Why Isn’t Your Child Wearing A Gi?
“They are uncomfortable in it”
“It always comes untied”
“I see other kids in tshirts”
“It’s just easier for me without the gi top”
If you have a Grasshopper, Little Dragon or a Beginner student you likely can relate to one of the above statements. It is certainly more comfortable to train in a tshirt vs a gi jacket and when it’s hot it can feel “impossible” to wear the gi jacket.
However, it is not our goal to make students feel “comfortable” at all times. Our goal at PMA is to Teach People To Be Strong In Difficult Situations. We do this by finding the appropriate amount of pressure to apply to allow the optimal amount of growth for our students. The very first step in that process is requiring a uniform: gi top, gi pants and a belt tied properly.
The gi (kimono/uniform) serves multiple purposes:
1. It’s like making one’s bed in the morning. It sets a tone of conscientiousness. It signals to everyone else, including the student, that they are accepting the identity of a martial artist.
2. It makes one feel the part. To be a Black Belt you must first look like one. Do you ever see our instructors wearing street clothes while teaching or training?
3. It builds discipline, patience and resiliency. By dealing with the slight discomfort of a gi in each training session we desensitize students to small discomforts so that eventually they can endure large discomforts like live sparring & grappling.
4. It creates the mindset that the little things are the big things. Details matter. Listen to Admiral William H. McRaven: University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address – Admiral William H. McRaven
5. It shows respect: for one’s self, the instructors and the dojo
Next time they complain, try responding this way:
“We wear our gi and belt to every class.”
“I love seeing you look like a Black Belt in your gi!”
“We don’t worry about what others are wearing, we want to behave like a Black Belt!”
“I know you love your superhero tshirt but you need to wear your PMA tshirt while you train to be a superhero!”
Please feel free to purchase a second uniform at 10% off. We do have PMA tshirts as well, so if it’s 105 outside feel free to wear one! However, street clothes are not acceptable on the mat. Martial Arts may be lots of fun but it is actually a discipline based in tradition. Help us help your child by getting them to class each day in their gi! Even at age 4, it’s never too early to start building good habits.
