question about doing martial arts in kilt?

[kiltman with a sword]

hey all! this is kiltman with a sword here, and i was wondering if any of you guys practiced martial arts in your kilts? im looknig into doing some mma, which is mixed martial arts, after i graduate, and was wondering if its fairly easy to fight in a kilt. to my mind it would be, but i dont really have a kilt right now, and if youve read my other posts, youll realize that i tried to make one out of a terrible pattern. i have done boffering, a swordplay contact sport in it, and i was ok with that, and even wrestled someone down to the ground doing that, a couple times. That was fine, but i was wondering if it is as easy with traditional fighting arts. mma rules dont say you cant wear kilts.
(specifically, anyway! ) in fact, if you wore one and fought proffesionally, you could garner respect for kilt wearers, to my mind anyway. just wondering what you guys think. tell me if you do any martial arts, and how that interacts with you wearing kilts.
always willing to learn,
KMwS

[Erisianmonkey]

I'm not sure what arts you're talking about mixing here, but I think I'd be worried about the exposure factor. I was never a professional, I just learned from and sparred with an 8th degree friend of mine. A snap or roundhouse kick delivered in the right (or is that wrong?) way could show off your pride in a way you don't want. I've been to unhealthy to practice any arts for about eight or nine years now, but I don't think I'd have sparred in the kilt without something underneath it.

[Tartan Texan Trenton]

I'd feel absolutely comfortable boxing in the kilt - worn as for Scottish heavy athletics competition; i.e. with no sporran or belt, and with lycra shorts underneath. In full contact. I'd worry that it'd be the equivalent of long hair or a ponytail; one more thing for my opponent to grab a hold of. Sill, lots of guys on the MMA circuits do have long hair, so I guess it's a personal preference.

[GallowHill]

While I have never done it in a kilt, I did study American Kenpo for some time, also Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and little of the Russian art of Systema. Any of the stand up arts would be fine in a kilt, as long as you have something on underneath. But if you are going to go to the ground, which you will in mma, your kilt would probably be a liability if it lasted more than 30 seconds into the fight. So if I was to try it, I wouldn't wear a nice kilt, probably a Sportkilt or velcroed equivalent that will release when it is pulled.

Scott

[Kid Cossack]

Kiltman with a sword: (Or can I call you KWS?)

I think our MacHummel has outfitted a couple of Scots-Canadian wrestlers, and could probably give you pointers on a "fighting kilt."

Best of luck with your endeavors!

Kid Cossack

[cavscout]

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...t=martial+arts

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...t=martial+arts

[Sciuropterus]

I have been doing martial arts sice 1981, the last 8 years I have been involved in Kosen Ju-Jitsu and I am very familiar with MMA, several of our students have competed at the local level.
I would never wear a kilt on the mat to train MMA/Ju-Jitsu any more than I would wear a Japanese Hakama- it would definitely interfere with my technique while rolling on the mat, and likely get damaged. I can see myself trying to get up while my opponent is kneeling on my kilt, pinning me to the ground; bad for me, bad for the kilt.

If I am wearing a kilt on the street, then of course I have to do what I have to do.

For other martial arts, it might be fine, but definitely not for a style where you are rolling around. Indonesian Silat practitioners train wearing a kilt-length tube sarong and even have techniques that use the sarong to choke or restrain the opponent.

See this link for a cool sarong fighting video:
http://www.coldsteel.com/vdfs.html

[kiltman with a sword]

my martial arts experience consists of some TKD when i was about 8, but we had to move and i couldnt do that anymore. since then i have devoured anyhting i could with regards to hand2hand. ive sparred with a navy seal,(which really proved that i had a lot to learn!), read all i could, spent hours cruising the internet, and although you guys that have the luxury of a dojo may think that im just trying to skip all the hard work, i would rather train n a dojo, or dojang if i could. my brother in law is wantig to join the mma, and i have a cousin who is #1 ranked contender in it in our area.i want to do that after i graduate, and was thinking of fighting in a kilt. they dont say you cant wear one. i also wrestled for 2 years in middle school, and have worked on converting my wrestling experience to street fighting. i can now fairly confidently say that i could break your arm, neck or leg in at least 4 ways apeice. and although you cant purposely break a limb in mma, you can put them in a submission hold using their extremities. so what are your thoughts on wearing a kilt in heavy contact fighting? keep in mind that garments are sometimes taped on so they stay on.
KWaS

[Norbydog]

I would say no to the idea of MMA in a kilt. I trained MMA for years, and I can tell you that it will come off. Additionally, the added material would soak up your sweat, and I know of no fight who was nover saved at least once from a submission lock by slipping out through a layer of sweat.

Yet, I give you permission to do what my fight team did.....wear a kilt rather than shorts for your approach to the ring. If you look at the Sportkilt website, you can find the "Irish Revenge" tartan, which was endorsed by Jens Pulver. There is even a pic of him on the site wearing it.

[Sciuropterus]

i can now fairly confidently say that i could break your arm, neck or leg in at least 4 ways apeice.

Yeah. Whatever.

I'd consider saving that sort of talk for your high school buddies who don't know any better.

Guys who talk like that never last long at our club.

You have been given good advice by some people who know what they are talking about. Ignore it at your own risk...