 Outside of a tournament or sparring in the classroom, chances of you getting into an altercation while wearing your class uniform is pretty slim. Unless of course you make it a habit to go shopping in a gi and a hakama, or have a habit of fighting in the grocery store. But in reality, if you get into a fight, you're likely gonna be wearing normal everyday clothes. So today we're gonna go over some considerations in self-defense and street clothes. So please tell me I'm not the only one that when they go buy a new pair of pants or jeans that the first thing they do in the dressing room is see how well you can kick in them. If I am, I regret nothing. But I know there's some of you out there. Wearing a gi or uniform is a great way to train. You know, they provide good movement, they're comfortable, and they're very practical and useful in grappling. But outside the school, you're not likely to be wearing it, so it is important to be aware of what opportunities and limitations everyday clothing might provide you. Now first of all, not every art wears a gi top or your standardized uniform. You know, a lot of arts such as Wing Chung or Krav Maga, they wear pretty much everyday clothing as it is, or at least pants and shirts. So they're a lot more attuned to this. But for a lot of classes, we do wear the gi and sometimes it's easy to forget that that's not what you're gonna be wearing in a real life situation. So these ideas will apply to your awareness. They're actually a type of situational awareness and being aware of what tools you have at your disposal or limitations you're gonna encounter. Probably the most common things you're gonna encounter and most people will wear them are jeans and a T-shirt. It's pretty much your everyday attire. And they're very comfortable, but there's some things to know about that. If you are wearing a T-shirt or if you're having to fight against someone who's wearing a T-shirt, just know T-shirts tear very, very easily. And I mean, they tear all sorts of ways they can rip on the sides. Sometimes people grab by the collar. Some shirts have stronger collars than others, but a shirt is very likely to tear. There are ways to grab them and I know people who do train to grab shirts certain ways to prevent that and give yourself sense of leverage. Like for example, if you're able to kind of catch the bottom of the shirt and kind of bunch it up and then grab the top part or the collar part, the more of the shirt you have in your hand, the less likely that part of it's gonna tear. So sometimes that could be a point of leverage if you're using it against someone else. If you're gonna grab someone with a T-shirt, just be aware. If you just grab just a plain shirt and pull, good chance it's gonna tear off and you might lose your grip. So the more of it you have, the better grip you're gonna have on it. Jeans can go either way. Jeans can be extremely tight or they can be baggy. There's all sorts of styles of jeans. So that's gonna be kind of your awareness of what you can do and that can you kick in it, that can you run in it. Jeans are a little bit of a variable. And also when it comes to T-shirts, you know there's always the joke you see in movies where you pull the shirt over the person's head and you punch them. As funny as that might be, that's not necessarily a bad tactic. If you're really in a scrap of someone and you're able to grab a shirt and pull it, I mean, there's no reason why you can't buy yourself a potential couple of seconds. If you are able to get it over the head, it might give you a moment to escape or it might get you shot in and watch out for that beat done to you. It's used a lot in comedies but it is a viable tactic sometimes. All right, moving on from T-shirts, let's talk about the next step up. Sweaters or a sweatshirt. Now if you're in a place like Florida, there's only three days a year where people are gonna wear shirts like that. But there's a lot of parts of the country where sweatshirts are common. So here's a little bit of a difference between those and T-shirts. If it's a sweater, keep in mind, sweaters have a more tendency to stretch. So they might not always tear as easily but if you grab someone, it doesn't mean you're gonna have a good grip on them. Sweaters do have a lot more give and they can pull and they can stretch out. Sweatshirts, like more of like the heavier duty sweatshirts like sweat pant material are a little bit more durable. They won't tear as easily and at that point, you might be able to manipulate someone in a sweatshirt kind of like a gi. You might be able to get similar cuff grabs and holds on them. That might work a little bit better if you're doing throws or takedowns. So a little bit of a better grip. Hoodies are another variation and these are a little bit more interesting. I kind of wanna bring up some notes about them. Of course, you've got your two different kinds. You've got the zip down in the front and you've got your pullover. Well, one thing, the obvious difference of the hoodie is the hood. This could be something if it's hanging