Hakama Pleat Meanings
(Extracted from Aikido-L)

Date:    Thu, 25 Apr 2002 07:35:57 -0400
From:    Kevin Lee
Subject: "Hakama Pleat Meanings"

The story on www.aikidofaq.com/misc/hakama.html
'What is a Hakama and who wears it?' is excellent.

Would anyone know where I could find out how the pleat meanings are ordered? Are the pleats named and ordered in a specific order?
(Yuki, Jin, Gi, Rei, Makoto, Chugi, Meiyo) For example Chugi (loyalty, fidelity, devotion) and Meiyo (Honor, dignity, prestige) are number 6 and 7. Do these these pleats named for the back two pleats.

Is Pleat 1 Yuki, the outer most left pleat or the outer most right pleat. Does the naming convention go from left to right or vice versa.

Thanks
Kevin

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Date:    Thu, 25 Apr 2002 10:56:20 -0700
From:    A J Garcia
Subject: Re: "Hakama Pleat Meanings"

From the little I know of hakamas (not being ranked high enough in aikido to wear one for that yet), the left side is considered the spiritual side and the right side the more material one.  We were taught to fold our instructors' hakamas with left himo (ties)  folded over last, over the right, to symbolize the
spirital takes precedence over the material.  Just as you lap the left gi lapel over the right.

So it seems, under the FAQ discussion, that Yuki would be left and Makoto right.

However, further along in the same article, ther's a quote from O'Sensei that seems to indicate Jin would be on the left and Shin (=Makoto) would be still be right.

So there may be many different interpretations of this.

At a recent seminar, the visiting sensei talked about the symbolism of the hakama, and how what wearing it originally meant: the difference between someone who is not yet sure, and a sincere student of Budo.  When one puts the hakama on, one declares their dedication to the art.  All of the virtues
mentioned above should be part of one's attitude, whether located on the left or the right, none should be left behind.

Hope this helps.

Al

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Date:    Thu, 25 Apr 2002 12:29:25 -0700
From:    Peter Boylan
Subject: Re: "Hakama Pleat Meanings"

Hi AJ,

> At a recent seminar, the visiting sensei talked
> about the
> symbolism of the hakama, and how what wearing it
> originally
> meant: the difference between someone who is not yet
> sure, and a
> sincere student of Budo.  When one puts the hakama
> on, one
> declares their dedication to the art.  All of the
> virtues
> mentioned above should be part of one's attitude,
> whether located
> on the left or the right, none should be left
> behind.

I've often wondered about this, since it seems to be something that talked about far more in Aikido than in other budo.  I've heard it mentioned a couple of times in kendo circles, and not at all in koryu circles.  I would like to point out that in every other budo style where hakama are worn, it's something you put on right away.  It's just what you wear, as it was the standard clothing for samurai and non-laborers in for something like 400+ years.  Even in Aikido, until the post WW2 shortages, you were expected to get a hakama for practice from day 1.  I tend not to make a big deal
out of hakama, but then I also use a parking lot for my dojo these days.

Peter "the Budo Bum likes the parking lot training.
You're forced to learn to deal with a variety of footing surfaces that can change from smooth to gravel to sand-covered pavement in 2 steps" Boylan


=====
Peter Boylan

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Last updated on 13 Sep 2002