Belt Preferance

jobo

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My school gives a new belt at every promotion. When I made 2nd Dan, I didn't like the idea because my 1st Dan belt was so soft and broken-in that it practically tied itself. The new one was just too stiff. Of course, after lots of wear and sweat, the 2nd Dan belt is even better. I took my first Dan belt to an embroidery place and had a second stripe added, and it is now my back-up belt.
really, you went to that much trouble to have a,stripe added, what benefits do you get from the stripe?
to be fair when i was in the,scouts i used to get my merit badges stitched on my sleave, but i didn't get many so it,didn't really take a lot of,effort for me mam to sew them
 

jobo

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Because it is important to some people...that is all.
Belts aren't important to others...that is all.
Some people like denium jeans, some don't...that is all.
like,i say its a,strange,concept to me, anything short of a black belt is,a mark that you are not very good yet, why would people,spend money to advertise that fact. stripes on a black belt,show you are,a little bit better than a black belt, again why bother?
 

Danny T

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like,i say its a,strange,concept to me, anything short of a black belt is,a mark that you are not very good yet, why would people,spend money to advertise that fact. stripes on a black belt,show you are,a little bit better than a black belt, again why bother?
LOL...
"Why Bother?"
I'll attempt to explain in simple words.
Because it is important to Them. That is all.
I'm not a fan of belts and ranks but understand it's a great goal maker and helps in large student bodies for the instructor/s to know where one is within the curriculum.
There are schools that have multiple instructors or large student enrollment belts are a good what to designate what has been imparted and to group students of equal skill/knowledge during group training. Has nothing to do with the instructors memory.

So attaining black belt is a mark that you are good?
Not necessarily. Really depends on the art, the school, the instructor/s as to skill.
Not all but most martial arts that use belt ranks black means you have learned the basics or the fundamentals and are now ready to start learning and gaining real skills. Think of it more as having graduated at a secondary education level. You can function but to really be successful you need a lot more training.
Do you know where the belt ranking came from or what the original black belt designated?
 

jobo

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Unless he's disagreeing with the statement posed as a rhetorical question.
it wasnt a rhetorical question, it was a,request to confirm that it was or wasn't a reasonable interpretation of the the answer given.
 

MA_Student

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like,i say its a,strange,concept to me, anything short of a black belt is,a mark that you are not very good yet, why would people,spend money to advertise that fact. stripes on a black belt,show you are,a little bit better than a black belt, again why bother?
That is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard...so according to you if you don't have a black belt you're not very good but you also said you don't have one. So that must mean you're not very good by your own logic. Well at least you're honest about it
 

MA_Student

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like,i say its a,strange,concept to me, anything short of a black belt is,a mark that you are not very good yet, why would people,spend money to advertise that fact. stripes on a black belt,show you are,a little bit better than a black belt, again why bother?
If you don't agree with belts why are you even on this thread. It wasn't a question of if you like them or not it was what they do with the belts and since you don't use them your opinion on this thread means nothing and adds nothing to the discussion. Was it just to tell us how bad *** you are that you don't use belts and yet supposedly put someone on the floor like that's meant to impress anyone
 

jobo

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Just an easy reference. It also helps students know which techniques another student can handle in "live" work, in some systems.
yea,, but the fuss people make,about achieving them sticking stripes on them etal, show they have,a,deeper purpose than just helping with the order of the class.
people don't generaly turn up at,swimming class,wearing their achievement medals


purpose
 

Streetfighter2

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like,i say its a,strange,concept to me, anything short of a black belt is,a mark that you are not very good yet, why would people,spend money to advertise that fact. stripes on a black belt,show you are,a little bit better than a black belt, again why bother?
Sounds like you're just bitter you're not good enough to get one. Anyone who truly doesn't care about belts doesn't start insulting the idea
 

ballen0351

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yea,, but the fuss people make,about achieving them sticking stripes on them etal, show they have,a,deeper purpose than just helping with the order of the class.
people don't generaly turn up at,swimming class,wearing their achievement medals


purpose
Only person I see making a fuss is you.....
 

jobo

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If you don't agree with belts why are you even on this thread. It wasn't a question of if you like them or not it was what they do with the belts and since you don't use them your opinion on this thread means nothing and adds nothing to the discussion. Was it just to tell us how bad *** you are that you don't use belts and yet supposedly put someone on the floor like that's meant to impress anyone
i think they are,childish, but its,a,fair question of why a grown man would go and get his belt embellished so he strut around with his new rank on display.

if they were indicative of how well you can fight they might have some meaning, but commonly using the techniques you have learnt in a meaningful way isn't part of the test .

so that leaves the question of if they don't,show how bad *** you are, what do they show
 

Headhunter

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i think they are,childish, but its,a,fair question of why a grown man would go and get his belt embellished so he strut around with his new rank on display.

if they were indicative of how well you can fight they might have some meaning, but commonly using the techniques you have learnt in a meaningful way isn't part of the test .

so that leaves the question of if they don't,show how bad *** you are, what do they show
Ah I see someone let the clown out of his box again
 

MA_Student

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i think they are,childish, but its,a,fair question of why a grown man would go and get his belt embellished so he strut around with his new rank on display.

if they were indicative of how well you can fight they might have some meaning, but commonly using the techniques you have learnt in a meaningful way isn't part of the test .

so that leaves the question of if they don't,show how bad *** you are, what do they show
Maybe because people don't care how tough they are. As for why? Who not? What's it got to do with you get on with your own life.

I find the people who care so much about what other people do have pretty sad lives
 

jobo

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Sounds like you're just bitter you're not good enough to get one. Anyone who truly doesn't care about belts doesn't start insulting the idea
I'm not bitter, its a,simple fact that I've not put the required amount of years in to get a black belt. if i do get there, Il hang it in my wardrobe next to all the ties i never,wear. Not go strutting about in it like it means,anything
 

Gerry Seymour

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yea,, but the fuss people make,about achieving them sticking stripes on them etal, show they have,a,deeper purpose than just helping with the order of the class.
people don't generaly turn up at,swimming class,wearing their achievement medals


purpose
I've never run into much of that problem, though I've heard many who don't like belts/ranks out it forth as an issue with them. To me, it's a lot like someone saying MMA breeds bullies. Those in MMA don't experience much of that.

Most people use their belt/next rank as a guideline of what to focus on, and nothing more. They know what is required to reach the next rank, and that's where they focus effort. If the rank requirements are well-designed, this works in the student's favor. It would be no different (to them) if there was no rank, and they were simply given guidance as to what to focus on.
 

jobo

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Maybe because people don't care how tough they are. As for why? Who not? What's it got to do with you get on with your own life.

I find the people who care so much about what other people do have pretty sad lives
so if a black belt doesn't mean you are good at using what ever ma you have spent years learning what does it mean?
 

Gerry Seymour

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i think they are,childish, but its,a,fair question of why a grown man would go and get his belt embellished so he strut around with his new rank on display.

if they were indicative of how well you can fight they might have some meaning, but commonly using the techniques you have learnt in a meaningful way isn't part of the test .

so that leaves the question of if they don't,show how bad *** you are, what do they show
Again, you are positing the existence of behavior (an adult strutting around) I've not seen exhibited often. As for your point about how they are tested, that's a problem with testing, not with belts. Take the belt out of the equation, and that issue doesn't go away.
 

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