In some martial arts schools, showing up in a tight leotard and a vest may be acceptable but for the majority it will not. Instead you wear a specific uniform, called a dobo, gi, or dobok, depending on the martial art style. Putting on the martial arts uniform should be seen as your first ritual into starting your class; while you are doing it you should clear your mind and get ready to prepare for training.

The uniform that is worn generally consists of loose-fitting trousers partnered with a tunic top or a wrap-around style top. The wrap-around works like a bathrobe with one side covering the other. Okay this may mean you look like you have just got out of the shower but this did not stop Jet Li.

One of the difficulties with the uniform is when it comes to female warriors, martial arts clothing are predominately aimed at men. So if you are a female martial artist you need to ensure that you get the right fitting uniform for your classes. You can purchase the uniform often through the club that you are attending; the instructor will often have the name and logo of the martial arts club embroidered on the clothing. If your club does not provide a uniform for you to purchase then they will explain how and where you can buy one and colour it should be, what material is made from and may even suggest a certain company that produces them.

When you first start a martial arts club often you can wear your own workout clothes to begin with. This is to see if you actually enjoy the club without having the unnecessary expense of shelling out on a uniform when you may not even like the club for whatever reason. You do have to budget for the uniform just like the other expenses that come with joining a martial arts club, they can vary greatly in price from anywhere between seventy dollars to one hundred and fifty dollars.

In some styles you are actually encouraged to wear your own regular workout clothes, especially in Jeet Kune Do and related styles. Just make sure you speak to your instructor when you join so there is no confusion. When you train at home, you can choose what you like to train in, but give some consideration to wearing the traditional attire as it is does give you that feeling that you a 'real' martial artist. After that's why we are studying it, right?