Clothes?

[yat_chum]

Just curious to know does your Martial art practice have an effect on the clothes that you buy and wear?

[Yatish Parmar]

I am sure all of us sling a few kicks and do a quick si lieu bu to deng san bu or two in the changing rooms!

[darth_freak]

and fu hu bu and elbow strikes

[Ralteria]

It goes both ways for me. I try to buy comfortable, breathable clothing but thats not always possible. However I do train in my normal clothes, train in my work boots, sneakers, barefoot etc. So if my clothes aren't comfortable, I'm at least comfortable in my clothes.

[Inga]

If you mean street clothes, the answer for me is no, not really. It does not cross my mind how high I might be able to kick in a pair of jeans or a skirt, if I needed kung fu. This is because I would not have time to stretch out to kick high, also, tis an impractical option for me (I should kick low, at knees, shins or groin). Our sparring classes have cycles to them, and we had a few months of sparring in street clothes this summer. I must say that nothing I wore hampered me, other than stretching out was sometimes awkward and I felt a lot more sweaty than usual. Our instructor has pointed out that anything can be a weapon or a blocking aid in a clinch, including a handbag, belt or heeled shoe (I wear heeled boots) so really, nothing should hold you back from defending yourself.