If I were a historian re-enacting a civil war, I would wear the clothes of that time period, not a pair of jeans and a AC/DC t-shirt. Similarly, when I train I like to play the part, to step into the shoes as much as I can, of those who trained in Asia in generations before me. And that goes beyond uniform , I enjoy classes more when the kwoon is set up as it was traditionally, and the classes are run the way they used to--strict and hard, with slow progression, to preserve the art as closely as I can. And its not because I am a "traditional" guy...Im just really fascinated by that part of the Chinese culture. |