Pete Kautz of Alliance Martial Arts wrote an excellent article called I Conceal My Treasure: Martial Arts and the Public Eye. In it, he explains quite convincingly why one should not traipse about in public draped in Kung Fu t-shirts, silk-screened Karate jackets, and fanny packs worn with licensed firearms manufacturers' clothing.  Such ostentatious displays, he argues, can be seen as tempting challenges to those looking for trouble.  Forewarning others as to your preparations when considering the sudden use of force is also poor strategy for ongoing survival.

There is, however, a time and a place to express your love of the martial arts with your clothing.  Informal attire for seminars and training events is one example.  Dressing purely for your own enjoyment when in the company of known friends is another.

Recently the nice folks at Red Lizard Martial Arts Clothing sent me a product sample.  Specifically, they sent a black t-shirt adorned with, appropriately enough, a Kung Fu logo.  They shipped it Royal Mail at their expense and got it to me extremely quickly.  (Red Lizard, if you haven't figured it out from the URL, is based in the West Yorkshire, UK.  Consider this when shopping, for while shipping might be a concern for American buyers, you folks in the UK have no excuses.)  The Red Lizard catalog includes a variety of branded shirts in varying colors, sporting a variety of martial arts-themed t-shirts and tank-tops.  Glancing through the flyer they sent me, I see shirts for those keen on everything from Kempo and Kendo to Aikido and Shotokan.  Sizes run up to XL.

My shirt exhibits high-quality stitching, a reinforced neckline, and quality 100% cotton construction.  Its tag (which is inside the lower hem of the shirt, not positioned in the neckline where it would irritate the wearer) boasts a variety of wash and care graphics that mean relatively little to me.  The Red Lizard name and logo are embroidered on a smaller tag on the left sleeve of the garment.