Hakama<title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <META HTTP-EQUIV="imagetoolbar" CONTENT="no"> <link rel="stylesheet" media="screen" type="text/css" title="index" href="hakama.css" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" /> </head> <body> <table width="100%" align="center" border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td rowspan="2" align="center"><img src="ai.gif"><br/><img src="ki.gif"><br/><img src="do.gif"></td> <td colspan="2"><p align="center"><font face="papyrus"size=6><b>The Hakama<b><font><br><a href="#foldingthehakama">Folding a Hakama</a> / <a href="#tyingthehakama">Tying a Hakama</a></p></td> <td rowspan="2"align="center"><img src="ai.gif"><br/><img src="ki.gif"><br/><img src="do.gif"></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="hakama.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td align="center"><img src="folded.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture" ></td> </tr> </table> <p align="center"id="question">What is a Hakama and who wears it ?</p> <table width="100%" border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td> <p>A Hakama is the skirt-like pants worn by many martial arts practitioners (i.e. Aikido, Kendo to name but two). Hakama were originally worn only by men, but nowadays are worn (albeit slightly differently) by both men and women. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles.<br/><br/> Traditionally, it was worn by samurai. The standard gi we all wear in class was usually the undergarment. Originally, the Hakama was worn to protect a samurai horseman's legs from tree branches etc, a similar concept to "leather chaps" worn by cowboys. In Japan leather was very hard to source, so heavy cloth was used as a substitue. Over the years, samurai gradually made the transition from mounted soldiers to foot soldiers, but they continued to wear the Hakama as it set them apart and made them easily identifiable.<br/><br/> Essentially Hakama are riding trousers, ordinary Japanese clothing was quite simplistic, men would wear a loin cloth (fundoshi) and kimono, women would wear a kimono with no undergarments. Without a Hakama, anyone riding a horse would be in quite a compromising position (it just would not seem right if a samurai was seen to be riding side-saddle). <br/><br/> Some type of Hakama were more formal, the hem would cover the feet. One line of thought for this, is that it restricted the feet movement and it would be more difficult to attack the daimyo in his palace.<br/><br/> In todays martial arts schools, the Hakama is predominantly reserved for the yudansha (black belt students). A few schools allow all practitioners to wear one, while some schools allow women to start wearing it much earlier than men (general modesty of women is the explanation, since a gi was originally an undergarment).<br/><br/> The Hakama was meant to be functional, too long a hem and it would tangle with the stirrups. Also the streets of medieval Japan, like those of Europe, were filthy. Too long a hem and the bushi would be trailing horse manure,sewage and filth into the mansions and palaces of his lord, not the best way to kep your employer happy. Therefore it would seem logical that a Hakama should never descend below ankle height ( some believe you should always see the feet, ankles and perhaps even a little shin as well - be sure your gi-pants do not hang below the Hakama hem line).<br/><br/> It is often said the flowing fabric of the Samurai Hakama, can disguise their footwork in combat, giving the illusion of floating. In reality they were not designed to hide the feet, at the first sign of confrontation the warrior would tuck the Hakama up through the belt, just as the sleeves of the kimono were tied back with cord.<br/><br/> It seems to have become the fashion within some aikido circles to wear a long Hakama that covers the feet. If you look at the old pictures of O'Sensei (Morihei Ueshiba), you will notice his Hakama as unfashionably short. <br/><br/> Of course once you have earned the right to wear the Hakama, you then have to learn how to fold it. Many have pondered the correct way to fold the Hakama, and properly tie the “himo”. Knowing how to fold the Hakama properly is very important, a properly folded Hakama will have a neat appearance each time you wear it, a wrinkled Hakama is very unsightly. <br/><br/> The Hakama has 7 folds in it (5 in the front, 2 in the back). The pleats are symbolic and are supposed to represent the virtues considered essential by the samurai. Many martial artists continue this tradition, but different sources give different meaning to these pleats. Here is one version:-<br/><br/> 1. Yuki - courage, valor, bravery <br/> 2. Jin - humanity, charity, benevolence <br/> 3. Gi - justice, righteousness, integrity <br/> 4. Rei - etiquette, courtesy, civility (obedience) <br/> 5. Makoto - sincerity, honesty, reality <br/> 6. Chugi - loyalty, fidelity, devotion <br/> 7. Meiyo - honor, dignity, prestige <br/> <div align="center"> <img src="foldhakama.gif" alt="folding a hakama" > </div> <br/><br/> <p>There are two types of Hakama, divided ( umanori, horse-riding Hakama ) and undivided ( gyoto Hakama ). The umanori type are divided like trousers, this type of Hakama are often known as "divided skirts". Both types are identical in outside appearance. A third type, called "mountain" or "field" Hakama, were traditionally worn by field or forest workers, they are looser in the waist and narrower in the leg.<br/><br/> Hakama have four straps, one long strap on either side of the front of the garment, and one short strap on either side of the rear. The rear of the garment also has a rigid board-like section, and a toggle which is tucked into the rear of the obi, and helps to keep the Hakama in place.</p> <p id="subtitle">Men's Hakama.</p> <p>The most formal type of Hakama are made of stiff, striped silk, usually black and white, or black and grey. These are worn with black montsuki kimono (kimono with one, three, or five family crests on the back, chest, and shoulders), white tabi (divided-toe socks), white under-kimono and woven straw sandals of various types. In colder weather a montsuki haori (long jacket) with a white haori-himo (haori-fastener) completes the outfit. While Hakama used to be a required part of men's wear, nowadays men usually wear Hakama only on extremely formal occasions and at tea ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. <br/><br/> There are many ways for men to tie Hakama. First, the obi is tied in a special knot (an "under-Hakama knot") at the rear, men start with the front section, bringing the ties around the back and crossing them over the top of the knot of the obi. The ties are brought to the front and crossed below the waist, then tied at the back, under the knot of the obi. The toggle is then tucked behind the obi, and the rear ties are brought to the front and tied in a variety of ways. The most formal method results being a knot that resembles two bow-ties in a cross shape.