| For some reason, when it comes to learning | | | | Clothes, You Become Less Combat Ready - If |
| martial arts, people get stuck more in the | | | | you always train in a gi or some other loose |
| romance of embracing ancient foreign traditions | | | | fitting attire, what do you do when you put on |
| rather than focusing on what one would think to | | | | tight fitting jeans? You can't do many high kicks in |
| be the primary objective which is to learn self | | | | tight jeans. The solution? Train in your jeans as |
| defense in the real modern-day world of | | | | well, but practice effective low kicks like low line |
| unpredictable street violence. | | | | front kicks to the shin or to the knee. |
| We are talking about the fierce custom in almost | | | | Reason #3 - Even In Modern Asia Today, People |
| all martial arts school of ascribing to the wearing | | | | Don't Wear Gis In The Streets - A gi is actually a |
| of gis and practicing in bare feet. There are 3 | | | | loose fitting garb that people wore in the streets |
| obvious reasons, if you give it just a little thought, | | | | of ancient Asia, therefore, it made very good |
| that this is little silly and against all practical | | | | sense to train in the natural clothing that they |
| common sense. | | | | wore in the streets during that time-period of |
| Reason #1 - In The Street, When We Fight, We | | | | their ancient history. |
| Fight With Our Shoes On - I am a big proponent | | | | Even in many scenes of movies where the action |
| that we should train for the exact situation and in | | | | hero is using martial arts, you rarely see him |
| the exact way that we expect to have to | | | | fighting in bare feet and in a gi. 007 fights in a tux. |
| defend ourselves. If we always wear shoes when | | | | I am not saying to never wear loose fitting |
| we go out in the streets, what in the heck are | | | | clothes to train, but I really do have a problem |
| we training for in bare feet? This reminds me of | | | | with the bare feet. |
| a story that my teacher, Norm Bettencourt once | | | | Okay, let's compromise. How about some days, |
| told me. He said that he found himself in a real | | | | you train in your gis and your kung fu wushu |
| self defense situation outside of a club and the | | | | uniforms, (if that makes you feel more Oriental), |
| individual, obviously a martial artist went into his | | | | but why not at least have a day when you |
| stance, then ceremoniously took his shoes off in | | | | practice street fighting--Duh!--in your street |
| order to fight Norm. Norm said, "It was easy to | | | | clothes? |
| beat him. I just stomped the steel heel of my | | | | Now, if I stepped on anybody toes with this |
| shoe deep into the instep of his bare foot. It was | | | | article, it's your fault. Your the one who goes |
| all over after that." | | | | around fighting in your bare feet. |
| Reason #2 - If You Only Train In Loose Fitting | | | | |