Martial Arts Costumes
The costume plays a significant role within all cultures. It allows the individual anonymity to basically be whomever they choose to be on the given occasion, whether a party, holiday, or other festive occasion. Within the martial art culture, the use of various costumes entails an even more secretive and or purposeful use. The ninja for instance would use the uniform to carry out assassinations or stealthy strikes against their adversaries.
Their costume would allow them to not only not been identified but also to not be heard or seen or at least keep the exposure to a minimum. The color of the uniform was usually black as most missions would be carried out at night so visibility was at its weakest. The material was usually of a cotton weave so it moved easily with vary little resistance for maximum quiet. The ninja was covered from top to bottom, including all the way to the top of the hands with the dark material so the only thing that showed was their eyes. They were very successful with their operations and to this day their tactics are still used by militaries all over the world. The traditional martial artists who were not the secretive type used their uniforms for an entirely different purpose. The intent was and is to show respect for their style, uniformity, strength and dedication to their system of study.
The color most often used by these styles is white for integrity and honor and it is often adorned with a patch or several patches which shows the dedication to their system of study. The color also serves as a recognition of the level of accomplishment they have achieved within their particular system. The uniform color can also vary depending on the system the person chooses to study. Most often the colors used are red, black, white or even blue. However the traditional Japanese or Korean systems almost always use exclusively white for their representation. Costumes or uniforms are very important in the martial arts arena, because they can also be used for utilitarian purposes. In the case of judo or jiu jitsu, uniforms play a vital role in the techniques within the art. They are used to grab a hold of and perform certain locking and grappling movements to control or subdue the opponent. These uniforms differ from the styles of martial arts that do mostly kicks and punches as these have to be made and sewn differently so the that uniform does not tear or rip when being used in the matches.
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