Belts that look old but are not

[Miles]

Probably 180 degrees off-topic, but to preserve my belt, I like to hang it up after each class so that the sweat evaporates before the next day.

I guess I don't understand the desire to prematurely age one's belt-if it is too worn, it should be replaced. If someone is sabotaging their belt to appear to have more experience than they actually have, they really need to spent more time training and less time looking at themselves in the mirror.

Miles

 

[shesulsa]

Hmmm. I received one embriodered belt with the name of my school on one side and my name in Korean with my initials in English below it. I wear that at tests and other special occasions at the school. That belt is heavy, stiff, and thick. It's always re-folded back to how it came.

I have a plain, thick, wide black one that is softer and more pliable that I wear most of the time. I also have a thin, pliable black belt of the same quality as the white belts that come with uniforms. It 'hangs' better, but I haven't worn that one in a while.

The embroidered belt is obviously of a much higher quality and will be more durable than the other two and will definitely last longer as well, especially if I'm not wearing it all the time. But for a belt to fall apart after four years? I dunno ... I was half-black for about three years and the threads on that belt have not yet split or torn.

Where are y'all getting your belts?!?!?

 

[dsp921]

This seems to me to be yet another instance of training for the wrong reasons. I guess if you trash your belt you can impress your friends and family with how hard you work. Maybe I should start dragging my belt from the bumper on the way to and from class. That'll impress everyone. What those people don't seem to realize is that if your belt appears battered and well worn and you move like you've been training for 2 months you look like an idiot. You can't hide behind a faded uniform and a worn belt for long, unless of course you actually put the time in to begin with. Why try to be something you're not? I guess I just don't get it, and that's probably a good thing.

 

[arnisador]

My yellow belt in Judo is starting to wear and fade...

Heh, my BJJ white belt is getting pretty old. It takes a while to change colors...

 

[searcher]

Believe it or not Century MA used to sell a stonewashed belt. This thing looked like it have been dragged behing a car on gravel roads from one side of the U.S. to the other. From what I have heard they had quite a few buyers(those that did not want to put in the time to naturally wear it out). Now they don't seel it, wonder why? Could it be because they got put in their place?

I have seen soem pretty morn out belts in my day and most of them were worn the right way, with blood, sweat, and tears. I got my new belt once I reached Go-dan and I am having to start the "wear out" process all over again.

Matt Stone, it was told to me long ago that if you washed your belt you were washing out all of the hard work that has went into getting you where you are at. Take that for what it was worth. Told to me by and old senile Hachi-dan. and I do stress senile. I myself don't wash my belt because just like any other piece of clothing it prematurely ages it and wears it out.

 

[Grenadier]

My answer: It depends on the circumstances.

Before someone jumps to conclusions, and accuses me one way or the other, please hear out my explanation.

Some yudansha (mostly kids, but I've known a couple of adults that did this) will attempt to get the beaten-in, weathered look artificially, by repeated washings in hot water, in combination with harsher detergents, and even a touch of bleach. Others will try to drag their belts across rough surfaces, or even (sadly) take a rasp / file to it. Still, others will try to use a blade to cut various areas. I really, really frown upon this, since such efforts could simply be better used towards one's training.

Now, some belts are more prone to wearing out than others, and if a belt looks a bit weathered just after a few years through regular training, sometimes this is unavoidable. One of my black belts is made by Tokaido, and it seems that the black dye they use in the belt, tends to bleed out a bit too easily, even though it has been less than a year that I got it. Still, the belt is in great condition, and none of the seams are broken, or the edges frayed, etc.

Other times, though, some belts, especially the 9 dollar satin ones, will fall apart all too easily, through no fault of the wearer.

When someone gets their black belt, I would hope that the chief instructor granting the rank isn't going to buy those el-cheapo belts that fall apart too easily. It really is worth it to spend 25+ dollars to buy a good brand of belt (Shureido, Tokaido, despite the dye problems, Pine Tree, etc).

In general, it's pretty easy to tell who the wearers of the tattered belts are,, in terms of skill level. One such exception, I will describe below.

On a rare occasion, some new yudansha, however, are given an old belt from their instructor, in which case, it's an honor to wear such a belt. If someone criticizes the wearer, the wearer should simply tell the truth, and that's the end of that.


Now, on to a slightly different topic of belt care:

If your belt starts smelling badly, it doesn't harm the belt if you occasionally put it in the washer, using a cold cycle, gentle speeds (this is VERY important), and a mild detergent that is designed to preserve colors, such as Cheer for dark colors, etc. Let it drip dry (do NOT dry in the dryer; this creates more wear and tear in the negative manner that I explained above), and it comes out clean.

