Go Belts and Other Gi Items

[Rusty B]

Hello, all! This is my first post.

I'm two weeks into training (Shorin-Ryu), and I have some weight to lose - 100 pounds to be exact.

There's that "free uniform" that you get, that is clearly of lower quality than the gis worn by others.

Inevitably; I'm going to have to buy new gis as I loose weight.

But my question isn't about the gi itself.

I'm also finding higher quality belts online than what's given at the dojo.

Some of these companies offer kanji/katakana embroidery on the belts.

At my dojo, I only see yudansha with such embroidery.

Before I go asking whether or not kyu belts are permitted to have the embroidery, what I want to know is that even it is permitted... would I be perceived as a "douche" or "that guy" if I ordered one?

In case you believe the answer is "no," and you follow up by asking me why I would ask this question, here's why: at my job, people often put letters at the end of their name in their signature block of their email. I don't think anyone would have an issue with a PhD doing it. Some people with master's degrees do it. I have an MBA, and I don't do it because least half the people at job have a master's so none of the people putting MBA, MS, MA, etc in their signature blocks are impressing anyone. Even more laughable are people with a bachelor's degrees doing it. My job actually stepped in and made a rule that only graduate degrees can be put in signature blocks - presumably because they were cringed out by all the BA's and BS's after people's names.

That said... I want to look as sharp and dedicated as possible. But I don't want to be "that guy."

What is your take?

 

[jobo]

Hello, all! This is my first post.

I'm two weeks into training (Shorin-Ryu), and I have some weight to lose - 100 pounds to be exact.

There's that "free uniform" that you get, that is clearly of lower quality than the gis worn by others.

Inevitably; I'm going to have to buy new gis as I loose weight.

But my question isn't about the gi itself.

I'm also finding higher quality belts online than what's given at the dojo.

Some of these companies offer kanji/katakana embroidery on the belts.

At my dojo, I only see yudansha with such embroidery.

Before I go asking whether or not kyu belts are permitted to have the embroidery, what I want to know is that even it is permitted... would I be perceived as a "douche" or "that guy" if I ordered one?

In case you believe the answer is "no," and you follow up by asking me why I would ask this question, here's why: at my job, people often put letters at the end of their name in their signature block of their email. I don't think anyone would have an issue with a PhD doing it. Some people with master's degrees do it. I have an MBA, and I don't do it because least half the people at job have a master's so none of the people putting MBA, MS, MA, etc in their signature blocks are impressing anyone. Even more laughable are people with a bachelor's degrees doing it. My job actually stepped in and made a rule that only graduate degrees can be put in signature blocks - presumably because they were cringed out by all the BA's and BS's after people's names.

That said... I want to look as sharp and dedicated as possible. But I don't want to be "that guy."

What is your take?

id consider you '' THAT GUY'' i cant speak for you group,

shouldn't you really be worrying about loosing weight rather than obsessing about embroidery ?

id be judging you on your MA skills not how sharp you look, but you will possible look sharper if you lost 100 LBS, most people do

 

[Headhunter]

You've been training 2 weeks and you're already thinking about belt embroidery? Get your priorities straight. I've never bought a belt from anywhere. I've always only used the ones that are given to me because...it's a belt...who cares.

Gis yeah because the size changes, they get broken and old but belts no I've never bought a new belt even ones that look older

Why're you even looking at belts online? No one cares about the quality of your belt they care about they quality of your skills. Who cares if a belt is "lower quality"

Yeah I'd totally see you as that guy. Of course every place is different but if I saw someone come into class with a belt they'd bought themselves and got embroided with their rank or whatever then yeah I'd think they're a bit stuck up and full of themselves. You've been training 2 weeks you shouldn't be worrying about any belt let alone embroided belts or any of that nonsense

 

[Headhunter]

You've been training 2 weeks and you're already thinking about belt embroidery? Get your priorities straight. I've never bought a belt from anywhere. I've always only used the ones that are given to me because...it's a belt...who cares.

Gis yeah because the size changes, they get broken and old but belts no I've never bought a new belt even ones that look older

Why're you even looking at belts online? No one cares about the quality of your belt they care about they quality of your skills. Who cares if a belt is "lower quality"

Yeah I'd totally see you as that guy. Of course every place is different but if I saw someone come into class with a belt they'd bought themselves and got embroided with their rank or whatever then yeah I'd think they're a bit stuck up and full of themselves. You've been training 2 weeks you shouldn't be worrying about any belt let alone embroided belts or any of that nonsense

 

[Flying Crane]

As you progress in your training and your physical size changes, it is appropriate to find a quality gi that fits well. Get input from your teacher, he may have access to certain brands for discounts and such, and may be able to help you make a good choice.

I would discourage you from getting embroidery on a colored belt. I’ve never seen it done. It is usually done on black belts, and honestly I’m not a fan of it there either. But that is my personal opinion. I don’t like glam.

