When I was a kid, all martial arts students wore uniforms and belts or sashes. For decades, that was the norm world-wide. Then things started to change, most likely because of Bruce Lee's eclectic approach to the martial arts and the relaxation of ranking standards that ensued throughout the industry. In some schools, formality and tradition completely fell by the wayside, and conventional uniforms, belts and even ranking systems were replaced by track shoes, sweat pants and silk-screened T-shirts.

These days, whether or not you wear a traditional uniform and adhere to a conventional ranking system has a lot to do with the student body of the school you attend. If the clientele consists of primarily kids and teenagers, uniforms and belts are mandatory components of a successful business. Most children view it as an opportunity to turn into Karate Boy and Kung Fu Girl every time they come to class. Meanwhile, the rank structure affords the teacher a framework for instilling discipline, respect and self-control.

Traditional martial arts masters usually require their students to wear uniforms and belts, but instructors who focus on self-defense often opt for street clothes for added realism.

If the school's market is composed of adults, the idea of wearing a uniform and following a standardized rank progression may or may not appeal to the instructors and students. Most jeet kune do schools have some kind of ranking system in which the students wear karate or kung fu pants, tennis shoes and a T-shirt. In more unorthodox mixed-martial arts schools, grappling shorts or sweat pants replace even gi pants.

At my school, the Institute of Dynamic Combat, students generally wear T-shirts or tank tops bearing our logo, along with athletic shorts or sweats. For certain classes that focus on street defense, they must wear their ordinary clothing and footwear to enhance realism. In most classes, there's no visual distinction between instructor and student, but everyone knows who's who. We do have formal uniforms and rank indicators, but we reserve them for seminars, demonstrations and photo ops.

The difference in attire between my school and most others is a matter of focus. Although it's a good-sized facility by martial arts standards, the Institute of Dynamic Combat is not designed to teach 1,000 students. We keep enrollment lower than most dojos, charging more and offering extra personalized attention.

That's not to say our way is best. Large commercial schools that use uniforms provide a more tangible martial arts atmosphere and a team spirit feeling that can come only from uniformity. They also enjoy the benefits of having a belt system, which makes it easier to identify the experience level of the students and instructors. The image they project is more in line with what the public expects-sort of an urban Shaolin Temple.

The martial arts have their share of icons, perhaps the most enduring of which is the gi-clad, belt-wearing karate guy. But there's an old saying: Clothes don't make the man. And they certainly don't make the martial artist.

I know 10th-degree black belts who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag and just as many who wholeheartedly deserve their advanced rank. But because the standards for earning a black belt are so diverse today, the rank means much less than it used to. There's no national authority overseeing and governing the arts. There's no one to ensure that when a student receives a black belt, it actually means something.

The bottom line is, uniforms and rank systems have advantages and disadvantages based on the specific school's clientele and focus. Large traditional schools usually find such things to be a necessity. As far as the validity of the belt that's being used to keep that uniform tied shut is concerned, you have to take it on a case-by-case basis.

About the author: Richard Ryan is the founder of Dynamic Combat and the creator of the Tactical Defense Training System. To contact him, call (800) 945-4387 or visit http://www.DynamicCombat.com.

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