Anyone Know the Symbolism of GI Colors?

[BlindBagua]

I am curious if anyone knows the symbolism of the different dogi colors. I know there are a lot of different colors on the market. I am more interested in the tradional gi colors. I want to be politically correct. We always wore black at our Aikijutsu dojo...Just curious on your thoughts.

[Bart Scovill]

I know the gi is a fairly recent innovation beginning in Judo and adopted by the other arts. I’ve heard that the white represents innocence and purity, but I also know that white is the color of death in the Japanese culture. How that reconciles, I don’t know. There is a great book out there (In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese M...) that touches on this and many other topics, but I loaned it out and alas, I no longer have it to refer to.

[Jonathan Forrester]

If you want to be a strict fundamentalist - you should buy yourself a fundoshi (loin cloth) and work out in nothing but that.

However, the gi is supposed to reflect the mind of the karate student (purity). I could make several comments here about respect for tradition, but most people nowadays don't give a flip about tradition. Politically Correct???? (eyes rolling...) Even bowing nowadays is starting to vanish.

Take a look at some of the uniforms out there - some of them look like a NASCAR race driver with a patch for every one of his 50 sponsors on his jumpsuit. A cluttered uniform - does it reflect a cluttered mind?

Sorry - got upset there for a second.......

[Jonathan Forrester]

Follow-up: The karate gi worn at the Dojo should be a traditional white uniform. The white color in the martial arts represents purity in the heart of the practitioner of the arts; purity to keep the karateka away from developing an ego or arrogance that will blur his/her dedication through the practice of Budo. The all white gi is closely associated with traditional Karate.