Kouketsu Dojo Student Manual
Uniforms, Attendance & Other Matters
UNIFORMS: Students ranked with white belt (9th kyu) or higher, wear a dogi or uniform. The uniform may be 
purchased from the karate club or any other source. If you purchase the uniform from a source other than the karate club, ensure that it is all white with no markings or tags. The original manufacturers’ labels are the only acceptable markings on the uniform (these labels are generally on the bottom right corner of the jacket (when worn) and the waist portion of the pants). It is also important that the uniform be fitted properly. The jacket, when tightened around the waist with the belt, must cover the hips, but not extend past the middle of the thigh. The sleeves of the jacket must cover at least half of the forearm, but not extent past the wrist. Women may wear a t-shirt underneath the jacket. The pants must be long enough to cover at least two thirds of the shin. However, the pant legs should not extent past the ankles.
All students who wear a uniform must also wear a belt. The belt should be about 1.5 inches wide and should be a length sufficient to allow approximately six inches free on each side of the knot.
UNIFORMS MUST BE KEPT CLEAN AND IN A GOOD STATE OF REPAIR AT ALL TIMES.
By Kent Ninomiya
Folding a karate uniform is one of the first things a martial arts student learns.
A karate uniform is called a "gi" in Japanese. That is what most martial arts instructors call it. It is important in this ritualized art to follow strict procedure and tradition when folding a gi. Follow these steps to learn how to fold a karate uniform.
Instructions
Lay the top of your karate uniform on the ground front side up. Spread the arms straight out to the sides. Flatten all the wrinkles out of the gi.
Place the karate uniform pants flat on top of the karate uniform top. The waist of the pants should be at the top of the collar with the legs stretching down the middle.
Fold the pants legs in half so that the bottom of the pants legs meet the waist. Both the waist and the cuffs should now be at the collar of the gi top.
Fold the arm to your right over the pants. The fold should be at the edge of the pants leg. One arm should now be draped partially over the other.
Fold the arm from the side you just folded back toward the right side. It should line up with the right side of the gi. Repeat on the left side of the karate uniform.
Fold the left side over the pants at the edge of the pants leg, then fold the arm back to the left edge of the gi.
Fold the bottom on the karate uniform up at the line where the pants legs now end. This should be about two-thirds of the way down. Fold the karate uniform in half again. Press it down to get the air out.
Your gi is now folded.
Obi" is the Japanese word for a sash that is worn around the waist. There are many different kinds of obi, including those worn with kimonos. In Karate, the obi is a colored belt that denotes the wearer's rank. It must be secured in a specific fashion to respect the traditions of the martial art. Follow these steps to learn how to tie a Karate obi.
Instructions
Unravel your Karate obi and find the middle. Place that middle fold right on your bellybutton
Wrap both sides of the Karate obi around your body. The sides should cross in the middle of your back. Wrap one side underneath the other side. Bring the sides of the Karate obi to the front. They should be the same length.
Pull the left side of the Karate obi underneath the double wrapped part of the belt at your belly button and pull it out the top. Pull gently up on it at the same time you pull down on the other side.
Bring both sides of the Karate obi down in front of you and form an "X" with the top side over the bottom side.
Put the top side of the Karate obi through the loop and pull both sides tight. Both sides of the obi should be even.
Your Karate obi is now tied.
Student Manual Chapters
- Etiquette, Conduct, Bowing & Other Rules
- Use of Titles, Courtesy & Safety in the Dojo
- Uniforms, Attendance & Other Matters
- Karate Terminology
- Martial Arts Philosophy
Words of Wisdom
Metaphorically, the above resembles the three stages of Zen Buddhists in training. The first stage (termed the “shiho” or the transmission) requires great conscious effort and some five years of diligent practice. As a novice learning the martial arts, the student is taught the basic techniques that serve as the building blocks of the training. Although the practitioner practices them thousands of times faithfully, they are sometimes repeated in a mechanical fashion, without sufficient thought given to detail, variability and meaning. At this rudimentary level of training, even though the practitioner practices, they improve slowly and knows that they are not very skillful. Hence, “A Punch is just a Punch”…..
However, when the practitioner becomes more advanced, he has experienced many instances when a given technique fails miserably in real life; or it works in only one circumstance but not in another; or by changing one seemingly trivial detail, the technique becomes transformed into something much more lethal. At this middle level, the practitioner is still no real threat to an experienced opponent, but they are aware of their deficiencies, and they recognize the weaknesses of others. This roughly corresponds to the second stage of Zen training wherein the disciple is on his way to self-mastery. At this point, the practitioner begins to appreciate the depth of the art and the true challenge of achieving mastery. Hence “ a Punch is more than just a Punch”……
At the highest levels, the martial artist gains confidence in their own abilities and carefully chooses their own path. He is now a proficient martial artist whose skills are recognized by others and in turn respects the skills of others. In most cases, this might be the best that he can aspire to. But even on an even higher level, after many years of development and reflection, the practitioner finally recognizes the reality that while he may be a good Martial artist, the pursuit of perfection is always beyond their grasp. There is no end to training and he may never be completely satisfied with their efforts. At that point, they may adjust both their minds and their bodies to focus on more limited, attainable goals. The practitioner has seen all the strategies and the situations and has become more adaptable. The veteran martial artist treasures the power of simplicity. They simplify their training to those aspects that they enjoy the most and are the most effective at. They avoid the use of complex technique when a simple one will do. They return to basics in order to become more complete instead of simply relying upon raw talent. The practitioner knows that the difference between victory and defeat is often the result of paying attention to simple things. Rather then impressing himself or others with his extensive knowledge, what the practitioner cares about now are the techniques and the concepts that work well. As a teacher of the martial arts, he rejects confusion & mysticism and tries to impart their wisdom in a simple and concrete way. By doing so, the teacher uses the simplest language and draws from the situations of everyday life. Now that they understand the art, the teacher can truly say that: “a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick
About Us
We teach Okinawan Gojuryu Karate-Jutsu. This Dojo is a Shibu (Branch) of the So-Honbu Jundokan in Okinawa, Japan
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Syllabus »
Student Manual
This Student Handbook will serve as your guide to our Dojo and spell out guidelines for what you can expect from SIJundokan, and what is expected of you.
Etiquette, Conduct, & Bowing »
Titles, Courtesy & Safety in the Dojo »
Uniforms, Attendance & Other »
Karate Terminology »
Martial Arts Philosophy »
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