Monday was the first time that I wore a hakama: I have to say that I quite liked it. My first was impression was something like “ooh swishy”, but I think that there is a deeper effect going on than just external style.
But anyway, there are a few of us new to the hakama experience–in fact we’re fortunate enough to have more hakama wearing students than usual–and so I thought I’d share some stuff I’ve found while looking up how to take care of the thing!
The hakama embodies a specific set of symbolism; the pleats each represent one of the following:
Jin - Love and Sympathy
Gi - Truth and Justice
Rei - Courtesy
Chi - Wisdom
Shin - Faith
(Taken from Symbolism of the Hakama.)
At some later point we’ll add an article about hakama, their history and significance. In the meantime, maybe take a look at the wikipedia entry.
Update: with thanks to Jon, here are some useful pdfs on tying and folding hakama, courtesy of Bujin Design.
