Back in history, during the times when many martial arts were first developing, the martial art clothes that practitioners wore were very similar to their normal everyday clothing.
Often, life was hard and extremely violent, either because of criminal gangs and warlords fighting for power over their regions, or because of occupation by invading foreign armies.
Although it was common for them to be banned, people continued to practise them for self-protection.
In such cases they needed to be inconspicuous, so as not to be detected and punished.
The use of everyday clothes made it harder for the occupying authorities to catch them.
Furthermore, wearing such normal clothes allowed techniques to be developed that were suitable for everyday life.
For example, if the general fashion was for tighter trousers, it is unlikely that high kicks would have been incorporated into local martial arts.
The clothes themselves - not to mention the local terrain - dictated which techniques became prevalent.
And since most people wore baggy trousers, and therefore were able to kick with freedom, it was historically the terrain that molded the different styles.
For example, kung fu styles from northern China tend to feature high kicks and flying kicks, whereas southern Chinese styles tend to be more associated with low stances and powerful hand strikes, with a sprinkling of low kicks.
This is no coincidence as northern China is flat and dry and the ground is hard and stable; in contrast the south is more boggy, and also more densely populated, making high kicking a higher risk technique.
Today, people who train in fighting arts are particularly noticeable.
Fashion moved on, but the martial art clothes that are worn have remained the same.
In most Japanese martial arts the wearing of a gi is a sign of respect both for the art itself and to the ancestors - the forefathers and masters of those particular styles.
Some styles, such as judo, developed techniques that use the garment itself for choking the opponent.
Of course, these techniques are still practised today, but would not necessarily be available to the practitioner in a real self-defence situation, since people do not walk around town wearing a gi these days.
The majority of Chinese kung fu styles nowadays use martial art clothes that closely resemble contemporary fashion.
Very few kung fu clubs and schools insist on black toggle fastening jackets with white collars and cuffs, instead opting for black kung fu bottoms or track pants and a simple white t-shirt.
Often the only sign that these people are kung fu students is a badge on the t-shirt denoting which style they practise, or some Chinese calligraphy for the name of their art.
The important point is that the clothing is practical for fighting in a self-defence situation, and not so conspicuous in the first place that it makes the wearer a target (although it must be noted that it is extremely rare to see a karate expert walking the streets in his white uniform).
So the martial art clothes for today's warrior need to be inconspicuous and "normal" - so you can fit in with contemporary fashion and not make yourself a target - but also need to be practical.
In other words, find clothes that allow you to perform your techniques if you find yourself in danger, as otherwise you may end up (rather ironically) a "fashion victim.
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