Some time ago, a friend who liked to read the old Aikido-l discussion group, directed me to a thread that was going on.

At a (non-USAF) seminar out in the Mid-West U.S., a student showed up wearing a white hakama. This generated a tremendous amount of criticism on the list, all aimed at the hapless student. Comments abounded, such as "Who did he think he was... O'Sensei?" and "What an egotistical guy he must be!", or "What a jerk!" Most people seemed to think he displayed a terrible breach of etiquette by wearing that particular hakama.

My opinion is that the host dojo members displayed the breach of etiquette by allowing him to wear that hakama and exposing him to such unkind criticism. I would imagine the proper etiqutte would be to have someone offer him one of their own hakama, tactfully assuring him that he would feel more comfortable as it was the custom in that area to wear a dark-colored hakama.

I just read the posting by Barry Radun regarding the student in the white hakama. Several key pieces of information are missing, but even so, we can draw a few conclusions. The first conclusion I come to is the possibility that the student is quite new. I know that some organizations outside the USAF allow or require their students to wear hakama right from the beginning of their training. So, if a student has not been around long enough to know better, and has not been properly advised by his home dojo, then such a faux pas is not only possible but likely. Barry is, in my opinion, quite correct in his assessment that someone in the host dojo could have mitigated the embarrassment that student must have felt. His home dojo could have done that, as well, by instructing their students in proper “hakama etiquette”. In addition, practitioners of many other forms of budo and bujutsu wear hakama. Some even wear white ones, stripes, and so on. Should crossover students just starting in aikido be labeled “jerk” or “egotistical” because they wore what is perfectly acceptable in the art they have practiced?

I read the article and I agree with Mr. Benioff. Training in Aikido permeates all aspects of one's life, being on time is just one small exaple of this.

One needs to be mindful; timing is the most important aspect of training. Being late on an ikkyo when it counts could cost you dearly. Not to mention the disrespect to one's teacher, who is taking time out of their life to teach you something. In my dojo no one gets paid to teach, every one is busy and we donate time to the dojo as a way of giving back part of what we have recieved.

Many Aikido teachers, and a few advanced students, have missed some of the most basic tenets about harmony and learning martial arts, Aikido being one of them.

We are all creatures of the Planet Earth, and hence we learn from the harmony and discord of our environment.

I see continued effort by many teachers to play upon such amenities as hakama or arriving late with thunderous wrath of the teacher. Neither is important in the great flow of events in the universe, although proper attention to either is merely a passing thought in a sea of life.

Students need to effectively understand the difference between items we use as respect to practicing an art and that which will become unimportant when learning an art.

The manners you learn in Aikido are important, the clothing you wear, although respectful and useful, is not. The fact that a student wears a hakama does not make that student any more proficient in protecting his/her life when actually attacked. The fact that events unalterably make you late ... should you pay attention to the timing of these interruptions and events as they are part of your training? Harmony and interruption of harmony are part of your everyday life. They aid in your understanding of flowing from technique to technique. Events should not be overlooked - but clothing? Maybe you should wear your dojo clothes with your hakama in everyday life if you think it is that important.

Most people would consider this disrespectful in our American everyday life, but most of all, it would be inappropriate to work in dojo clothing with Hakama. So, what is important?

Interruption of an opponent's attack is important. Harmony of movement to increase the strength and effectiveness of technique is important. Being able to flow into changes of technique as the opponent changes is important. Having an open mind that is clear in thought, without anger, is important ... especially if you are not intent on hurting yourself or others.

The simple points of understanding that your mind will learn Aikido long before your body is able to do it, will alone make you a lifelong student. Why else would we practice our entire lives and understand we have only begun to learn?

In Japan, I actually haven't seen a variety of colored hakama. I have found Japanese Aikido students very reluctant to do anything that would make themselves stand out. At the Aikikai Honbu even dark blue hakama are very rare and mostly worn by non-Japanese (they also seem to stain the tatami more.)

This is related to an extremely important point concerning etiquette in the martial arts. We all come to Aikido practice with a dissatisfaction in ourselves in some way. The point of practice, I think, is to change ourselves whether it be to become martially stronger, physically healthier, or spiritually happier. The degree to which I can change depends on the degree I can give up the old me. The first step to this "giving up" is to follow the dojo's various rules without question. We should trust that our teacher has a very good reason for doing things a certain way. If we cannot follow some point of etiquette, we should question whether training in that dojo is for us or not, not "taking what is useful and leaving the rest."

There is a book named "Budo" by Morihei Ueshiba showing photos from 1935 and, I think, 1955 from the Noma Dojo. You can find several photos which show O-Sensei in black (or dark-blue) hakama and an uke wearing a white hakama.

He leido atentamente las opiniones sobre el color de la hakama y su uso correcto. En un principio O-Sensei exigía su uso a todos sus alumnos, sin importar su grado. Esa fue una cuestión de etiqueta. Con el tiempo la hakama fue destinada unicamente a quienes han llegado a un nivel de cinturón negro, pero su uso no debe ser tomado como un premio, sino como una responsabilidad.

Existen normas de etiqueta y debemos respetarlas, pero no es tan importante un color o una vestimenta. El mejor Aikido no se practica en el tatami, sino fuera de el, no es verdad?

Moderator's translation:

I have read with interest the opinions expressed on the color of hakama and its proper use. At one time O-Sensei demanded that all his students wear it, regardless of rank. That was a matter of etiquette. With time, the hakama became destined only to those who had reached black belt level. However, wearing it should not be taken as a prize but rather as a responsibility.

Etiquette is important as it shows that you have respect for your teacher and the time that he or she is using. Also you're giving the respect due to O-Sensei.

Having read the initial post, I was quite surprised by the general reaction of the seminar students to one not wearing quite the same uniform.

In our Ryu, which is a sword art, our white belts, actually Mudansha or "without rank" are required to wear white Hakama and Keiko Gi. At a recent seminar that I attended, there were all sorts of uniform combinations, dependent on the Ryu. Could this student have been a visitor from another school that had different uniforms? What's next: ostracism due to the way people tie their himo? Isn't it better to be respectful of a visitor, than have the visitor worry about how he may fit into your system?

The use of a Hakama is very different between dojos and styles, however, the ettiquette is much the same. Mutual respect is commanded, but in saying that, so is respect for those people who have trained for years to attain the grade allowing the use of a Hakama. In most places it is customary when first training in a new dojo to wear a white belt and no Hakama, until instructed otherwise by the Sensei. The levels of Aikido are very different all over the world. A Shodan in one style may exhibit a much higher level of Aikido than another style. By wearing a Black Belt and/or Hakama, you are subscribing yourself to a Level of Aikido. The Higher grades in that dojo will expect you to be able to respond to a technique at their level. So it is for one's own protection to be conservative until you are recognised for your Level of Aikido and NOT your affiliated grade.

With respect to the importance of the donning of Black Belts and Hakama's, there was one thread which detracted from the importance of a Hakama. While the actual donning of one is not important, the Hakama should be an indication to others of one's character, as the level of committment required to become a Shodan is vast. Aikido teaches one a level of humility, that is, you may be the Director of a Major Corperation and command the respect of many, but when in the dojo, you are subject to a different protocol.

As to the comment on wearing a Hakama in public, I think it is just ridiculous.