arnis belt

[bde]

Two questions:
1) What is the meaning of the red border on the Arnis black belt?
2)What does an original Filipino espada look like?
I'm pretty new to Modern Arnis and was just wondering.

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

Well I hate to admit it. I don’t know why we have the red borders on our belts. I do know that we wear the knots on the side so the handle of the sword you might carry won’t get tangled in the ends of the belt.

 

[Icepick]

Maybe someone from the PI is better equipped to answer this, but here is what I understand.

1) Remy started using belts to more closely resemble the Japanese arts that had become so much more popular than FMA, giving people what they expect from a martial art. The same with the forms, I would guess. So as far as tradition goes, the red border can't be that old... Most FMA do not use a belt system.

2) I've read (Mark Wiley's works) that notable eskrimadors in some parts of the Philippines would have their status denoted by wearing a red headband or skullcap.

3) I've also heard, though I don't remember where, that originally, the red border was to be extremely thin at lakan, widening at subsequent ranks, until the entire belt became red at 10th degree. Apparently, that idea was scrapped at some point.

Honestly, though, I never talked to the Professor about it, and can't confirm any of this as fact. Just repeating what I've heard!

 

[GouRonin]

Someone should do some research on this. It would prove interesting.

 

[bloodwood]

From the Professor's pink book which was first printed in 1974 it says that there were three belt colors. White, brown trimmed with blue and black trimmed with red.

For brown it says:
Progression in the rank of the player will be signified by the widening of the blue rims of the belt. There are 4 levels of brown
Brown, B1,B2,B3

For Lakan
Ranks can be signified by widening of the red rims

For lakan-pito to lakan- sampu the holders of these ranks can wear either all red or black rimmed with orange

I don't know when the rest of the colors were instituted

 

[Icepick]

My brown belt has the blue border... not pretty.

 

[GouRonin]

What is the signifigace of the trim etc and the widening?

 

[bde]

Thaks for the info on the belt! It sure is nice having a vehicle
such as martialtalk to go to when you are looking for information.