If you’ve ever attended a tae kwon do class – or, indeed, any martial arts class – you’ll find that uniforms have one thing in common. They’re of one color, usually white, and very plainly made, without lots of adornments and additions.
Why are uniforms so plain? And why do we wear them at all? Why not just practice in shorts and T-shirts like any other sport?
As with many other aspects of martial arts, the uniform is part of a greater tradition that is both practical and symbolic. In tae kwon do, the origins of the white uniform, called a dobok, are a little unclear, but it seems likely it was based on the Japanese gi, and that the uniform transferred over to Korea along with certain martial arts styles that would eventually become tae kwon do.
The Japanese originally didn’t intend to have their gi serve as a uniform – in fact, what we now think of as a very solemn uniform today was actually simply the undergarments of olden-day samurai! Samurai often wore silk kimonos for outerwear, and while they were practicing their martial arts, they would strip down to their undergarments so as not to get their nicer clothes dirty and sweaty as they practiced.
Of course, when we say “undergarments”, we don’t mean the same thing as what you think of as underwear. Samurai undergarments were actually specifically designed to help out a fighter in battle. They were made of silk originally, and they were a form of armor.
Many warriors suffered the greatest injuries not from hand-to-hand or sword combat, but from flying arrows. The silk of their undergarments made those arrows less likely to penetrate deeply, and also made them easier to remove. So you can think of your uniform now as a stripped-down version of armor!
As the uniform transitioned to Korea, some changes in style and design were made. For example, traditional Japanese gi have a cross-over front to the jacket, whereas tae kwon do dobok are usually made with v-neck jackets after the Korean style (you can see that our jackets here at Master P’s are v-necks, for example).
The pants of tae kwon do uniforms are also often wider and longer, because by the time the uniform was used in Korea, it was no longer considered an undergarment and didn’t have to fit under other clothing. The wider style of leg makes the many kicks in tae kwon do fighting much easier to execute, as well.
The uniform was usually completely without any markings or trim because standing out as an individual was not considered the right mindset. Today, though, many practitioners vary their uniform to show their personal accomplishments a little more – like the system of colored belts that is widespread throughout martial arts, and our Little Tiger’s badges.
If you’re interested in learning more about tae kwon do and training with World Class teachers, check out Master P’s tae kwon do in West Chester, PA.
When you’re first beginning in a martial art like tae kwon do, you may be uncertain about how often you should train. As with almost anything, you have the option to practice as often as you like, but there may be different advisable levels of dedication depending on your goals. For example, if you’re training in tae kwon do because you would like to become healthier and learn some methods of self-defense, you may have different training goals than someone who hopes to become a Grand Master someday.
Tae kwon do has a proud history in Korean tradition, but there are many little-known facts about the martial art that you might not encounter in the course of your regular 
To date, there are only two martial arts that are recognized Olympic sports: judo and tae kwon do. How did these two martial arts come to be competed at the Olympic games, when most other competitions are not in the fighting arts?
So many children are taking martial arts classes these days that they seem as innocuous as enrolling your child in an after-school painting program. Even though they’re widespread, martial arts do involve a lot of physical activity and sometimes contact, depending on your child’s age and ability level. That means you’ll need to make sure the school is taking all the proper safety precautions before you hand over your child for a class.
Almost every martial arts school offers classes for children. But are kids really capable of learning martial arts at such a young age, and are they going to get anything out of it? Here are a couple of things to consider when choosing a martial arts school for your child.
Tae kwon do has one of the most contested histories among martial arts, largely because historical records in Korea differ widely, and it is difficult to figure out exactly what styles of fighting were around many hundred years ago. Obviously, we can’t simply go back in time and see if older styles of Korean martial arts had a heavy influence on tae kwon do as it is practiced today – but we can learn a lot about the origins of tae kwon do as a style of fighting by looking at the history of martial arts in Korea.
If you’re considering enrolling your child in martial arts or joining a class yourself, you’ve probably heard of at least one benefit of martial arts that appealed to you. There’s more to martial arts than improving combat skills, however. Here are some of the top areas of your overall health and wellbeing that martial arts, especially Tae kwon do, study can improve.
