Hakama

The hakama (Japanese) is a broad pants folded (seven folds, five front and two behind), provided with a rigid splash plate (koshi ito) . It was traditionally carried by the noble ones of the medieval Japan, and in particular the Samurai S. It took his current form during the Period Edo. Men as women could carry the hakama .

Some claim that one of the roles of the hakama was to mask the movements of the feet, for better surprising the adversary. This explanation does not achieve the unanimity: indeed, the samurais carried leggings which enclosed the hakama , the feet were thus quite visible. In addition, when it was not in armor but prepared with a combat, the samurai went up the hakama by wedging it on the level of the belt, just as it attached the handles of the kimono by a fabric band, the Tasuki. It was in fact primarily pants of cavalry.

Nowadays, the very full hakama is used in certain martial arts like the Aïkido, the Kendo, Kenjutsu and the Jiu jitsu. For the jiu jitsu, it is used in the koryu (traditional styles) mainly, and not in the modern styles. Sometimes in this context, one speaks about keikobakama (litt. hakama of drive). The hakama used for martial arts are in Coton, Soie or, generally, in Polyester or in a mixture of these three fibers. Cotton is heavier, while the synthetic fibers slip better on the ground and resist discoloration better, which can be important for martial arts like Iaido or the Aïkido. The hakama of quality present thin straps thick and surpiquées in order to prevent that they are not twisted on themselves.

The hakama is also a Vêtement of ceremony (marriage, given of diploma, etc). The women carry hakama matched to their Kimono S, bright colors or with reasons, while the male hakama are generally with stripes. The hakama of ceremony being in Silk, that makes a fragile, expensive clothing of it and of a difficult maintenance.

The practiced activity can impose the color of the hakama . Thus, the hakama of Aïkido is always linked, black or indigo, sometimes blue electric for the hakama out of cotton. In other disciplines, the port of other colors, in particular the white are accepted. Within the framework of the ceremonies Shintō, the priest carries a white hakama , the male assistants of the green hakamas clearly, the female assistants of the hakamas orange red (the red traditional clothes are symbol of virginity to the Japan).

Symbolic system

The seven folds represent the seven virtues which the samurai must have: jin (benevolence, generosity), gi (honor, justice), rei (courtesy, label), chi (wisdom, intelligence), shin (sincerity), chu (honesty) and koh (piety).

Port

In Europe, the hakama is especially carried by the practitioners of martial arts. In some of them (Kyudo, Kendo, Iaido), it belongs to the obligatory behavior. In others, in particular the Aikido, it can be carried only when the pupil reached a technical level allowing him to manage the embarrassment which the port of the hakama causes; the decision to authorize a pupil to carry it is left at the discretion of the teacher, it became in fact a sign of personal investment in the discipline and technical level, although that is not its original direction.

For the martial practice, the hakama is tied while starting with the front part. The top of this one must exceed the belt (kakuobi) of a few centimetres. The front thin straps then passed around the size just above the belt, crossed behind and return under the belt (obi), where they are tied using a simple node. One then sets up the back part, the splash plate with the small of the back. The back thin straps position on the belt (obi) or below, and come to be tied on before with a node similar to that of the belt and including the two front bits. The manners of arranging the thin straps diverge according to the schools.

Folding

The arrangement as the folding of the hakama answers a whole ritual and it can vary according to the people and the schools but one finds the order in general hereafter.

The Braid

The thin straps are folded by carrying out a Tresse. Once the hakama folded, one deploys the thin straps on each side.

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