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Thank you for this insightful piece! I really enjoyed learning about the history of keikogis and how they evolved into what we see today. I appreciate the effort you put into sharing this knowledge and would like to add something about the black hakama.

Early on, Aikido hakama (also used in other martial arts like Kendo and Iaido) came in a variety of colors, often reflecting personal choice or school tradition. It wasn’t uncommon to see even patterned fabrics.

After WWII, Japan was in a tough economic situation, and people had to get creative with materials. Many hakama were repurposed from whatever fabric was available, like old curtains. Since these fabrics were mismatched or had funny patterns, they were dyed dark/black to create a more uniform appearance.

Even worse: many students simply couldn’t afford a hakama at the time. The founder of Aikido, Ueshiba, didn’t want financial hardship to be a barrier to training. So, he allowed students to practice in just their keikogi without a hakama.

Over time, these practical decisions (black hakama and no hakama for beginners) turned into a "rule" - unfortunately. But some traditional (or rather progressive?) schools stick to the old way, where everyone wears one from the beginning... and some even allow all the colors (again).

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Thanks for that, really interesting.

I deliberately kept clear of the hakama (as you explain so well) it's almost deserving of an individual post on its own.

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