Uniform Question

[srob]

At Krav Maga Boston, there are no clothing requirements except for groin protection (but some don’t) and work boots (bad for the mats). That’s it. Some people wear Krav clothing, some don’t. Who cares what colors your t-shirts or shorts are, this is a self defense / fight system and not a fashion show. I can learn to kick hard whether I am wearing a pink or purple t-shirt as in a Krav shirt.
We can also buy any brand of gear (gloves, shin guards and head gear) as long as it is adequate.
We also used to have classes where we had to wear street clothing just to see how different it is to move in real world shirts and pants

I think forcing people to wear Krav only clothing or certain colors only is wrong. It doesn’t make one a better student and it does not create a better feeling of unity. Class cohesiveness is a result of the instructors’ skills as an instructor and the respect that his/her students have for the class

[jburtonpdx]

Where I train in Central Ohio, I think the requirment is that we wear clothing. I do believe if you showed up and were not dressed acording to the dress code you would be asked to leave or at least asked to use a towel.

[anonymous]

At the NTC, we don’t have to wear KM clothing, although many do. The pants seem to rip easily, but I keep stitching them back up. They are all frayed and such, but I guess it shows I’ve been there for a while. 😉

The shirts last for a long time. In fact, I still got my very first KM shirt, the one I got when I signed up nine years ago. It’s pretty faded now, but still useable and I wear it on occasion.

_________________
Giantkiller

[jjbklb]

When you get home from Krav class,toss your workout clothes in a basin of water with a small amount of Woollite.
Take your shower,rinse and hang up the clothes to dry and you’re all set for the next day.

[jasonm]

Re:

quote \”Chris\:

Our school requires you to have at least one piece of Krav gear for entering Level 1 and two for Level 2, I think. I’m not 100% sure, but I kind of like how it looks and have several things. The shorts are very well made and I haven’t had any problems with my shirts shrinking or fading. The gym pants are a little thin and loosely stitched. No problems yet, but I suspect they may rip some day. We’ll see.

ACtually, I think you might have it reversed. You would know this if you showed up at the level 2 test. hehe Just kiddin.

seriously, I believ level 1 can be with comfortable workout clothes. And to take the level 2 test you have to have krav shirt, pants and wraps. Once you make it to level 2 you have to wear at least one piece of krav clothing.

Hope to see you in Level soon Chris. 🙂

[nmkrav]

I think that the quality of the Krav clothes are great, I train about 4 days a week and teach about 3, so there are days that I go through 3 pairs of Krav shirt alone, and I still have some of the clothes that i got on the first day that i trained in krav 4 years ago that have not torn or anything despite all the wear and tear that the clothes see on a daily bases.

[threeknees]

Our instructor requests that we wear the Krav pants and shirts to every class, but is very flexible about it. We signed up with a family of 4, and he understood that it was a lot of $$ to outfit all of us, and told us to take our time. Even when we got the uniforms in, we found that the pants don’t fit me well, the largest size is too tight, and in danger of ripping with any stretch or kick. So I’m in some other black pants from the local sports store until I lose weight, but it doesn’t look out of place.

Even so, we only have one uniform per person so far, and if we don’t stay on top of the laundry, we end up having to wear other clothes to class, but our instructor has never hassled us about it. We make sure we are in workout clothes, and he’d not make someone leave class because of what they have on, so long as it’s appropriate for working out in.

As for gear, we don’t have any required gear, but I like the Krav logo wraps better than the stuff I got at the local sporting goods store anyway.

I don’t know about other schools, but our school didn’t have any advertising that said \”no uniform required\”, and when we went in to talk about joining, our instructor did tell us that uniform costs were in addition to regular class fees, so I personally didn’t have any surprises in that area. Any school that does \”spring\” it on people, I believe should change their advertising.

[futureartist]

Re: Uniform Question

I recently discovered that at the school I go to (in SF) it’s a requirement for students in level 2 and above to wear “krav maga shirts”. This isn’t really enforced by most instructors, which I welcome. However, I have not received this “news” about this policy well. Besides the obvious practical reasons mentioned above (especially for those of us who train 4-5 times per week), it definitely felt like false advertising. When I first came to the school and was explained about what KM is and its philosophy, I was very glad to hear that there are no formalities like other martial arts (e.g. uniforms and rituals). This is clearly not the case, as the school’s policy stands today. I see no reason behind this policy, aside of a money-making apparatus for the institute. I would hate to have this kind of behavior drive me away from KM but it might as well.

[ship]

Re: Uniform Question

Got my uniform tonight. Had choice of white or black pants and a t shirt. We are required to wear them to all classes. Also have a choice to wear wrestling shoes or just socks. Finally, all guys have to wear a cup, and a learned why even in my second class.

[kmyoshi]

Re: Uniform Question

Way to resurrect a 10 year old thread… :Unsure:

I think it all depends on the instructors, most instructors I know do not enforce the KM clothes only rule. I happen to like the KM gear, so I train with them. That being said, I would only recommend buying the *dri fit [dry fit]* shirts, not the cotton ones. I still have my original dri fit shirt and it is still holding up well. The care tag recommends to hang dry rather than tumble dry.

I honestly think that if you get flack for not wearing their branded clothing and threaten to cancel your membership (as long as you’re not under a contract…) they will let it slide.

[ship]

Re: Uniform Question

Our instructor was extremely unhappy the other night when a few people wore regular work out clothes instead of the KM uniform. Really dwelled on it. I don’t see what difference it makes as long as you wear clothes that give enough freedom of movement.

[kmky]

Re: Uniform Question

We actually schedule twice a year (once in summer and once in winter) a work clothes week were we wear whatever we wear in our normal day to day activities.

IMHO since the majority of my students do not spend their day in workout clothes it is important to train in what they will typically be wearing. Several woman wear sweats or yoga pants under an old skirt with low heels and men are in business casual or suits.

[Author]

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