Martial arts apparel

Do you wear your martial arts related apparel outdoors? To normal places? Pubs, bars, restaurants etc?
I have a load of t-shirts, sweatshirts etc but only wear ones that are obviously martial arts ones to training or martial arts events. I will not wear them in the street when I go shopping for instance.

How do others feel about this?

I have t shirts with my club name, logo and web address on it, I wear them to work on dress down days and sometimes if i walk to the shops.

I wear them when I go to seminars and other training events too, I have a few left over from the last print run.

I have one that i'll wear out because it's not obvious it's a martial art club shirt.
I would personally choose not to wear a T-shirt like that out to a pub etc.

It only takes one drunken pillock to see it and start with the old "show us some moves"

I have a badged jacket with three martial art club badges on the sleave. ts not that apparent unles your actally starting at my arm but I like putting badges on my jacket so meh.

I don't actualy go drinking anywhere but the local though so minimun chance of running to a drunken sop

I don't wear anything with any kind of lettering or slogans on it like that unless I'm actually at the training venue.

pubs, clubs, etc not a great idea. events, or even out shopping i have in the past. it's advertising.

Have an Ed Parker Kenpo pendant in the shape of the American Kenpo patch but very few people really notice it.
Got a Black Dragon Fighting Society black tee shirt that was given to me from one of their instructors in the U.S many years ago, worn it once or twice to tournaments. Regards.

I've been in the Martial Arts since I was 12. I don't have any Martial Arts related clothing or advertising paraphernalia.

Outside of training in them, I don't see the point.

I have a 'bomber' style jacket that has our logo on and wear that most days.

When I wear mine I see it as advertising, like I said I wear one to work sometimes or in the house at the weekend, and if I need to pop out for milk I dont change, don't see the point.

Yes I understand there are total tits out there who want to start something, but when they are lying broken on the ground in a heap with plod on the way, they can't say they didnt have fair warning either can they.

Has anyone else noticed the amount of fat and obviously unfit people walking around in "Tapout" clothing just now?

combatnige wrote:When I wear mine I see it as advertising, like I said I wear one to work sometimes or in the house at the weekend, and if I need to pop out for milk I dont change, don't see the point.

Yes I understand there are total tits out there who want to start something, but when they are lying broken on the ground in a heap with plod on the way, they can't say they didnt have fair warning either can they.

Not good advertising for your club though! And getting into a fight isn't a good plan as with bad luck anything could happen.

My view is that it could be dangerous but it is good to hear what others think. I wear a club t shirt out sometimes but you woudln't know it was MA (maybe that defeats the point?)

Peter wrote:Has anyone else noticed the amount of fat and obviously unfit people walking around in "Tapout" clothing just now?

Yep, everyone seems to be a cage fighter nowadays. Even the ones that have never stepped into a Gym never mind an octogon.

A friend of mine (well more of an aquaintence) has started wearing them all the time. Also he was telling me recently how they now do MMA training at the local Globo gym and that now he'd trained for so many weeks he'd be able to choke me out in seconds.
Unfortunately for him he insisted on trying, I was kind to him though and promised another go when he's done a bit more training.

theycallme-Sam wrote:

Peter wrote:Has anyone else noticed the amount of fat and obviously unfit people walking around in "Tapout" clothing just now?

Yep, everyone seems to be a cage fighter nowadays. Even the ones that have never stepped into a Gym never mind an octogon.

A friend of mine (well more of an aquaintence) has started wearing them all the time. Also he was telling me recently how they now do MMA training at the local Globo gym and that now he'd trained for so many weeks he'd be able to choke me out in seconds.
Unfortunately for him he insisted on trying, I was kind to him though and promised another go when he's done a bit more training.

Hahahaha...

I've been saying for years that the bad news is that a lot of guys are training a bit. The GOOD news is that a lot of guys are training a BIT.

I got a little vicarious pride out of one of the lads in my club coming to me last week and telling me how pleased he was that a monster at the MMA club he has started training at couldn't tap him out. He was the only person in the entire class that this 22 stone pro wrestler hadn't been able to tap out. He attributed that ability to hang on in there to my class. Loads of young lads there with a love of the UFC thinking they are Nick Diaz after a month of training.

As a side note, I have a few affliction and tapout t-shirts I have been given as gifts over the years. I might wear them under a jumper or while training but I don't wear them as a sign that I am an martial artist. I do notice them on other people and immediately wonder if they train or not.