At black belt, if you want to find a higher quality belt, that would make sense to me. As a colored belt, I really do not see any need for it.

Welcome to Martialtalk, congratulations on beginning your training and dedicating yourself to making some self-improvements. Train hard and enjoy the process and don’t worry about the rest of it.

 

[Rusty B]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Just want to clarify some things:

There is no "obsession;" the reason I found these things online is because when I was signing up - and before I was issued my gi - I inquired about purchasing a second one, as the number of times I intend to attend classes per week is too much for one gi (i.e., five times a week, as my personal schedule permits).

However, when I was issued my gi, it was of noticeably lower quality than what hanshi was wearing. So I decided to search online for something better... and I decided to hold off and deal with the inconvenience of washing my one gi five times per week, as I was unable to justify to myself the cost of buying two higher quality gis every time I go down a size (currently 8, when I should be a 5 or 6 at my height - 5'11.5" to be exact).

But that's when noticed the belts, and decided to ask here.

BTW, I like looking sharp because I like looking sharp. Not in hopes of currying favor with anyone. I only care about how I'm perceived if it will negatively affect my interactions with others. Hence why I asked the question here, instead of jumping right on it.

As for the two weeks... it's not that simple. I signed up for six months to take advantage of the discount, so I see no harm in looking out at least that far.

 

[jobo]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Just want to clarify some things:

There is no "obsession;" the reason I found these things online is because when I was signing up - and before I was issued my gi - I inquired about purchasing a second one, as the number of times I intend to attend classes per week is too much for one gi (i.e., five times a week, as my personal schedule permits).

However, when I was issued my gi, it was of noticeably lower quality than what hanshi was wearing. So I decided to search online for something better... and I decided to hold off and deal with the inconvenience of washing my one gi five times per week, as I was unable to justify to myself the cost of buying two higher quality gis every time I go down a size (currently 8, when I should be a 5 or 6 at my height - 5'11.5" to be exact).

But that's when noticed the belts, and decided to ask here.

BTW, I like looking sharp because I like looking sharp. Not in hopes of currying favor with anyone. I'm only care about how I'm perceived if it will negatively affect my interactions with others. Hence why I asked the question here, instead of jumping right on it

As for the two weeks... it's not that simple. I signed up for six months to take advantage of the discount, so I see no harm in looking out at least that far.

You wash the gi ?

 

[Headhunter]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Just want to clarify some things:

There is no "obsession;" the reason I found these things online is because when I was signing up - and before I was issued my gi - I inquired about purchasing a second one, as the number of times I intend to attend classes per week is too much for one gi (i.e., five times a week, as my personal schedule permits).

However, when I was issued my gi, it was of noticeably lower quality than what hanshi was wearing. So I decided to search online for something better... and I decided to hold off and deal with the inconvenience of washing my one gi five times per week, as I was unable to justify to myself the cost of buying two higher quality gis every time I go down a size (currently 8, when I should be a 5 or 6 at my height - 5'11.5" to be exact).

But that's when noticed the belts, and decided to ask here.

BTW, I like looking sharp because I like looking sharp. Not in hopes of currying favor with anyone. I only care about how I'm perceived if it will negatively affect my interactions with others. Hence why I asked the question here, instead of jumping right on it.

As for the two weeks... it's not that simple. I signed up for six months to take advantage of the discount, so I see no harm in looking out at least that far.

The instructor is wearing a higher quality gi than the new guy? Funny that lol.

Why are you even looking at gi quality? So what if the instructor has a nicer gi than you? Is it martial art training or a fashion parade? focus on your training and wear whatever you've got, I mean you don't even know if you'll continue yet

 

[Flying Crane]

I don’t think he is talking about “nice”. I believe he is talking about “quality”. There is a difference.

 

[Headhunter]

I don’t think he is talking about “nice”. I believe he is talking about “quality”. There is a difference.

His main thing is about belt embroidery that's got nothing to do with quality

 

[hoshin1600]

stay away from the fancy stuff. try to blend in with what every one else is doing. if everyone had a high end belt with their name on it then fine but you do not what to stand out from the class.

 

[Rusty B]

True, Headhunter, but if I was going to order a higher quality belt and they offer embroidery, the question was "should I go for it."

I know now the answer is "no."

 

[Buka]

Welcome to Martial Talk, bro. Best going forward, enjoy your training.

As for letters after your name or belt embroidery, you should probably go with NKG..........New Karate Guy.

That was meant to be funny, not taking any shots. Just go have fun training. And please keep us posted as you progress.

 

[Flying Crane]

His main thing is about belt embroidery that's got nothing to do with quality

Sure, but not the gi.

 

[dvcochran]

Hello, all! This is my first post.

I'm two weeks into training (Shorin-Ryu), and I have some weight to lose - 100 pounds to be exact.

There's that "free uniform" that you get, that is clearly of lower quality than the gis worn by others.

Inevitably; I'm going to have to buy new gis as I loose weight.

