Uniforms . . .

How important is it to have a good uniform? I know they vary between styles, but how important is a solid uniform for your art? How much would you be willing to spend on it?

When I was still doing TKD I wouldn't dream of spending more than $40-$50 on a uniform, but now that I'm trying BJJ I want a really solid uniform and am actually looking to spend maybe $160 for this one: OntheMat :: Gi :: OTM Midevil Kimono White

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"When you see a good move wait - look for a better one."
- Emanuel Lasker

Generally yeah -- you get what you pay for in MA uniforms. Lower quality & thinner material at the $30-$60 range.

My everyday workout uniform would be about $50-60 -- kung fu pants, t-shirt, and shoes. But I haven't bought an entire uniform at once since i started. Silks run between $100-$200.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

What SG said...
For grappling you need to spend some $$...
I've used Atama, Century and Mizuno gi although there are tons of good ones out there.
The Mizuno is my favorite...
Here's some reviews: Joker's Jiu-jitsu Kimono & Gi Reviews

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"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought the fool, than to open it and prove it so." KungFuTze
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." T. Geisel

We don't spend much at all, just comfortable workout clothes (black pants, white shirt).
If we do a demo or grading then a good uniform is a must and the cost varies on personal choice.

Sirius has some really good gold weave BJJ gis for right at $100. It's the kind we use.

Kimonos

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Rock On!
Cam
"Raise up your mind....."

I spent about $85 for my uniform. It was made by Jonie Uniforms. Its the traditional Chinese uniform with the top having long sleeves and frog buttons down the front. The pants have a draw string waist and elastic cuff at the ankles. Is's made out of cotton/poly. Its black with red trim. The shoes I wear with my uniform are black Nike wresling shoes, they're light.....good for kicking. They cost about $50 bucks or so.

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Mark R.
Smile, your on candid camera.

So yeah…no one is really answering the initial question. In my opinion, its very important to have a good uniform. Basically, you want a set of clothing that allows you maneuverability in whatever you are doing while also being resistant to “wardrobe malfunctions”. Clothing that breathes well and moves well is very important. But everyone’s uniform can be different…uniforms can be traditional or just shirts, pants, & shoes. But you DO want a separate set of clothing (not street clothes) that students associate with the class and workout. It helps to get them in the mood.

Currently, I wear a simple T-Shirt with Kung Fu pants & ADDIDAS wrestling shoes (and a southern style sash to tie it off). On testing days I wear my Chin Woo Uniform top just to look official. The only thing I have told my students not to wear is jeans, so some have shorts while others wear pants. I really only make suggestions about footwear.

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"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

I'm a gear freak. To me MA kit is mostly not that functional. I'm sure it helps the mindset to have specific clothes but my decisions are mostly made around temperature, wicking, how fast it dries, rubbing, freedom of movement, nothing to catch or cut...

I practice outdoors so it's icebreaker tops, with a climbing shell if it's raining/snowing, trousers are fleece or I slum it in cotton if it's warm. Partner work it's more about putting something over my arms that won't rub - I have relatively hairy arms and people find it painful to do limb locking/ push hands once the pressure steps up.

When I did a lot of indoor classes I just wore summer climbing kit. The hassle is you have to change right after class because it starts to stink quickly.

For some arts I appreciate you need solid cotton kit to practice some techniques but I've met a few people who'd picked up really very nasty injuries getting tangled up in the gear. Personally I'd prefer to have kit that tore when that happened and learn other techniques...

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good solid gi for grappling

thats it

loose fitting clothes the rest of the time

“	Originally Posted By: WraithAlcon So yeah…no one is really answering the initial question.	”

So the initial question -- yes it's important? I think by the details everyone gave on what they choose to wear, provides that answer.

Another reason is that it's important in official ways. If you're competing -- a forms tournament, cage fight, whatever -- there is a uniform requirement based on the rule set.

In CMA forms tournament for example, "appearance" is often one of the judging criteria. That means the uniforms must be within specifications (long pants, shoes, sash), hair combed & teeth brushed. In the sparring element there's a uniform & equipment requirement (t-shirt & long pants, gloves and cup, e.g.).

Outside competition, it's as people here say, it's all about training comfortably & safely.

__________________
"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

A uniform and consistent look among students is also a plus, especially for a commercial school. People want to see organization and uniformity when they go looking for a school. Having everyone in the same kind of uniform goes a long way.

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Rock On!
Cam
"Raise up your mind....."

For me, I only like wearing uniforms if I am doing technical work, if it's sparring, I try to train in all types of clothing. Who knows what will happen on the street. But as it was mentioned before, I agree that uniforms are a real plus for the school environment. But I'm not sure if it's the same for MMA schools. Cam could you clarify that for me please?

Well, there really is no such thing as an "MMA school"...
There are schools that train in different disciplines for the purpose of competitng in MMA. In that case each class one took in each discipline would probably have its own uniform. For example, in the BJJ class they would wear gis, in the muay Thai class they would wear MT shorts. Many fighters just wear grappling shorts and rash guards whichever class they are taking. Some schools have their students wearing the same uniforms for a sense of cohesiveness. It differs from school to school.

__________________
Rock On!
Cam
"Raise up your mind....."

What about the school you are in? I'm quite interested in MMA. But in the city I live in we only have Wing Chun, Taekwondo, Karate or Shaolin. No grappling schools whatsoever. Only the karate school students wear canvas uniforms which are good for grappling though.

At the BJJ/MT school I train at now we have gi and no gi grappling days. No gi is just shorts and t-shirt as required but most everybody has some rashguards or underarmour type material (though I don't know if there's a difference).

__________________
"When you see a good move wait - look for a better one."
- Emanuel Lasker