About two weeks ago on an early Sunday morning, I took a sort of Japanese stroll.
Most people are familiar with the kimono, the robe-like clothing most often associated with Japanese clothing. Less people may be familiar with the hakama, a pair of divided trousers with pleats worn for formal or semi-formal occasions. And almost all Asian martial artists are familiar with the gi, the upper shirt with short sleeves held secured with ties.
What people might be less familiar with are another form of the hakama, called historically kobakama, the traditional "short form" trousers worn under armor or for general use.
(Source)
The largest differences between hakama and tattsuke-bakama (from an unsophisticated point of viewer such as myself) is the fact that they do not have longer, flowing legs of the hakama but rather are gathered at the knee. Below them (at least in this model and the one I own) they legs shrink to kyuhan (gaiters) that are tied around the calf:
(Front)
(Back)
My pair are from a store on Etsy, Siamurai, who delivers great work.
All of this to say, that Sunday I put on my gi, my obi (well, one of my obis, or belts - I have a few), my tattsuke-bakama, and my jiki-tabi (a form of the tabi, the traditional Japanese split toed sock, but made of heavier canvas, going farther up the ankle with snaps, and having a modern rubber sole) and went for a walk.
It was a very different experience.
It was early in the morning of course, so the chances I would attract attention were minimal (as I had planned it).
The kobakama, being of linen, did not wear or sound like the more modern fabrics that I usually wear. They were quieter, less noisy. The jiki-tabi hit the sidewalk as would any modern sole, but once we got the trail portion of my walk, the sound almost disappeared in a way that modern walking shoes do not.
Walking along the dirt portion of the trail, with forest to one side of me and a stone retaining wall on the other, one was almost transported to a different time, where almost all transportation was by foot and the only sounds were those of nature and the quiet steps of the one walking.
It was an interesting, meditative experience. Certainly something worth repeating.
