Võ phục
Introduction Tân Khánh Bà Trà practitioners wearing black colored ''võ phục''.Vovinam practitioners wearing typical blue/indigo colored ''võ phục'' of Vovinam while practicing Vietnamese martial arts. '''''Võ phục''''' (Chữ Hán: 武服) is a Vietnamese term that refers to a martial arts uniform (which may include a ranking belt), mainly associated with Vietnamese martial arts, particularly Vovinam.
Usage Võ Cổ truyền's ''võ phục''The term ''võ phục'' may be used alone in the context of Vietnamese martial arts or often to refer to the martial arts suit worn by practitioners of Vovinam. The Vietnamese alphabet pronunciation (and writing) of the word ''võ phục'' differs from another common Vietnamese term ''vô phúc'' (無福) "bad luck. "===Usage with Other Martial Art Forms===Võ phục may be used before the accepted name of another martial art in order to refer to the uniform of that particular martial art. For example, ''võ phục Judo'' refers to the martial arts uniform used in Judo, known in Japanese as a Jūdōgi'' (:wikt:柔道着). The term functions in the same way as "martial arts uniform of," in English: ''võ phục'' (martial arts uniform of) Judo. ''===History===From 1938 to 1964, there was no official coloration associated with ''võ phục''. However, after a meeting between Vietnamese martial arts masters in 1964, indigo/deep blue was chosen to be the official color of Vietnamese martial arts uniforms.The official color was not necessarily adopted by all practitioners, as evidenced throughout 1973-1990 when many practitioners under a separate development of Vovinam, the "Viet Vo Dao Federation," wore black uniforms. By 1990, however, after further meetings between councils, indigo had been adopted by the majority of Vovinam practitioners in and outside of Vietnam. Deep blue/indigo (Vietnamese: Lam) is now the internationally accepted color of Vo Phuc for Vietnamese martial arts.
Construction The ''võ phục'' of Vovinam are very similar, if not nearly identical, to the ''keikogi'' of Japanese martial arts. Both top and bottom of the uniform are constructed in much the same way as ''keikogi'', and the two are likely interchangeable if not for obvious differences in coloration.The thickness of ''võ phục'' varies by school, preference, or size of a practitioner.
Wearing As with the Japanese ''keikogi'', the ''võ phục'' top should be worn with the left front panel tied over the right. Pants are worn the same way as Japanese ''keikogi'' pants, and are adjusted according to the preference of the practitioner by loosening or tightening the appropriate fitting cords provided.
Belt The ''võ phục'' is often worn with the corresponding ranking belt (Vietnamese :wikt:đai, :wikt:帶) of the practitioner around the waist. Belts worn with ''võ phục'' for Vovinam are similar to those of Japanese martial arts in that they are constructed using the same techniques and materials.
See also * Vovinam* Keikogi (Leads to: Judogi, Karategi, etc. )* Dobok
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