Peter wrote:Has anyone else noticed the amount of fat and obviously unfit people walking around in "Tapout" clothing just now?

Yes Peter!

It seems like every pie eating twit with a swagger, an attitude and a belly full of McDonalds wears Tapout clothing....even down here!

I'm a huge fan of MMA and the UFC. Great sport and most of the top fighters still maintain the integrity, humbleness and respectful behaviour that is taught when you learn MA's....I think that part is missing on a lot of the fans though.

Ace Ventura wrote:Do you wear your martial arts related apparel outdoors? To normal places? Pubs, bars, restaurants etc?
?

No,I don't wear martial arts clothing when frequenting such places as at fifty five years of age I would look a right knob.Probably look like one anyway but there is no need to enhance the fact.

Our sports stores down under seem to be full of that Tapout gear.....and bloody expensive it is! Totally agree with the earlier comments about the fatties and other assorted slobs wearing the stuff

So you look at them incredulously and ask, "How on EARTH did YOU get that shirt?!?"

on the one hand its totally OTT to 'condemn' anyone for what they are wearing.. surely thats our right.
on the other there have always been nobheads who boost their own egos by wearing stuff that shows they are 'hard' ... in the original kung fu boom of the 1970's I saw lads all over the place wearing anything that said 'kung fu' on it

if I have to start thinking "Am I wearing anything that could cause any kind of adverse reactions" then I bloody well give up.

I rarely wear a Gi as I used to for 30 plus years in training, I tend to wear t-shirts or polo-shirts.. and I willprobably put it on before I go training and change into a clean one after training...

does it matter a toss if its a martial arts one or not

do we now have to 'judge' someone wearing any piece of clothing that 'advertises' anything.
I agree about MMA type stuff but more so the people hwo say they do MMA who dont, or join a MMA gym then dont go just to pretend they do MMA .. Or Kung Fu or Bavarian bloody bum kicking.

more annoying are the pseudo-military idiots who wear DP gear jackets and trousers and badges from non-existent regiments etc
It always been and always will be 'peacock strutting'
the best bodybuilders wear loose clothing, the not-so-great one wear tight t-shirts to peacock theri muscles.

Those who have the basic internal condition that makes them 'target' another because of a bloody T-Shirt would do so if the target had anything that could be picked on as a reason.

I was once accosted by a woman for NOT wearing a poppy .. yet I had put £2 in collection tin 10 seconds earlier but declined the poppy .. when I challenged her back she admitted she had put in 20p.

Its a decent question this thread, but when the world makes me think about "can I or should I wear this that or the other" I give up

Dave you bring up further good points.

My initial question was more about if you think wearing martial art clothing made you more of a target, but I suppose it is more , will any particular clothing make you a target. Would you wear a football shirt for say Spurs down where the home Arsenal fans were gathering etc.

As for the tapout clothing, it does sem funny, but noone laughs at the fat guy wering his football shirt, isn't this the same thing? They may not be saying "I do MMA" they may just be saying they support it, they can't exactly buy a team shirt can they?

I have also ben hassled for not putting into charity collections. The fact that I had done and event for the (i thik it was comic relief) day earlier and spent a fiver on cakes for everyone in the office earlier didn't matter as she wanted the money in her bucket! I think these people miss the point!

David Turton wrote:
do we now have to 'judge' someone wearing any piece of clothing that 'advertises' anything.

I'm afraid it has always been that way Dave.

BobW. wrote:Our sports stores down under seem to be full of that Tapout gear.....and bloody expensive it is! Totally agree with the earlier comments about the fatties and other assorted slobs wearing the stuff

Tapout has become quite mainstream in the Northwest of the UK, due to it being quite affordable from shops such as 'Sports Direct' where the t-shirts are around £10 the shorts are also a similar price. Compared to some other sports clothing this is quite reasonable.

What is this Bavarian bum kicking of which you speak, and where do I learn such a devasting martial art ??

I'm sat here quite upset...

I'm wearing......an hawaiian surfing shirt,cowboy boots and a baseball cap

but then I'm a horseriding, clubswinging, 10toes hangin hard basturd

mickeybluejeans wrote:I'm sat here quite upset...

I'm wearing......an hawaian surfing shirt,cowboy boots and a baseball cap

but then I'm a horseriding, clubswinging, 10toes hangin hard basturd

christ what a bloody awful image

hahahaha