But my question isn't about the gi itself.

I'm also finding higher quality belts online than what's given at the dojo.

Some of these companies offer kanji/katakana embroidery on the belts.

At my dojo, I only see yudansha with such embroidery.

Before I go asking whether or not kyu belts are permitted to have the embroidery, what I want to know is that even it is permitted... would I be perceived as a "douche" or "that guy" if I ordered one?

In case you believe the answer is "no," and you follow up by asking me why I would ask this question, here's why: at my job, people often put letters at the end of their name in their signature block of their email. I don't think anyone would have an issue with a PhD doing it. Some people with master's degrees do it. I have an MBA, and I don't do it because least half the people at job have a master's so none of the people putting MBA, MS, MA, etc in their signature blocks are impressing anyone. Even more laughable are people with a bachelor's degrees doing it. My job actually stepped in and made a rule that only graduate degrees can be put in signature blocks - presumably because they were cringed out by all the BA's and BS's after people's names.

That said... I want to look as sharp and dedicated as possible. But I don't want to be "that guy."

What is your take?

First off, welcome to the forum. It is a good, healthy place for martial arts minded people.

You are going to get a lot of opinions here, most of them quite candid. That is a very good thing if you receive it well.

To your post, yes you would be that guy if you got your belt embroidered. Looking at it from a higher level, I wonder if the need or desire to put a label/tag on yourself after only 2 weeks into a journey that can and should last a lifetime (at the very least years)is indicative of some other underlying issues. It sounds a bit compulsive and preening. It is much more important to find the joy in doing the work and sweating through class/rank. At the end of the day that is the real magic in making martial arts work for any person. Unless the appropriate benchmarks have been met, what a belt has written on it or sometimes even it's color does nothing to identify the proficiency or quality of a person. If such labels are applied too soon it usually means just the opposite.
Instead, I would suggest you make a functional plan. Beginning an exercise program is a fantastic start. Set down and write out realistic benchmarks for your weight loss. Talk to your instructor and see if a written curriculum exist that you can combine with the weight schedule. Figure out how they can best work together. Over time you should learn how/where/when to optimize your efforts. It is the best way to understand what things help and/or hurt the process. It will not be easy and that is something you have to learn to accept. Eventually it Will get easier if you put the work in.
When you map out your plan set some notable accomplishment triggers. Think about smart, healthy rewards for hitting the triggers. If you decide a mark of some sort on your belt is a strong motivator to you for reaching an accomplishment then I would wholeheartedly support it. It gives the reward a substantial value. That is worth much more than an empty label.
Stay in touch. Let us know how things progress.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

So as long as your instructor has no issues with it, get what you like in terms of gi and belt. Personally, I've never done any kind of embroidery, but that's just me. I used to spend some money on higher-quality gis and now I don't. A middle weight Century with an elastic waistband and an average obi are all I feel the need for.

 

[dvcochran]

So as long as your instructor has no issues with it, get what you like in terms of gi and belt. Personally, I've never done any kind of embroidery, but that's just me. I used to spend some money on higher-quality gis and now I don't. A middle weight Century with an elastic waistband and an average obi are all I feel the need for.

I agree but I hate the more poly than cotton feel of the cheap Century uniforms. I have to admit I splurged on an Adidas ADI-Flex uniform that is by far the coolest, most comfortable uniform I have ever owned. I have a Mooto I really like as well. These are only a year old, my others are '80's-'90's vintage and show it with very noticeable pit stains. Adidas uniforms how up very well. IMHO

 

[Rusty B]

Looking at it from a higher level, I wonder if the need or desire to put a label/tag on yourself after only 2 weeks into a journey that can and should last a lifetime (at the very least years)is indicative of some other underlying issues.

If I was determined to do it (you seem think I am), I wouldn't have asked anyone here first. I don't think asking about it means that I've been passed back-and-forth between a priest and a scout leader as a child or otherwise need my head examined. Hell, I didn't even know these things existed until I looked for higher quality gis than the "free" one I was given. I merely saw them, then inquired about it here.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I'd find it weird if a new guy came in with an embroidered belt. I've never even considered getting a belt that wasn't the one given to me when I rank up. If I taught and found out someone bought a belt for themselves I'd consider that very odd.

As for the gi, get whatever gi you want. Just check first before you get a colored one if that's okay-some places will use colored gis as another way to denote rank so it would be like accidentally going to class wearing a green belt instead of your white belt.

 

[dvcochran]

If I was determined to do it (you seem think I am), I wouldn't have asked anyone here first. I don't think asking about it means that I've been passed back-and-forth between a priest and a scout leader as a child or otherwise need my head examined. Hell, I didn't even know these things existed until I looked for higher quality gis than the "free" one I was given. I merely saw them, then inquired about it here.

I hope you read my entire post.
Like I said, if you do not want a candid response maybe you should ask your priest or a scout leader for embroidery advise.