<br/><br/> Hakama traditionally formed part of a complete outfit called a kamishimo. Worn by samurai and court men, the outfit included a formal kimono, Hakama, and a sleeveless jacket with exaggerated shoulders called a kataginu. Instead of Hakama, samurai visiting the shogun at court were sometimes required to wear very long Hakama called naga-bakama (long Hakama). These resemble normal Hakama in every way except their remarkable length in both the back and front, forming a train one or two feet long and impeding the ability to walk normally, thus helping to prevent a surprise attack or assassination attempt.</p> <p id="subtitle">Womens Hakama.</p> <p>Women's Hakama differ from men's in a variety of ways, most notably fabric design and method of tying. While men's Hakama can be worn on both formal and informal occasions, women rarely wear Hakama except at graduation ceremonies, though this is by no means a rule. Women also wear Hakama as part of their martial arts uniform. In some schools, Hakama are reserved for senior students. Only very rarely are Hakama worn by women at tea ceremony.<br/><br/> The method of tying the himo (ties) is also different, with women's Hakama being tied in a simpler knot or a bow. The front himo are first wrapped at the back, then again at the front, then tied at the back in a knot. Then the back himo are brought around to the front. At this point, it may be tied with a bow at the left hip, just in front of the opening, with the ends of the himo at equal lengths. For more secure fastening, the himo may be wrapped once at center front, then tied inside at the back.<br/><br/> Like all types of traditional Japanese clothing, it is important to fold and store Hakama correctly to prevent damage and prolong the life of the garment, especially those that are made of silk. With Hakama this is particularly important, since Hakama have so many pleats which can easily lose their creases, recreasing the pleats may require specialist attention in extreme cases.<br/><br/> Hakama are often considered particularly challenging to learn to fold properly, in part because of their pleats and in part because their long ties must be correctly smoothed and gathered before being tied in specific patterns. Various martial arts traditions in which practitioners wear the Hakama have prescribed methods of folding the Hakama. This is often considered an important part of etiquette.</p> </td> </tr> </table> <br/> <div id="foldingthehakama"> <table width="100%" align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr align="center"><td colspan="3" id="fold1">Folding the Hakama</td></tr> <tr > <td ><img src="fold1.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td ><img src="fold2.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td ><img src="fold3.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td ><img src="fold4.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="fold5.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="fold6.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="fold7.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="fold8.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center" border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="fold9.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td align="center"><img src="fold10.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td align="center"><img src="fold11.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td align="center"><img src="fold12.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center" ><img src="fold13.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="fold14.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="fold15.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="fold16.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="fold17.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="fold18.jpg" alt="fold Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> </table> <hr width="80%"> <hr width="90%"> <hr width="100%"> <div id="tyingthehakama"> <table width="100%" align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr align="center"><td colspan="3" id="tying1">Tying the Hakama</td></tr> <td ><img src="tying1.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> <td ><img src="tying2.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> <td ><img src="tying3.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <td ><img src="tying4.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> <td align="center"><img src="tying5.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="tying6a.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center"border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="tying6b.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="tying7.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center" border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="tying8.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> <td> </td> <td align="center"><img src="tying9.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table align="center" border=0 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="tying10.jpg" alt="tying Hakama picture"></td> </tr> </table> <br/> <table border=0 width="100%" cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/index.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Home<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/contact/contact.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Contact<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/fortstamford/fortstamford.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Fort Stamford<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/otherclubs/otherclubs.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Other Clubs<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/aikido/articles.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Aikido / Mind & Body<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/beginners/beginners.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Beginners<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/children/children.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Children<b></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.fsaikido.co.uk/courses/courses.html"><font face="Verdana" size=3 ><b>Course Dates<b></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>