What kind of Martial Artists are you?

For many years I have made it a practice of paying attention to other martial artists. Not only do I look closely at what they can do, I go a lot further. It is hard not to make judgments based on first impressions. As human beings, we all tend to do it without thinking about it. Sometimes first impressions of others turn out to be very different from what the people are like once you get to know them. However, first impressions many times will give you an idea of an individuals mind-set.

For instance, if I enter a place where I meet an individual or group of associated individuals, I will take note of their Gi. Along with that I will look at the Gi, how it is being worn, how the belt is tied, and any writing or patches present. My experiences have shown that several things are good indicators of the individuals I’m observing. The belt and how it is worn is a good example. Often I see the belt tied in a rather untidy fashion. Correctly the belt should be tied in a square knot. The knot hole in most cases should be facing to the persons left side. The ends of the belt should be about the same length, meaning that they hang down to the same level. When I see belts that are un-tidy, I must assume one of several things. The student may not have ever been taugfht how to correctly tie their belt. The other assumption is that the student does not care how their belt is tied. In either case clearly there is either a lack of instruction or a lack of caring.

Next I will look to see what type of Gi the individual is wearing. Is the uniform a traditional Gi. Traditionally karate Gi were either all white or all black. Some styles will allow students to wear what is known as a “salt and pepper” Gi. That is to say a Gi that is black and white. This can be worn with either color being the top color. If I find an individual that is wearing a Gi that is multi-colored, red, blue, green, ...etc. I suspect that the arts they practice is not traditional. Usually this will indicate an individual that practices what I think of as something more suitable for a circus than for realistic self-defense.

The wearing of patches is another aspect I take notice of. Traditionally the karate Gi either had no patches or it had one patch. When one patch is worn it is placed on the left side of the Gi top over the heart. Some organizations allow their students to wear more than one patch. While there is nothing wrong with this practice, it can be abused. Some students will cover their Gi with a number of patches. As the number of patches increases, the quality of realistic self-defense is usually seen to diminish. Although there are exceptions to this it is generally evident.

There have bee times when I have visited a gathering of martial artists where a few individuals wearing multi-colored GI with many patches turned out to be very good martial artists. However this is usually not the case. To me the martial arts are not about trying to wear a GI that stands out in a crowd. To me I’d rather look neat, traditional, and respectable. My Gi should be clean (not creased), have one or at most two patches (displayed straight not leaning to one side), and have a belt correctly tied. This shows knowledge, respect for tradition, and an attitude that I care how I do things.

Lastly, I would rather be know by the quality and effectiveness of my technique than by how colorful I am. My belt rank is not important. When I practice or teach my art others will make their own judgment as to how skilled and knowledgeable I am. Fancy belts, colorful uniforms, patches, and acrobatic moves mean little when it comes to true martial arts skills.