off the back of your neck, back of your head, it's a potential point if someone be able to grab and pull and it's not gonna tear that easily. So you gotta watch out for that being whipped around. And also if you need to defend yourself and someone who's tacking you to wearing a hoodie, you might be able to reach up behind their back, grab the hood and pull it. Maybe anchor their head back a little bit if you need to. It could be a point of leverage. So that's a big difference between a sweatshirt and a hoodie is the actual hood itself. It could be used against you or it could be a tool for your disposal. If it's a zip down, you've got the zipper. One obvious thing you gotta watch out for or you can use to your advantage shoe is against the neck. This can do some damage. So you gotta watch out. If you're wearing anything with zippers, watch out about that cutting your neck. And again, it's something you could use to in a dirty situation. I don't advocate fighting dirty but it is something to be aware of. It is part of the wardrobe. And again, sweatshirts and hoodies, they're a little bit more durable. So you're more likely to be able to use them, especially if it's like an open jacket or an open hoodie. It's very similar to a gi jacket. And that gives you more options in terms of leverage, pull, binding someone up in their clothes. Like I know Brazilian jiu-jitsu, they have a lot of techniques where you use the belt and the gi to kind of wrap around joints and lock them. Shirts like that can lend themselves a little bit more to those possibilities. Then you've got your heavy jackets. And I'm talking about like your big winter coats to your parkas, whatever you know, your Nicole environments. Really gonna give you some opportunity to grip there unless you're also wearing gloves and you know, you're just bound up. But jackets like that one, if you're wearing them, they can bind your movement a little bit. But also one thing too is they can be a little bit of a buffer. If it's a really thick down jacket, it might be a little bit of a buffer in terms of you go to hit somebody, if it's not a straight shot, glancing blows might not do the same damage and might cushion it a little bit. Same thing to you, but I wouldn't count on that. Don't say like, oh, you're not gonna hurt me because I'm wearing a jacket. But you know, I've gotten the scraps when I was a kid, you know, and it was winter. I lived in Long Island for a little bit. And when I was 12, 13, you know, you go to the ground, we start swinging, but we're both wearing jackets. We really hurt each other that much. So heavy, heavy coats do add a little bit of protection for both you and them. Not to the point where you should act like you're invincible, but just keep that in mind. You might have to put some extra effort into penetrating through that cushion. Shorts are pretty common. You know, there's really not much mobility limitations there. I mean, it's easy to run, it's easy to move, it's easy to kick. The other thing really is shorts. Just keep in mind, if you're gonna go to the ground, you're likely gonna get scraped up. That's pretty much that. But that could be a small price to pay for defending yourself. So for all of you out there who are the low riders, you know, you wear your shorts and your pants low on your hips, you know, hanging off your butt. Just keep in mind whether you do that for silo-sic choice or whatever, that is giving you a little bit of a disadvantage. It's a tripping hazard. Baggy pants in general can be a tripping hazard. Just the other day, I was walking down the stairs and I was just wearing baggy sweatpants in the house. And as I was stepping down, my toe of one foot actually got snagged into the cuff of the other foot and I almost tumbled forward down the stairs. And that's just walking around my house, trying to fight something that's hanging off you and bagging like that puts you at a disadvantage. Shoes, I mean this is kind of a little bit of a big one. Shoes that could be sneakers, flip-flops, slip-ons, boots, heels, all give you vastly different variables when it comes to defending yourself or having to fight or run. Obviously sneakers and basic shoes, slip-on shoes are pretty decent to fight in because they stay on your feet pretty well. They give you good traction. Slippers are flip-flops, they're gonna come off. If you're gonna try to run, it might actually be worth it. If you're really in a life in this situation and you have to escape, you might have to lose the flip-flops because you're gonna potentially give yourself a disadvantage with that. On the other side of that, if you are fighting against somebody who's wearing flip-flops, try to use that to their disadvantage. So maybe move around a little bit more, try to get them to kind of commit more to footwork, especially if it's uneven terrain, because that could be something they could slip, they could fall off easily. Heels, women wearing heels. You know, of course, you watch out with storm drains and all that, but it's very easy to turn an ankle if you're trying to