 

[Matt Stone]

Matt Stone, it was told to me long ago that if you washed your belt you were washing out all of the hard work that has went into getting you where you are at. Take that for what it was worth.

I appreciate your candor, but you really don't expect a person to believe that washing a dirty piece of clothing will detract from the work a person has done while wearing it do you?

If I wash my "building the wall" clothes, is the wall any less built for having done so? Does having clean "building the wall" clothes take away from the effort I expended in building the wall? Not at all on either count.

I was told the same thing by my teacher; to wash one's sash was to wash away one's strength and skill. I'll admit, my sashes don't get washed, but then they don't get worn all that often these days either. We've moved from sashes and the relatively cheaply made Chinese style uniforms to using Japanese uniforms and belts (they are more durable and the belts stay tied better). My belt gets washed when it is dirty or sweaty enough to warrant it. Granted, that isn't nearly as often as the rest of the uniform (it takes quite a bit to soak through the uniform and into the belt), but it happens eventually and I wash the belt as well.

I disapprove of someone damaging their belt to convey the image of greater skill and experience than they normally possess, though as stated above it usually comes out anyway, damaged belt or not. I also disapprove of someone wearing a dirty uniform to class... Though it hasn't happened yet, if someone comes into my class wearing a soiled uniform, they'll be asked to leave and not return until it has been adequately laundered.

Just my thoughts, for what little they are worth.

 

[punisher73]

I have also heard/read that the whole NOT washing the gi/obi is an american tradition and is not the case in japan/okinawa. Having smelly clothes is a no-no including the belt.

That being the case I make sure my belt does not stink, if it does it gets gently handwashed in the sink and hung to dry. The only time I didn't was one time when my wife's cat peed on my gym bag and it soaked into the gi and belt. I didn't want to take any chances on it stinking like cat pee for the rest of my life so I washed and dried it in the washer/dryer.

 

[shesulsa]

None of my belts have ever been washed and none of them stink. :idunno:

 

[mj-hi-yah]

In my husband's school the tradition is to pass on used belts, and they don't get washed. Maybe that's a good defense.:lol:Like you Shesulsa I don't notice that his belts are smelly, but I admit I make it my business not to get too close to them either, as I do find it a bit like passing on bacteria. I suppose what doesn't kill you could make you stronger though, like building up immunities. :idunno:

 

[Rick Wade]

A buddy of mine wears a really fadded belt but it is the one that his dad gave him and he will readil;y admit it when asked.

V/R

Rick :whip:

 

[Floating Egg]

And what, pray tell, might that be? The myth that the Japanese and Okinawans, fastidiously clean people, would condone the wearing of a garment accessory that had never, ever been washed? That wearing a garment accessory that smelled of many a workout past as well as whatever other environmental concerns it may have had contact with? Or perhaps that if you wash your belt you'll "lose your skill?" You need to do some research and listen less to the stories told by teachers who have never experienced the mother-culture of their art...

When I was taking Judo I came across this myth as well. Upon further investigation I came to the same conclusion that it was not a Japanese tradition. I think this ranks up there with the myth about how black belts came to be (white belt + dirt = black belt).

 

[Shaolinmack]

All myths have some truth to them. this however is prbily factitious as the japanies are a clean people with to much respect to were "Mold" on somthing they would have gladly given there lives to defend....

 

[Marginal]

I've seen a few faded belts, but those were victims of bleach or other washing related accidents.

 

[arnisador]

I've never washed a belt. I was told it was the tradition not to wash them. I now suspect it is indeed more of an American tradition, but for no particular reason I do stick with it.

Some systems use stripes that are basically electrical tape on the colored belts, which would be a reason not to wash them.

 

[BlackCatBonz]

with the rate that some places give out belts......you wouldnt think they have a chance to get dirty.

 

[Sapper6]

None of my belts have ever been washed and none of them stink. :idunno:

mine neither. i guess we just don't workout as hard :ultracool j/k

my belts have never emitted any kind of odor. i sweat profusely during a two-hour workout 3 times weekly. now my gi is another story, but that is washed post-EVERY-workout session.

 

[Sam]

with the rate that some places give out belts......you wouldnt think they have a chance to get dirty.

unfortunate but true.

 

[jfarnsworth]

:jedi1:
Hey every one Last weekend I was at a tournament in Ohio I meet this one guy who has been in karate for only 4 years his black belt looked like it was 30 years old. Now I am wondering do they make or sell belts that look old or fall apart if so WOW. That is almost as bad as the vilciro belts awma sells. Or as bad as the pre tied belts

The only thing I can think of is if he had a belt that had been passed down. Maybe the belt was actually old :idunno: .

 

[bignick]

Heh, my BJJ white belt is getting pretty old. It takes a while to change colors...

Working on year 3 with this belt