run and heel and you're really not gonna be doing any high kicks and heels. Okay, we have boots. Boots are a little bit different because one, they're heavier, two, they're sturdier. So if you're getting kicked by someone wearing a boot, keep in mind, boots have less give them so that kick might have a little bit more penetrating power than the stinker might have. But on the other side of that though is, boots are harder to kick in. If you're going to class on a regular basis and you throw a thousand kicks a week in class, you're usually doing it barefoot. You don't have that weight on your foot. So if it comes time to defend yourself and then all of a sudden you're wearing an extra powder to you on your feet with a boot, it could throw your timing off, it could throw your balance off, it might feel uncomfortable, you might be like, well, it might be a little bit of a shock because it's different. So keep that in mind that boots have that to them. Yes, they're tougher, and yes, they might give you a little bit of extra penetrating power, but they're also a little bit harder to kick in than other shoes would be. And just overall, when we're talking about footwear and baggy clothes and all that, this is a generality in that just because something might be uncomfortable for you doesn't mean it is for somebody else. So if you are in a situation where you're up against another person who's trying to fight you, don't assume their ability and based on what they're wearing. You can use stuff to your advantage, you can be smart about it, but you don't know what that person knows. You don't know what their experience is because just because it's a hindrance to you doesn't necessarily mean it's a hindrance to them. Dresses, skirts, even kilts, just there's not a whole lot to say about this. Just understand that, of course, some will have more mobility options than others depending on the material, depending on the length, depending on the type of the dress or the wardrobe itself. Just be aware of what you're wearing and what you're able to do in it versus running or fighting. It's just something you need to keep in mind. So just to kind of sum up this kind of group of clothing types, basically a lot of baggy clothing. So in general, baggy clothing, it can get snagged, it can get grabbed, it can tear. Just be aware of how clothes hang on you and what kind of hindrance they may or may not be. Okay, let's talk about accessories now. Jewelry's an obvious one. A lot of jewelry during the fight can just get torn away or break off, but you do have things like rings and necklaces that can be choking hazard. You've got earrings. If someone's wearing big hoop earrings or anything, that's something that can be grabbed and pulled. Or not just that, jewelry can get caught on stuff whether you're trying to jump a fence or you're trying to squeeze through something or get out of a vehicle or anything like even tight rings, like a wedding ring can get snagged on stuff. And we've heard some pretty bad horror stories about some serious injuries where jewelry has gotten snagged. So again, be aware of that. And I know a lot of people think about like the movie, The Perfect Weapon where Jeff Beekman had the ring with a tiger on one side and he would flip it around so the dragon of them was the other side. Yes, rings of certain rings that they've got ornamental designs on them can do damage with punching, but that damage can be done to you as well. But it's not just this act of just fighting, but if you're trying to escape, you're trying to get through something. Rings, necklaces, earrings can all get caught on your environment. And this especially holds true if you're rolling. You know, if you get into a fight and it goes to the ground, this is not a classroom. This is not a padded floor. This is the environment. It could be concrete. It could be grass. You could be indoors. You're gonna be brushed up against objects. You're gonna be sliding against harsh terrain. You know, talk about stuff being able to get snagged. So if you're wearing a lot of accessories, expect that stuff to get torn, ripped, yourself can get cut. They're gonna get cut. It's gonna get messy. Just understand this. When you wear something, just have this level of consciousness in your mind. When you put something on, what possible consequences you could have with what you're wearing? Hats and helmets. All right. Hats, not usually that big of a deal. You know, they're gonna come off most likely in the fight anyway, but like things like helmets. Watch, okay, if you're wearing like a bicycle helmet and you happen to be wearing that when you get into an altercation, there's chin straps. Anything with a chin strap? Be careful because that could be some potential neck injuries if they grab the helmet and pull. Well, guess what? Your head's going, turning, twisting, wherever that helmet goes. A step up from that though is wearing a motorcycle helmet. Well, it does offer a level of protection. You might lose some peripheral vision, but it's gonna be harder to hurt someone with wearing a, you know, it's time to try and punch somebody with a motorcycle helmet on. But if you are fighting somebody with a motorcycle helmet on, okay, you gotta come up with another plan because they are better protected than you are. So just keep in mind, you know, hats, not usually a big deal. They come off most of the time, but hats, helmets, it's still stuff that you wear and things that can protect you or hurt you or be used against you. Belts, you know, not usually much of an issue, but sometimes if you've got a belt that you can whip out easily, that could become a weapon if you need to. And there are people who could use belts, like wrap around, you know, kind of grapple with, especially grapple with. I wouldn't do it if you're wearing something specifically baggy, where your pants are gonna fall down, you're gonna trip. But usually sometimes, if you're able to remove the belt, it might be something to your advantage to use. Otherwise, you know, a person wearing a belt, sometimes if you're grabbing, getting close, you can still kind of grab like the cuff of their pants so they can get a little bit of a better grip or it can be done to you. So just, even just being wearing something like a belt can come into play. Ties and scarves. Now we're talking about garments that you wear around your neck. There's the obvious choking hazard here. And they're a little bit different between each other. Ties, they're, you know, of course, a little bit more secure and firm. They can be grabbed, they can be pulled. Even sometimes the knot can be tightened, can restrict breathing. Scarves come off easier, but they're also easier to wrap around you. So just like the helmets we talk about with the chin straps, that your head's gonna go where the helmet goes, same thing with your neck. You've got something on your neck. Your neck is gonna turn and twist based on what's being pulled. So if you think there might be a situation happening and you're worried about that, might be, you know, if you've got a scarf, maybe take it off. You can maybe use it as a weapon if you need to. But you might want to loosen it. And I do know some people will wait until they get to work or whatever before they even put their ties on. So just again, notice that is a very big hazard. Our potential hazard is ties. Anything hanging around your neck can be used against you. Or you can use it as well if you have to. Other accessories, purses and backpacks. Backpacks, these are very common. This is something you wear. People commute with these. Purses can be used as weapons. I mean, depends on what you have on them. You can swing around. You can use the distraction. Backpacks, I want to say are a little bit different because if it's something, if you're wearing the backpack on your back, one, depends on what you have in it. If it's full of school books, your center of gravity is gonna be a little bit different. It might impede your ability to run or slow you down a little bit. If you get caught into a fight and you fall, it might be harder to get back up. It could also be a very useful tool for you to pull off and start swinging that around as well as distraction. So just, again, just keep in mind if you're wearing a very heavy backpack that can vastly affect the way you move, the very least could affect your balance. And let's go the other way. What person might not be wearing? Especially, again, we're in Florida. A person might not be wearing a shirt at all. Might be on the beach. Might be when we're in a tank top, which is gonna come off of a tear even easier than the T-shirt. They might be wearing the bathing suit. A lot of self-defense schools, especially grabbing schools, yeah, of course you learn how to take the geese and clothes and wrap around each other, but you should also learn how to be able to grab joints the best that you can. Potentially, a person might be wearing suntan oil. You don't know if so. If they're not wearing clothes, obviously you can't use the clothes against them. So you need to be able to learn how to manipulate limbs as well. So it's not just learning how to throw something by grabbing their gi and toss them. Learn how to secure joints and wraps and tightness because if they're not wearing the clothes, you're gonna have less leverage to work with. So you're gonna have to go more on joints and body manipulation. And if it's Halloween or you're at a comic convention, then all bets are off and there's a whole world of possibilities there. But don't get into fighting conventions. Thank you so much for watching. We do like to throw out these environmental awareness episodes every now and then. Of course, I invite all your feedback. I'm sure there's clothing that you guys can think of or other aspects. So please share it, share it below. I'd love to hear what you think. But speaking of clothes, be sure to check out our store. We have a bunch of t-shirts and clothes that's available. So what you can do is you can buy a t-shirt for your enemy to pull over their head and punch them with it. Then you take a shirt and you've got a shirt.